We took the risk of running a Good Friday evening service at 8pm. We weren't sure if too many people would be in too much of a hurry to get away for the double long weekend. Yet deep down we were thinking and hoping and kinda had the 'ministry hunch' that it would be awesome. There were little indications, people volunteering at the last minute to help with the 'vibe' of the service, church members setting up Facebook Events from their own initiative... just little signs.
Our vision was to give a certain Australian spin on the theme of 'mortality'; we wanted to pick up on themes of convicts, fear of wilderness. Death of a Riverguide. That sort of thing.
Anyway, it was great, big turnout, lots of visitors. Here's some highlights:
- Powerful sermon by Dan, bridging the gap between Good Friday and Easter Sunday - how 'mortality' has us thinking about life as much as about death. Dan did an excellent job of presenting fascinating material to the Christians as well as addressing the questions of the outsider. Watch the website for it to appear soon.
- Der did a suite of readings from Voss by Patrick White. They were well read and added to the meditative, Australian dimension to our study of mortality.
- The music was strong and poignant.
- We did a little work on the vibe. Everyone up the front and everyone doing ushering were dressed in black (except for Dan's shirt and Huw's shoes which were white). Shi did nice black table clothes, candles and roses around the hall.
- I did up some Eucalypt-smoked damper and golden syrup. Jake and Dooda organised a late-night seafood barbie, with Salmon and prawns and we all stood outside around fire drums in the rain.
- Nick and Der did a magnificent acoustic duet of an old convict song. Stirring harmonies, six verses. Chilling. Nathan, who liked Nirvana before Kurt Cobain killed himself, also sang a very quiet, haunting tunes.
