We all make sacrifices, especially the military, so it's not surprising that groups of three Roman soldiers spent 39 straight hours this weekend guarding Jesus' tomb at
Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in freezing temperatures. It was in the 20s when we visited during the day Saturday and I'm afraid to think what the nights were like, even with the small fire they had.
This was the second year males of the congregation have come down the hill to Madison Street for two to three hour shifts during the reinactment. The person in charge of the arrangements? None other than Officer Bill Beglinger. Officer Beglinger has strong community ties and our paths cross often, fortunately not from the back seat of his squad! When Bill isn't running for mayor or teaching my son about
D.A.R.E., he can be found at Waukesha North as the resource officer or, as in this case, doing other nice things for the community and his church.
Finding a church service on Friday was easy because many Christian churches commemorate the Lord's Passion around 1:00 p.m. I left work around noon and drove a short distance south on Sixth St. in Milwaukee to the
Basilica of St. Josephat where the service was well under way. I ended up staying later than most because I planned on the service lasting until 3:00. It was still early when I left so when I approached Lapham Blvd. heading back north I turned left to see if anyone was still at the Congregation of the Great Spirit four blocks up, and they were. The service was still going strong because they incorporate many Native traditions which takes longer, and they don't usually start mass until everyone has arrived.
There's obvious differences between the two churches. The highlight of the Basilica was the solemnity of the procedings and music and the beauty of the art and architecture. The Congregation of the Great Spirit is more relaxed and unassuming. We didn't share a sign of peace or join hands for the Lord's Prayer at the Basilica, but at the Congregation of the Great Spirit it's possible to shake hands with everyone during the several minute sign of peace. Also, at the Congregation it's important to form a complete and unbroken chain during the Lord's Prayer.
Easter mass at my home parish was nothing special. We arrived plenty early because we knew we'd have to stand if we didn't. We found as many cars exiting from the previous mass as entering for the next, a real traffic jam, and we were lucky to get in and parked. Just as we left our car we saw an ambulance trying to work it's way into the one lane driveway clogged with cars. As soon as it got in we saw one, then another, fire engine trying the same thing, and one actually made it. Right about now I'm hoping the cars are leaving because mass was over and not because something's burning! It turns out an elderly woman had passed out in the long, crowded mass. I'm praying she's going to be OK.
