By Kim Lenz, Acting Communications Coordinator, Grace, Yorktown
 |
 |
Seven Episcopal congregations along with two Lutheran congregations
have been working to turn what's been an eight-year tradition of
drumming, fire, processions and baptisms into a virtual Vigil for
participants to experience at home. Recreating what's been a highly
participatory experience of a couple hundred folks has been no small
feat, but all churches involved have done their best to bring this ninth
annual vigil to the people.
Music Director Suzanne Daniel at Grace, Yorktown, has led the
technology charge to record - safely and individually - this year's
participants for a YouTube broadcast that will begin at 7 p.m. this
Saturday, April 11. The Rev. Thomas Haynes of Christ the King, Tabb,
will give the homily. The Rev. Sven vanBaars, rector of Abingdon
Church in White Marsh, and this year's lead clergy, says the decision to
produce a virtual Vigil is partly to mark the resurrection as the
defining moment of Christian faith, but also the opportunity to have a
fuller expression of the meaning of this event. The opening prayer "reminds
us that the church is dispersed around the world. Maybe in this time of
social isolation, in this time of being dispersed rather than gathered
together as we typically are, we can hear and experience the words of
this ancient liturgy with fresh ears and hearts."
The Vigil on the York River has historically been a
collaboration recognizing Easter as a celebration of the whole church,
not just individual parishes. "With the safe distancing guidelines in
place we knew that we could not do the Vigil as we had, but we also knew
that it was perhaps more important to make a statement of our faith in
Christ's resurrection," says vanBaars. "Luckily, our Creator has made us
very creative and we used our creative spirits to bring this event
together in a virtual context."
A bulletin for this service, which also has a link to Grace's YouTube channel where it will be broadcast, is available now on the Grace Church homepage. For those who have not been to the waterfront Vigil, click here for a video created to promote last year's event.
This year's participating congregations are: Grace Episcopal in
Yorktown; Abingdon Episcopal in White Marsh; Ware Episcopal in
Gloucester; Apostles Lutheran in Gloucester; St. George's Episcopal in
Newport News; Reformation Lutheran in Newport News; Kingston Parish
Episcopal in Mathews; St. John's Episcopal in West Point; and Christ the
King Episcopal in Tabb.
