Though we are long past the coronatide season of needing to worship anywhere but inside a church building, my family and I are living in Germany where we do not have a church. It’s not that there aren’t churches here. I pass by their doorways all the time but our German is just not strong enough to participate in any meaningful way. There are a few English speaking churches, as well. I’ve looked at their websites but I can’t bring myself to worship in a place where the theology is so far from my own even if I can understand all that is happening.

So we have been worshipping at home. We have streamed but there is always a delay which means we would be having Easter Monday instead of Easter Sunday. (Dear pastor, you do enough. You do not need to figure out this hurdle for me.) On Christmas Eve, we got to experience Holy Night created by the talented Karen Jackson. We all loved it and so I went looking for her Easter version but she hasn’t made one.

I considered sending her a message but it’s nearly Holy Week and that would just be mean to a busy pastor. Also, I’m clergy. I know how to create liturgy and so I made my own way to celebrate Easter morning anywhere

The prayers that I’m not writing and praying for my directees in spiritual direction are all focused on my two girls and so this complete Easter morning worship experience highlights their needs for something sensory and engaging.

However, Resurrection Anytime might not only appeal to families. It might be an experience that is shared by those that find themselves in a hospital bed or having to work at the exact times when worship is scheduled. It might appeal to families who have booked a long postponed vacation after the pandemic and won’t be able to attend worship during their travels. It could be used anytime in any of the places people might find themselves wanting to celebrating the resurrection, whether they are alone or gathered together with families and friends.

This brief worship service focuses on telling the story and using child-friendly contemplative practices to explore what this good news feels like. The focus of our storytelling is in Mark’s gospel which is delightfully short and lacking in any sort of detail which leaves lots of room for imagination. In our family on Easter morning, we will be following the suggestion to read from a children’s Bible or a favorite Easter story. I haven’t even looked to see if our Lectionary Bible includes Mark’s version of the resurrection which is to say I haven’t yet decided which one we’ll use.

It comes with a Spotify playlist because I am completely captivated by the dance parties the Rev. Molly Baskette has every year in church on Easter Sunday.

We love a good kitchen dance party and though there is another worship moment to attempt to embody hope, it is this dance party that will really illustrate joy to my girls.

And so, we will have a dance party too. Side bar: If you are anywhere near the Bay Area, you should go celebrate the resurrection at Molly’s church.

I’m excited to be able to offer this to my family and while I’ve created lots of other things for this long season of worshipping at home, this one actually feels worth sharing for those that find themselves in a similar situation.

I hope Resurrection Anytime is a blessing for those that choose it for their celebration on Easter morning. If you are looking for something just like this, you’ll find it in my shop on Dandelion Marketplace.