Easter Season at South

Lenore Person | Posted on March 1, 2023 |

Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?

This question is from T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” In Eliot’s poem, this line is spoken by an anxiety ridden man who seems paralyzed by the choices set before him in modern life. He wonders about the risks of engaging with life and love; he wonders if he even has the courage to enjoy the sensation of eating a peach; worried that taking such a small step will compel him further into feeling not only the pleasures, but the pain of life. It’s a great metaphor for us to use this Lent, to reflect on what we dare to do that will bring us to engage more deeply with the complexities of life.

Each week during 10 AM Sunday worship, we will explore different ways that we might “dare disturb the universe.”

Do I Dare Resist? Jesus is tempted in the wilderness, yet proves himself ready to resist the ways of empires
Do I Dare Ask? Nicodemus, a scholar and leader of his people admits what he does not understand
Do I Dare Grieve? On 3/12/23, we will acknowledge the anniversary of COVID-19 being designated a pandemic and reflect on who and what we have lost, and how our lives have changed.
Do I Dare Live Again? Tragedy, illness, loss and trauma take their toll. Like Lazarus, will we truly live again?

During Holy Week, we will walk through the events of Jesus’ last week, daring to name and confront painful realities and suffering that still echo in the world today.

Palm Sunday – join us for a Reader’s Theatre presentation. Do we dare to find ourselves in the story of the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his subsequent passion and crucifixion?

Holy Week – participate in the Wailing Walk on the front lawn, where we will dare to allow our hearts to be broken open by the suffering of the world. This experience will be available from Wednesday to Friday.

Good Friday – if you haven’t participated yet, come for the Wailing Walk and then stay for a Tenebrae service at 7:30 PM, where we dare to enter the shadows.

Easter Sunday, April 9: 6:30 AM Sunrise Service at Waterfront Park, 10 AM Service of the Resurrection, followed by an Egg Hunt for the little ones

Practical Resources for Churches 40 Days Together Free Resources. Here are the resources from 40 Days Together, our Lenten initiative for families, which are free for anyone to download. Just click on the words of the resources to view and download. The tables tents will open in your PDF reader. The conversation questions are in a zip folder. When they’re unzipped, you’ll see 14 PNG (picture) files; you can right-click to open them and then right click again to print. Scroll down to see the list of the rest of the resources and how families or organizations can access the entire program. If you have questions, please email Elizabeth@prcli.org.