Easter Worship: Christians around Logan gather to celebrate the life of Christ
Religion is, at times, viewed as a tool for division.
Even within Christianity, varying rituals and interpretations of the Bible within different churches can make members of one congregation feel alienated from those of another.
But Easter is unifying in Christianity because it is a time for congregations to gather and celebrate a belief they all have in common: that Jesus Christ died on the cross so they might live again.
Three Statesman writers went to a few of the Christian churches around Logan to observe what was taught and how. None of the writers were regular attendees of the denomination they wrote about.
Statesman staff writer Morgan Pratt visited St. John’s Episcopal church in Logan.
A family full of teenage girls filed into the church. Their bright, Easter-egg-colored dresses brightened their skin and they wobbled in their strappy heels. Men wore sports jackets with pastel sweaters underneath. A baby babbled. The sun streamed in from the clouds and illuminated the stained glass windows, but it was really the smiles from the churchgoers that lit up the church.
White filled the room, from flags that hung above the worshipers, to dainty embroidered white gloves, to the white cloth that covered the altar, to the white church hats that made some women look like they were wearing halos. Those who put on the sermon wore traditional white robes. The white lilies that surrounded the altar stood tall, but they all stared at each other with level heads. The same could be said of the churchgoers, dignified yet respectful. White for the resurrection, white for purity and white for love.
“Alleluia,” the presider said to begin the sermon, “Christ is risen.”
“The Lord is risen, indeed,” the congregation replied in unison. “Alleluia.”
During the sermon, there was a moment that transcended the religious fervor; it was called “the Peace.” It was an opportunity for members to greet others in the church. The congregation buzzed, saying “peace be unto you” as the worshipers moved around from person to person. Some people shared cordial handshakes, while others exchanged hearty hugs. My eyes welled up with tears from the power of the sheer love they shared.
Joy danced from the organist’s fingers to the congregation as he played “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” The sermon ended as the worshipers reveled that Jesus lived again as they filed out of the church together to share their delight with the world.
Statesman writer Eddie Collins attended the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic church.
Having never been to a Catholic mass before, I was surprised by the modernity of the St. Thomas Aquinas chapel, with my only previous experience being images of stereotypical churches in movies.
The exterior was not covered by gargoyles and stained glass windows; the architecture was similar to other buildings in Logan in most respects. The chapel was inviting. A row of risers for the orchestra replaced the image of a massive pipe organ I had envisioned, and modest paintings of Christ carrying the cross hung on the walls, rather than brutal depictions of pain and suffering that Mel Gibson created in his film years ago.
The entrance procession began at 10 a.m. Rev. Francisco Pires entered, along with a priest, carrying a thurible of burning incense, which I later learned represents sanctification and purity. The service continued with readings and Psalms from the Bible, all included within a large red book entitled “Gospel.”
The idea of forgiveness and the ability to overcome sin was strongly emphasized throughout the readings and Psalms. At one point, members of the congregation offered up petitions, similar to prayers in foreign languages including Hebrew, Samoan, German and Indonesian. A priest translated their petitions into English after each was recited, allowing English speakers to hear their messages of optimism and unity.
To me, the Communion Rite best showed the members’ dedication to their faith. While individuals were going up for the symbolic bread and wine, most others were knelt down behind their pew in prayer. Their faith seemed to truly guide their lives.
Living in Utah, I often forget that Catholics are not a minority in most places, having an estimated 1.2 billion members worldwide. This experience opened my eyes to what Easter means for such a large religious population.
Statesman writer Isabel Forinash visited the Logan Church of Christ.
The Church of Christ, located at 240 West and 200 North, is a relatively small building in which a congregation of about 100 people meet every Sunday to show their love for their Lord.
Upon arriving several minutes before the worship began, I was surprisingly greeted with the friendly faces of adults and children alike. Many of the people in the congregation are extensions of family relatives or close friends, making the environment close-knit and unified.
A handful of members came up to me and introduced themselves, giving me a warm welcome that I was not expecting from people who knew nothing about the stranger sitting in the back row. My first and lasting impression of the people there was one of kindness and acceptance, which correlated perfectly with the rituals and sermon that followed later on in the meeting.
After starting the meeting with two worship hymns, members of the congregation verbally contributed names of people they personally interact with to a prayer wall. The wall was then referenced in a group prayer where the entire congregation stood up and expressed concern with bowed heads for those who might need help, comfort or love in their lives. It was a humbling experience for me to be able to observe how much time these people devoted to caring about others.
The remainder of the rituals before the sermon consisted of the reading of scriptures from the Holy Bible, several more worship songs and the passing around of an offering plate where almost all members, including children, contributed whatever amount of money they could to the church plate. The offering is to symbolize the people giving back to God for everything He had sacrificed for them when He died on the cross.
The speaker connected readings from the book of Judges 3-5 in the Holy Bible to the Easter holiday’s representation of God’s sacrifice for His people. This sermon emphasized that God made this sacrifice because He loved us, and in return He wants us to love Him back.
Opposite of my expectations, the Church of Christ did not have a special program set apart specifically for Easter, but rather highlighted the love of Christ that they strive to emulate on a daily basis.