Fifth Century Church Life

I am writing this on Good Friday afternoon, having spent the morning in prayer, and then having attended a joint Good Friday service at noon that included my own Episcopal church and a nearby Presbyterian church. Those of you who know me will not be surprised by any of this. It is what I have done my whole life. I missed the service one year when I lived in Auckland, New Zealand, because I had a baby and a toddler, and the weather was filthy! Other than that day, I’m guessing I have a seventy-year record of attendance!

The Good Friday service is somber but is a necessary part of preparation for the miracle of Easter. If you don’t acknowledge the significance of Jesus’ death, the resurrection is emptier than the tomb!

I have no idea how many of the services that we conduct today would have been around in fifth century Britain. (In my last church there were twelve services between Palm Sunday and Easter Day.) I tend to think the emphasis would have been on regular Sunday services. And as the church grew there would have been Saints days added at regular intervals, mostly to commemorate their martyrdom. In larger cities like Canterbury there might have been daily gatherings of a less formal nature for prayer and teaching too, for those who could get away from their work. In the monasteries there were multiple daily services and so the commemoration of Saints days and other Holy days that did not fall on a Sunday was easier to accommodate.

If you celebrate Easter I hope you have a blessed day on Sunday! If not, may the blessings of Easter overflow into your life, as well.