It is Easter today here in Ukraine.
This holiday is very significant here as it is in America. However, the traditions are different. Easter here for many Ukrainians involves getting your Pascal (Russian for Easter) bread and eggs blessed by the priests at the Orthodox Church. Afterwards they will spend time in the parks with family and friends eating and enjoying one another’s company.
Mary Ellen and I are spending our 5th Easter here in Ukraine and took the opportunity for a very relaxing day. The weather was beautiful, warm with bright blue skies and puffy white clouds. On our way to church this morning we taken back with the lack of traffic and people. Many have gone out of the city to visit relatives. We went to the New Life Church for a wonderful service filled with drama and music that reminded us of what Easter is truly all about: celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
After church we went to a favorite restaurant for a late breakfast and then on to a Ukrainian Sunday afternoon walk, including a ride up the venicular, an incline railway connecting Podol (one of the oldest parts of the city down by the Dnippr River) with the upper part of the city near many of the oldest churches in Kiev. We walked around on top and looked out at the river and the city far below us. What a beautiful sight!! We walked over to St. Michael’s where the priest was blessing the bread and eggs and sprinkling holy water on people in front of the church. Mary Ellen got too close and got a few sprinkles☺ Took the venicular down the hill and walked to one of our favorite coffee shops for espresso, tea and some pastries.
Now we are back at the apartment relaxing. It will be a long holiday weekend here and the seminary is on its Easter break all next week. So we have a chance to relax some and get ready for the final assault before we graduate our second class of church planting students in May.
I will close with the traditional greeting on Easter here in Ukraine. Cristos Vaskres (Christ is Risen!!) Vieasteenew Vaskres. (He is risen indeed!)
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