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{"id":3369,"date":"2011-04-24T15:38:45","date_gmt":"2011-04-24T19:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/community\/deaconsbench\/?p=3369"},"modified":"2016-09-30T17:44:10","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:44:10","slug":"if-you-cant-find-a-seat-dont-worry-next-week-well-have-plenty-of-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2011\/04\/if-you-cant-find-a-seat-dont-worry-next-week-well-have-plenty-of-room\/","title":{"rendered":""If you can't find a seat, don't worry. Next week, we'll have plenty of room.""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

That was how a priest at my parish opened mass this morning, and we all knew exactly what he meant.\u00a0 This is what it looked like from the front door of the church at 1:15, Easter Sunday:<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a>
\nStanding room only at all the masses, lots of unfamiliar faces, a few colorful hats. A couple people who had been baptized the night before came again on Sunday, which always touches me. They just can\u2019t stay away.<\/p>\n

The altar servers have developed a new spin on using the thurible: swinging it 360 degrees. When you see two of these guys doing it, in perfect sync, during the \u201cHallelujah\u201d Chorus, it\u2019s literally breathtaking.\u00a0 Witnessing that spectacle, a couple elderly women had their eyebrows arched in perpetual astonishment, their mouths forming a silent \u201cWow.\u201d<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

He has been raised.\u00a0 That\u2019s a good reason for \u201cWow.\u201d<\/p>\n

After four days, nine liturgies, the Seven Last Words, one Exultet, one long rehearsal, one Ephphatha rite, one last minute homily<\/a><\/strong> (the Easter Vigil assignment came up at 9:30 Friday night) and a few hundred communions distributed (out of several thousand for the weekend), I can only say this: I\u2019m just grateful to be able to sit down and take off my shoes.<\/p>\n

He has been raised. And now I\u2019m taking a nap. Happy Easter, all.<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"