Good Friday and Barbecue?

It's Good Friday.  The services don't begin until 3:00.  A holy person would probably spend the first part of the day in stillness.  I spend it cleaning my barbecue.  Yes, it is my annual pre-Pascha barbecue scrub and meditation.  

Beginners at prayer can seldom spend more than a little while at a time just sitting or standing in prayer.  We get fidgety.  When there is a lot of time that should be spent in quiet prayer, there is nothing so useful as a really messy job to keep people away, to keep my hands busy and to keep my mind from wandering (too much).  True, I don't say many prayers, per se, while I scrape and scrub; but it is a rather peaceful and very messy hour or two.  

Every year at the Pascha party, I get to run the barbecue.  Others offer to do it for me, but I fend them off.  I actually look forward to it every year.  We do the party potluck style, so I never know what kind of meat, fish, fowl or veggie to expect.  It's a fun challenge for me to get everything on and off and cooked to order.  I have to be mindful of what kind of heat and how much time each kind of food requires.  I get to chat with everyone, but I don't get drawn into any deep conversations: "Oops! Got a flare up to deal with!  Quick, go get me a cup of water!" 

And I love that we get lots of visitors, friends of friends, reluctant family members and neighbours.  It's a great mix.  This year my atheist French teacher is coming.  Even an atheist can enjoy the Light of Pascha.  She's a wonderful person (my atheist French teacher).  She's not the angry kind of atheist.  If I had to guess, I'd say she is the disappointed kind.  She doesn't mind "religious" people (though she does jab a little now and then for fun--just to see if we will squirm); she just hasn't herself found any reality in religion, only bad experiences with religious people.  I hope she has a great time and the Light of Pascha gently touches her heart.

Well I'd better get cleaned up and ready.  Good Friday services are always a powerful mix of sadness and expectation.