I remember growing up, sometimes there was an abrupt interruption to my favorite tv shows. Remember, this was before VCR's and DVR. In those days there was no way to record. shows. If you missed It, YOU MISSED IT! Across the screen was a message, we need to interrupt the regularly scheduled broadcast for a special announcement. That is what happened every year at Easter for my son.
Easter, unlike Christmas, isn't discussed for a month in culture. There was little time for my son to adjust to the Easter celebration. He didn't do well with sudden changes in the schedule. You see, we had Good Friday Services and Easter services. In his rigid thinking, WHO GOES TO CHURCH ON FRIDAY NIGHT? It only happened once a year so there was no way to "practice" beforehand. I usually found out what was going to occur in the service and prepared him the best I could.
Easter morning shouldn't be so tough, right? WRONG! It was like he had gone to a brand new church. He felt like there were a "million" people there. The worship service had a lot more music and instruments on Easter. so it was LOUD! He didn't like music anyway but loud music was even worse! The children's program was special for Easter. All the children were together for a big celebration. That was my son's worse nightmare: lots of kids, noisy, change, change, change. I always found out what would happen in all the environments so I could prepare him for it. It also enabled me to make decisions about what we would do. Do we go to church together? Do I put him in the program? Do I go to the children's program with him? Do we stay in foyer until the music is over?
The goal was to manage the environment the best we could. I am a pastor's wife. We were going to go to church! We just had to figure out how, when Church felt chaotic and my son had little way to predict what was going to happen. I needed to manage the environment so he could attend services on Easter week.
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