This morning I uploaded Episode One in our newest Seasonal Video series, Eastertide: From Resurrection to Ascension. The episode includes 17 illustrations from the 13th to the 19th C. (with a photograph from the 21st C.), mostly Resurrection imagery. Artists include, in order of use, fresco-makers at Constantinople, James Tissot, William Holman Hunt, Giotto, fresco-makers at Milan, Byzantine icon-painters, and Russian Orthodox icon painters, including the celebrated Andrei Rublev, from the 15th to the 18th C. Regular viewers will have noticed the change in the series graphic from Portrait to Landscape orientation. This became necessary when I switched production of videos from the version of iMovie on my iPad to the enhanced version on my Mac. The “Ken Burns effect” program on the Mac, which has many additional features, especially in the area of multi-source soundtracks, is strongly biased toward Landscape imagery. Viewers will easily see the difference in the way the images scan during the video. For those especially fond of icons: the image in the title graphic is one of the best, most carefully drawn representations of the classic “Harrowing of Hades” depiction of Christ, standing on the destroyed gates of Hades and the pit with the “keys to Hades and Death,” lifting Adam (in white) and Eve (in red) from Hades. The figure with halo at left center (near the tip of Jesus’ right hand) is John the Baptist, observing in his status as the Last Prophet of the Old Testament. The blue oval is a classic representation of the Glory of the Lord, sheckinah in Hebrew.
Watch the Video. Listen to the Podcast version
The program, which runs just over 29 minutes, begins with a discussion of the history of the Feast of Feasts from its origins in the early Church both Eastern and Western to 20th C. liturgies in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The program continues with a discussion of the meaning of Easter and its central place in Christian theology, followed by prayer books services for Easter Day, including the changes to Morning Prayer and the two sets of Collect, Epistle and Gospel readings for the day. Also included is information about seasonal music for Easter from The St. Chrysostom Hymnal and cross-reference to other AIC programs and publications appropriate for Easter Day observances.
Episode Two, focused on Easter Monday and Tuesday and the First, Second and Third Sundays after Easter is almost complete and should be available in video and podcast versions on or before April 2nd.
I’ve posted new links on the Welcome page to Part I and Part II of the Good Friday program as well as the new Eastertide episode for Easter Day. You can similate the experience of a Good Friday 12 Noon service by opening Part I of In the Cross of Christ I Glory and pausing at the appropriate times between Noon and 3 PM (which obviously requires also opening Part 2 after the completion of the prayers for the Fourth Word. Part Two resumes the program with Fifth Word for 1:55 P.M. Again I think the parishioners of Holy Cross REC for providing the voices for the “all saying together” sections and the responses, including the Amens.
I am exploring the movement of all our videos from YouTube to Vimeo, owing to Google’s increasing anti-religious bias. I also intend to drop my Twitter channel, for the same reason. Unfortunately, Facebook is important as a vehicle for reaching a broad audience around the world. I will continue to post church-related links on both my personal and AIC pages at Facebook. I do not make any personal information posts on my Facebook page and do not use its Messenger program.
As always, thank you for your interest in and support for the AIC’s online ministry. Your consideration in sharing links and messages with friends, family, business associates and others does help the AIC reach more people, especially those who do not have a local source for traditional Christian teaching and liturgy.
Glory be to God for all things!
Anglican Internet Church 
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