HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE:
Palm Sunday: 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM
Maundy Thursday Service: 7 PM in the Sanctuary
Good Friday Service: Noon and 7 PM in the Sanctuary
Easter Morning: 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM
Holy Week
During Holy Week we commemorate the events leading up to Easter. Holy Week prepares us for Easter, for the resurrection. From the glorious reception of Jesus as King on Palm Sunday, to the Last Supper and then his death on the cross because of our sins. Because he was not a worldly King, all is in preparation for his glorious resurrection and our recognition of Jesus as King and God, sacrificed for us.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. At both our 9 & 10:30 am services, we start outside and bless the palms, then process into the church. Reflecting on the many meanings of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem: King, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Lamb, Sacrifice… , all are cheering for the glory of God and all of creation, even the stones are prepared to join in the chorus. Soon enough, the crowds, like our own hearts, will turn on Him and in the service we reenact the Passion and the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
On Maundy Thursday at our 7:30 p.m. service we remember the Last Supper, when Jesus and the disciples gathered for a Passover celebration. Maundy Thursday is the beginning of the sacred 3 days of the celebration of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. It initiates a time of watching, waiting and contemplating, as we enter into the commemoration of the mystery of our redemption. The gift of love in the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood is the focus; the demonstration of self-giving in the washing of feet is a fitting symbol; the stripping of the altar and the continuation of this liturgy in that of Good Friday is the timelessness of silence, the silence of God. On this night we celebrate the Great Thanksgiving with the powerful knowledge that: "When the hour had come for him to be glorified by you, his heavenly Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end; at supper with them he took bread...After supper he took the cup of wine...Father, we now celebrate this memorial of our redemption" (BCP 374).
Good Friday is a continuation of the Maundy Thursday liturgy and begins in silence as the night before ended in silence. In the service at noon & 7:30 p.m., we reenact the Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that God, will behold us as his family, those for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross. During the Gospel reading, the congregation is asked to speak for the crowd, responding “Crucify him!” when Pilate asks, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” Because every one of our sins cried out, 'Crucify Him!'
Easter
He is Risen! This is the heart of the Gospel, the Good News! We celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. All of Christian faith hinges on this. Jesus rose from the dead and demonstrated the truth of all that he taught. He was shown to be God who took on flesh and worthy of our praise and adoration. The first sermon, short and sweet, is poignant with meaning: "He is Risen". These simple words are the harbingers of the dramatic change that comes into our lives when we accept Jesus into our lives. Join with us as we join with Christians around the world and throughout time in rejoicing in the resurrection of our Lord. We celebrate Easter as follows:
On Holy Saturday, we will celebrate the Great Vigil of Easter at 7:30p.m. We start the service outside by lighting the new Paschal Candle and process it into the church. This is an ancient liturgy that dates to the early church. The Paschal candle represents the light of Christ coming into the world and is lit from "new fire". We often also celebrate baptisms at the Easter Vigil.
On Easter Sunday, we will have our usual two services. The service at 9 a.m. is a traditional Rite I Communion service with traditional hymns. The service at 10:30 a.m. is a more contemporary celebration of Holy Communion that still follows the ancient pattern of worship that would be recognizable by the the early church, with more contemporary music. This is followed by an Easter egg hunt for the children.