Schedule of Holy Week and Easter Services

Holy Week is the most sacred time of the Church Year.  It is a week that begins with the joy and celebration of Jesus's entrance into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, yet so quickly moves into the solemn drama of his trial, crucifixion, and death.  But, as we know, the story does no end with death and Jesus in the tomb!   At the end of Holy Week, we begin another day, the Day of Resurrection, Easter.   The ceremonies of Holy Week and the Easter Vigil are ancient, beautiful, and moving, as they recount god's mystery of redemption in Jesus Christ.

March 20     10:00 a.m.    The Sunday Of Passion: Palm Sunday
the Liturgy of the Palms, reading of the passion gospel, and the holy Eucharist (incense used)

On Palm Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Gathering first in Hand Hall for the blessing and distribution of palms, we will then make the symbolic journey that Jesus made from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem as we process into and around the church.  As we make our way into the church carrying palms we sing “All Glory, Laud, and Honor,” and are reminded of the joy and celebration that the people had as they welcomed Jesus into the Holy City.

Our procession ends before the altar where we pray “give us grace to take up our cross and follow him (Jesus) in strength and faith,” and realize that a dramatic change is taking place in the mood of the service.  As we listen to the reading of Christ’s Passion by members of the congregation, we are reminded of the price that was paid for our salvation.  It also challenges us to examine ourselves to see if we are one of those who switched from shouting “Hosanna” to “Crucify him.”

March 24    6:00 p.m.        Maundy Thursday
The Holy Eucharist, Stripping of the Altar, and Watch at the Altar of Repose

The Maundy Thursday Eucharist commemorates the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion.  It was on this night that he gathered his disciples together for their last meal together.  During this meal Jesus took bread, and then wine, offered thanks over them, and gave them to the disciples, telling them to eat the bread, which was his flesh, and drink the wine, which was his blood.  At the conclusion of the service the altar is stripped bare, symbolic of our Lord being stripped of his garments of Good Friday.

March 24    7:00-10:00 p.m.        Maundy Thursday Watch
Bread and wine which were consecrated at this service for communion on Good Friday are taken to the conference room where the Altar of Repose is set up. A watch occurs before the Altar of Repose from to symbolize Jesus asking his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Could you not watch with me one hour?"

March 25  1:00 p.m.      Good Friday

On this day, like Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary, wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, and the disciple Jesus loved, we keep our watch before the Cross.

The service begins with a silent procession which leads into the reading of scripture, including St. John’s passion account.  Because  Christ died for the salvation of  the whole world, we offer solemn prayer for all people of the earth.  Veneration of the cross follows as hymns of praise extolling the virtues of this instrument of our redemption are said.

We then come forward to receive the Body and Blood of our Savior that was consecrated on Maundy Thursday.  We then leave in silence.

March 26    9:00 a.m. Holy Saturday
Morning Prayer

It was on Saturday that our Lord laid in the tomb. We are invited to come to church Saturday morning and say an abbreviated form of Morning Prayer, to gather as the disciples did in despair, yet for us, with the knowledge of our Lord's resurrection on the third day.

March 26  8:00 p.m. the Great Vigil of Easter
the Lighting of the New Fire, Singing of the Exsultet, Holy Baptism, and the First Eucharist of Easter (incense used)

The oldest Liturgy of the Christian Church is the Easter Vigil. In early times, it was an all night vigil, ending Lent and ushering in the Easter Season. The service originally consisted of the Lighting of the Paschal Candle, a series of nine scripture readings summarizing salvation history into the Old Testament, Holy Baptism, and of the First Eucharist of Easter.

Our service begins in the atrium where a new fire is lit and the Paschal Candle (the sign of the Risen Christ) is lighted. Hand candles are then lit and we then process into the church as Deacon Marilou chance "the light of Christ," and the people respond, "Thanks be to God." As the light expels the darkness of the unlit church, so we are reminded that Christ has overcome death. The ancient hymn, "Exsultet," is then sung by Deacon Marilou. Readings from the Old Testament follow, along with Psalms and Canticles.  Holy Baptism is then administred in the light of the Paschal Candal, asymbol of the new light of the Risen Crist.

The Holy Eucharist then begins with the proclamation, "Alleluia! Christ is risen!" Hand bells (from Fr. George DeGraff's collection) are rung in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist of the Easter Vigil and Easter Day celbrate the first and greatest of the Church's festivals.  We continue our liturgy with the singing of the "Gloria in Excelsis," and hear an account of our Lord's resurrection. We then celebrate The Holy Communion in the joy of Jesus' resurrection.

March 27   10:00 A. M.  Easter Day
The Holy Eucharist

Easter Day presents us with a new opportunity to share in the joy of the Risen Christ.   Easter and Jesus' resurrection interpret for us everything about Jesus Christ and who we are.  We, as Christians, would not exist without the events of the first Holy Week and Easter - when our Lord endured suffering and death, and rose victoriously from the tomb.

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