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Holy Week Events

WHY SHOULD I ATTEND ALL THESE SERVICES?

Holy Week is the most sacred time in the Christian calendar in what is called “Holy Week.” The Services are to draw our attention to this time of intense struggle for our Lord as we persevere in service to Him during this solemn time. Setting these few days aside to “watch and pray” with our Lord is vital to our spiritual walk and growth in Christ. It is the “Theology of the Cross” as we set time aside in our schedules to devote our worship to Christ in His sufferings and death. As your pastor, I admonish you all to be here in our journey together through the Passion of the Valley of Death and endure through the other side to enter into the feast of Easter morning.

Maundy Thursday:

This service for Holy Thursday is the first service in the celebration of the holy three days of Christ's Passover, commonly known as the Triduum. It culminates the Lenten period of preparation for Christ's Passion and Resurrection and leads into His sacrifice on our behalf. As such, the service, like that for Good Friday, exhibits a mood of restrained joy. It consists of four parts:

1. The Service of Corporate Confession and Absolution,

2. The Service of the Word,

3. The Service of the Sacrament

4. The Stripping of the Altar.

The Service of Corporate Confession and Absolution signals the end of the Lenten preparations with the absolution and peace of Christ that stand at the center of the Three Days. The Service of the Word focuses upon Christ's Prayer in Gethsemane , His betrayal and arrest. The service culminates with the Lord's ministry to His people through the Sacrament of the Altar. The depth of Christ's servanthood is demonstrated as the altar is reverently stripped in preparation for the Church's observance of Jesus' death. In this service, the Church and her catechumens begin the journey through the three days of Christ's Passover from death to life and from captivity to freedom.

The Old Testament reading focuses on our theme of Isaiah 52-53. The New Testament readings will pick up from

Palm Sunday and focus on Christ's Prayer at Gethsemane, Judas' betrayal, Christ's arrest and Peter's denial.

Good Friday:

Christ was crucified on Friday morning between 12 noon and 3:00 p.m. The Carillon system will be silent from 12:00 noon to Easter morning. Friday evening is the Service with the seven candles slowly extinguished one by one with solemn acappela singing. The readings are focused on the trials of Christ, the mocking, beating, crown of thorns, and ending in the crucifixion account.

The cross and crucifix are draped in black to symbolize the death of Christ. There is no Communion and, at the conclusion of the Service, we all leave the church in silence.

Saturday Night Vigil:

We begin our Service outside gathered around a fire with candles. We slowly process into a darkened sanctuary. The readings are taken from different parts of the whole Bible, beginning with the Genesis creation, the Flood, the Exodus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Gospel of John. There is also a Baptismal Renewal Ceremony when all of us renew our baptismal vows. We conclude with a brief Service of the Word with no Communion and sing about Christ's resurrection in anticipation of Easter morning.

Easter Sunday

This is the day on which all our hopes are based. It is the day when the Church “pulls out all the stops” and joyously celebrates our Lord's victory over the grave and defeat of death, sin, and the devil.

During Holy Week, the offering plates will be placed at the entrance to the sanctuary.