Announcements
Easter At St. Luke & The Epiphany
04/04/2010
Holy Week and Easter are the Heart and Center of the Church's year. It is the time when we commemorate Our Lord's passion, death and resurrection. These events are a seamless whole. At one time the Church celebrated all the events of this week with a single service on Easter. Holy Week has been kept since the end of the fourth Century.
The proper (specific and special for the day) liturgies for Holy Week are found on pages 270 - 295 in the Book of Common Prayer. There is no "special" Easter Day liturgy because every Sunday (The Lord's Day) celebration of the Holy Eucharist is a celebration of the mystery of Christ's dying and rising again. Each service during Holy Week has a specific flavor. The color and the style of the clothing the clergy wear, as well as the character of the music, will change with the nature of the service.
One of the best ways to pray through Holy Week is to attend the special services held during the week. As a Christian community we are on this journey together. It is important that we pray together. If you cannot attend the special services, you may wish to read the Scriptures and the special prayers assigned for the day in the Book of Common Prayer. It is a lot of material. Read and reflect and pray at your own pace. God's Holy Spirit prays with us.
Saturday, March 27: A day with Luther Snow. Weaving the Body, Spirit, Ministry, and Congregation from 9:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
This is our pre-Holy Week gathering with Luther Snow. In his engaging way Luther helps identify your interests and commitments to discover how they might overlap those of other members of the parish to strengthen our lives, our life together and our mission. Those of us who spent a half day with Luther last spring can tell you how much fun it was and how energizing. A different but excellent preparation for Holy Week and Easter.
Sunday March 28: The Sunday of the Passion - Palm Sunday
March 29 - April 3: Holy Week
Monday March 29 we will gather in the Blue Room to read the entire Gospel of Mark from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. If you have not had the chance to hear the Good News this way, make a point of attending. It's moving and powerful and good fellowship.
Thursday April 1: Maundy Thursday 7:30 p.m. - Several things happen at this service. We give thanks for the institution of the Holy Communion and wash one another's feed to remember our Lord's commandment to love one another as he loves us. The word "Maundy" comes from the Latin word for commandment (mandatum). At the end of the service, in preparation for Good Friday the alter area is cleared of all furnishings and left bare and empty. The congregation leaves in silence.
Friday April 2: Good Friday 12:30 p.m.
The Good Friday Liturgy of the Day is a solemn commemoration of Jesus' crucifixion and death. There are three parts to the service: The passion narrative from the Gospel of John, the Solemn Collects, and the Veneration of the Cross. Our prayers are "for people everywhere according to their needs." We state that, "we are reconciled to God and we bring before him, through the Cross, the whole world to be reconciled in and through the Body of Christ - as he hung on the Cross, as he intercedes before the Father eternally, and as his Body the Church. Because we are baptized into his Body, we can join in this prayer" (Rite Stuff commentary.)
Also on Good Friday Prayer Around The Cross at 7:00 p.m. This service focuses on the last words of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels. It is a quiet and reflective service of prayer, meditation and song in the Taize tradition.
Saturday April 3: The Great Vigil of Easter with Holy Baptism 8:00 p.m.
This is one of the most awe inspiring services of the Christian year. It is the bridge between the seasons of Lent and of Easter. The church gathers in vigil and prayer to mark the passing over of our Lord Jesus Christ from death to life. The service starts in darkness and the Paschal Candle (signifying the light of Risen Christ) is lit and brought into the empty church. We listen to the great stories of God's saving work. We baptize Brandon Sargent and reaffirm our own baptismal promises. Again, we leave the church quietly as we wait for the Eucharist of Easter morning.
Sunday, April 4: Easter Day!Celebration of the Eucharist at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Don't forget to bring a bell to ring during the Gloria!!!
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