Another National Tragedy
We are deeply saddened by the news of another mass shooting resulting in the death of ten people in a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. Following less than one week after eight people were killed at three spas in Atlanta, Georgia. It is always difficult to make sense of such horrific acts and even more so with the long and lingering losses we’ve endured during the coronavirus pandemic. As we prepare to enter into the observance of Holy Week, we are dramatically reminded that our nation and world is definitely in need of a savior.
Holy Week Worship Online
Starting this Sunday until next Sunday, we enter into the dramatic and awe-filled events of Holy Week as we observe the meaning and significance of Jesus passion (suffering) and death on the cross and the reality of his resurrection. Pastor Emily has prepared a daily Holy Week devotional for families which may be accessed below under the We Grow ~ Family Ministries heading.
Imagine someone who only attends Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday and misses out on the depth and meaning of Jesus’ self-sacrifice on the cross for our salvation and the music that conveys it. Our tradition has been to offer a Maundy Thursday worship of the Lord’s Supper emphasizing Jesus’ command to love one another with a transition to a Tenebrae service (darkness) remembering the events leading up to Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. Our Good Friday Noon worship typically focused entirely on the cross. This year we offer a Tenebrae worship for both days.
We also are adding a Holy Saturday worship. Liturgical churches have long observed this Easter vigil with its anticipation of resurrection hope and three-fold emphasis of God’s saving acts in history (conveyed through Scripture); renewal of our baptism and identification with Christ in his death; and observance of the Lord’s Supper.
Palm Sunday – March 28
We celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and reflect on the meaning of his statement “I am the good shepherd … who lays down his life for the sheep.”
Maundy Thursday & Good Friday - April 1 & 2
Posted Online Thursday by 5:00 PM
We observe the events leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross using the format of a Tenebrae service which includes the extinguishing of six candles resulting in the experience of darkness.
Holy Saturday – April 3
Posted Online by Saturday Noon
This service begins with the lighting of the Christ candle signifying the hope of the resurrection. Musical selections reinforce the reading of God’s saving acts culminating in the cross, a pastoral reflection on our identification with Christ through baptism, and our observance of the Lord’s Supper.
Easter Sunday – April 4
We celebrate the reality of Christ’s resurrection with exuberant joy and musical fanfare and reflect on the importance of Jesus’ statement, “I am the resurrection and the life” and its implications for our own lives.
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