Holy Week
The Three Days: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil
The three days leading to Easter Sunday have long been considered part of a singular movement towards Easter. Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say that these three days are part of a singular worship experience. In Augsburg Fortress’ “Sundays and Seasons” we read, “For these three days we put everything else aside so that we may attend to the awesome mystery that defines our faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again! In a sense time stops and we enter eternity . . . The three days are the center of the year; Lent flows to it and Easter flows from it. In these holy days we find our identity and our mission—remembered in the past, made present through word and sacrament, and propelling us with invincible hope into the future.”
The three days leading to Easter Sunday have long been considered part of a singular movement towards Easter. Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say that these three days are part of a singular worship experience. In Augsburg Fortress’ “Sundays and Seasons” we read, “For these three days we put everything else aside so that we may attend to the awesome mystery that defines our faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again! In a sense time stops and we enter eternity . . . The three days are the center of the year; Lent flows to it and Easter flows from it. In these holy days we find our identity and our mission—remembered in the past, made present through word and sacrament, and propelling us with invincible hope into the future.”
Palm Sunday |
Maundy Thursday |
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Palm Sunday: April 9, 10 am. We begin worship this Sunday with a procession, with palm branches and hosannas. We remember and experience the victorious entrance of “the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” |
Maundy Thursday: April 13, 7:00 pm.
On this evening, we gather with Christians around the world to begin the Three Days during which we participate once again in the saving power of Jesus' passing over from death to life. At the heart of the Maundy Thursday liturgy is Jesus' commandment to love one another. As Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, we are called to follow his example as we humbly care for one another, especially the poor and the unloved. At the Lord's Table we remember Jesus' sacrifice of his life, even as we are called to offer ourselves in love for the life of the world. And then, as the altar is stripped for Good Friday, we will listen to and read Psalm 22. |
Good Friday |
Easter Vigil |
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Good Friday: April 14
“On this day the church gathers to hear the proclamation of the passion, to pray for the life of the world, and to meditate on the life-giving cross (Sundays and Seasons).” 
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Vigil of Easter: April 4, 7:30 pm
This is the Night: A Community Vigil of Easter On this night, we will join with other congregations in our area and will host the Easter Vigil. Fellowship precedes worship at 6:30 p.m. - come for coffee, stay for worship! This ancient service of watching and waiting carries us from the darkness of Good Friday to the radiant light of Easter. The Vigil is a time when we celebrate God’s acts of salvation throughout history, leading to the celebration of God’s ultimate saving act: the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this service, we will give thanks for light, listen to ancient stories of God’s faithfulness, celebrate Christ’s transformation from death to life, remember our baptisms, and celebrate the Eucharist together. All are invited to join us for this special evening of symbol, story, and sacrament. |
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday, April 8
6:30 am Sunrise worship, followed by a special Easter breakfast
10 am Festival Worship
We celebrate what Jesus Christ has done, and what Christ is for us, for the entire world, for all time, forever and ever, alleluia! Just as the sun rises in the morning, so the SON has risen.
6:30 am Sunrise worship, followed by a special Easter breakfast
10 am Festival Worship
We celebrate what Jesus Christ has done, and what Christ is for us, for the entire world, for all time, forever and ever, alleluia! Just as the sun rises in the morning, so the SON has risen.
