Loading...We are in the middle of Lent, and at the end of the month, Holy Week will fill our hearts with complex emotions from triumph and joy on Palm Sunday, to bewilderment and sorrow as we walk the journey to Calvary, and back to triumph and joy when the tomb is found empty.
Here, in the Episcopal Church and other “mainline,” liturgical churches, we intentionally mark this Holy Week with many opportunities to worship—to attempt to provide moments that mimic the experience of that week two thousand years ago.
Here, at St. James’, we share as many of these worship opportunities as we can offer, to give you the chance to experience the story as fully and as deeply as you need.
I’m going to walk through the week to let you know about each of the times the church will offer some form of worship:
Palm Sunday, March 24, 10:00 a.m.: We will begin in Gleason Hall with the Liturgy of the Palms, where we will hear scripture, bless the palms, and walk, waving our palms and celebrating the triumphant entry of Jesus, on a donkey, into Jerusalem. Our worship will focus on that celebratory day all the way through the final hymn. After the last notes are played, we will sit and listen to the Passion story from the Gospel of Mark, and when “it is finished,” we will exit the church quietly, entering the solemn week ahead.
Maundy Thursday, March 28, 7:00 p.m.: On the night before Jesus died, he broke bread with his disciples and lovingly spoke with them about his deep affection for them. He gave them one more example of servitude when he washed their feet. We take this story and do as Jesus did—we wash one another’s feet to mark our service to and love for one another. I know this can feel awkward, but I encourage you to pray about whether participating in this act will be meaningful to you. If you choose to watch, that’s perfectly fine. We will celebrate the Eucharist, in recognition of Jesus’ Last Supper, and will not have the bread or wine again until Easter Sunday. This service ends with the stripping of the altar—the emptying of Christ from our sanctuary—in preparation for his death on the cross the next day.
Vigil, Thursday, March 28, all night: Jesus went to Gethsemane with 11 of the disciples to pray as he prepared for his arrest. You are invited to take an hour or more to spend in prayer and reflection. The Sabin Room will be prepared for your time, and will be open throughout the night, if enough people commit to the entire overnight. We will adjust the hours depending on your commitment. (Sign up in the back of the church.)
Good Friday, March 29, 12:15 p.m.: We will gather in the sanctuary to hear John’s version of the Passion. You will have time to pray with the cross (to “venerate”) at the end of this service. We will not have communion, remembering that Jesus has died.
Stations of the Cross, March 29, 7:00 p.m.: While the stations are available for you to personally walk throughout Lent, we will have a gathering on Friday night where we will walk that journey together. Weather permitting, part of this walk will be outside. This is an interactive walk. Please sign up if you would like to be a reader!
Holy Saturday, March 30, 10:00 a.m.: Join the Altar Guild and Choir for a brief service in Gleason Hall where we remember that Jesus did spend time in the tomb.
Easter Day, March 31, 10:00 a.m.: We will begin our worship with a small fire outside. This fire will provide the new Light of Christ that will be brought into the church on the Paschal Candle, from which the candles will be lit. Expect lots of music and many people who come this day to remember the gift of Jesus to the world.
I hope you will attend as many of these faith-filled events as your schedules and emotions allow.
Praying that you are experiencing a Holy Lent, and that you will find Holy Week to be an important part of your preparation for the resurrection of our Lord.
Rev. Debbie
