Holy Week Services 

Palm Sunday, March 29, 11 am: 
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and calls to mind the triumphal entry of Jesus, our Lord and King, into Jerusalem.

The purpose of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem was to fulfill his Father’s will; thus it is fitting that this service contains the reading of the Passion Gospel in which the whole story of the week is anticipated. The emphasis of the liturgy turns to the days that lie ahead in Holy Week. We who hail Jesus as King one moment, may in the next deny him, even joining with the crown in shouting, ‘Crucify him!'

Maundy Thursday, April 2, 7 pm: 

We will join with St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Churchville for Maundy Thursday. The service will begin at 7 pm. Please plan to arrive by 6:45 pm. The service includes foot washing, all are invited to participate, and Fr. Jedd will join Fr. Rod in washing feet, Holy Communion, and Stripping of the Altar.

The Paschal mystery — the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ — is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. The evening of Maundy Thursday begins the Tritium (the sacred three days, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday). Maundy Thursday receives its name from the mandatum (commandment) given by our Lord: ‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have love you, you also are to love one another’ (John 13:34). At the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and commanded them to love and serve one another as he had done. This day commemorates the Lord’s example of servant ministry, the institution of the Eucharist, the agony in the Garden of Gethesemane, and the betrayal leading to the crucifixion.

Good Friday, April 3: 

There are two options for Good Friday. The first option is the Good Friday service at 12 pm with Holy Communion from the Reserve Sacrament at Faith Lutheran with Fr. Rod leading the service. Fr. Jedd will be in attendance. The second option is the Good Friday service at 7 pm, no Holy Communion, at St. Peter’s in Churchville with Fr. Rod leading the service. Fr. Jedd will also be in attendance there. Please consider attending one of the services as we observe and reflect on our Lord’s sacrificial death for the sins and salvation of the world.

This most somber of all days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his Cross. Some churches do not use musical instruments or bells on this day. The church is often darkened. The bare stark appearance of the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and the sorry of the day. The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on the Cross. The faithful are reminded of the role which their own sin played in this suffering and agony, as Christ took all sin upon himself, in obedience to his Father’s will. By the Cross, we are redeemed, set free from the bondage to sin and death. The Cross is a sign of God’s never-ending love for us. It is a sign of life, in the midst of death.

 Easter Sunday, April 5, 11 am: Our Easter Sunday service, with Holy Communion, will begin at 11 am. We will have our parish Easter Breakfast in the social hall of the temple at 9:30 am. If you plan to attend the Easter Breakfast, please sign up to bring a dish to share. The sign-up sheet is on the ‘sign-up table’ in the social hall at the temple.