HOLY WEEK AND EASTER WORSHIP
This is our renewal week in the Episcopal Church. It's the week with all our mind, heart and spirit we enter into the story of Jesus. Beginning with our reenactment of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem during our Palm Sunday procession and continuing with the dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel, with literally a part for everyone to play, we start the week with a full immersion into the salvation story. We use sacred music, diminishing light, and words of poetry and scripture during our Wednesday Tennebrae service to open our hearts to this story. On Maundy ("Mandate") Thursday, we wash each other's feet practicing Jesus' servant love. We seek renewed obedience to heed his commandment to love another as He loves us. We draw spiritual nourishment for this work of discipleship as He feeds us with blessed bread and wine—sacred signs of his life broken for us and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet with all the saints of God.
On Good Friday, we walk the way of the cross, feeling in our very being the weight and glory of the cross, and meditate on his last words. We end our worship with the solemn ringing of bells, one toll for each of Jesus' earthly life, and then depart in reverent silence.
On Saturday, at the Easter Vigil, we enter into the silence and darkness of the tomb, by entering into the silence and darkness of our church. We listen, really listen, as God's promises of life and redemption are spoken out of this darkness illuminated by holy fire of Easter Eve--the sign of Jesus' Passover from death to life, from darkness to eternal light. And then, we are there! Resurrection happens and all heaven breaks loose in light, music, flowers and unbridled joy! And who wouldn't want to be there.
So, join us for this service which serves as the mother service, the liturgical womb, out of which our Sunday worship is birthed. And then, glory Hallelujah, the morning of the resurrection—Easter morning--arrives. Our worship takes us to the edge of all things where sea and sky and land meet at the ocean's shore for our sunrise service followed by our glorious worship in our sacred sanctuary adorned with the beauty of all creation. Music. Scripture. Prayer. Praises. Beauty. Love. It will all be there as we embrace and are embraced by our Risen Lord! Are you ready? Let the renewal begin!
In Christ,
Andrew+