Rather than listing a lot of announcements (since they are listed on the home page),  I'm including a bit of a reflection on the "why" of Holy Week and the Triduum.  At the end of the post I'll give a brief re-cap of the times of services and events.  Happy and productive reading!

Holy Week – Why is this week different from all others? (with a nod to the question at the Passover Seder)

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week focus on the things that Jesus did in Jerusalem after Palm Sunday: teaching in the Temple, turning over the tables of the money-changers (Cleansing the Temple), trying to prepare the disciples for his death.  The collects for each focus on aspects of Jesus’ suffering.  And in the Episcopal Church on Tuesday (usually) the clergy of the diocese gather with the bishop to renew their ordination vows, and receive the oil for baptism and healing (chrism) that the bishop has blessed.

But the most intense focus in Holy Week is, of course the Three Days (Triduum, in Latin) that are at the heart of God’s saving work in Jesus’ death and resurrection – what we sometimes refer to as the Paschal Mystery. Why do we take the time to observe and celebrate these days?  Since the Crucifixion and Resurrection happened long ago, and our faith is not bound by time, why should it matter when – or even if – we pay particular attention to these events narrated in the Gospels?

We do this because we know that the things and people we pay attention to and spend time with are the things we end up valuing, and being influenced by. Our faith in Christ is central, and each year we spend Holy Week “getting back to basics”, remembering what’s at the heart of our faith. And we are not alone, we are connected by faith and baptism to other Christians, we are part of the Body of Christ – and so we come together in this week to be renewed in our identity as Church, as the Body of Christ.

Maundy Thursday

The Triuduum starts Thursday evening, because in the Jewish way of counting time a day starts at sunset the evening before.  We know this at Christmas – in fact most of us worship on Christmas Eve – but it applies throughout the Church calendar.  Jesus has gathered with his closest followers for a Passover meal that becomes what we know as the Last Supper.  In this service we have two major themes: the theme of servanthood which was displayed in Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, and the foundation of the Eucharist, coming from the bread and wine of the Passover seder. Everything else that happens on Maundy Thursday – a fellowship meal, stripping the altar in preparation for Good Friday, and keeping a prayer watch in the Church in front of the Reserved Sacrament (some parishes keep it until Friday dawn; ours goes until midnight) – helps to make the different aspects of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest present and real for us.

Good Friday

At All Saints’ we hold a Stations of the Cross at 12 noon, the traditional hour of the Crucifixion. This is a devotional service where we “walk with Jesus” on his way to the Cross.  We use the eight Biblical stations with pictures, objects, singing and actions to follow Jesus.  The practice of the Stations came into existence centuries ago as a way to replicate in local churches what a person might do if he or she went to Jerusalem and walked the Via Delorosa, the Way of Sorrow – taking the route through the Jerusalem streets that Jesus took to Golgatha.

The Good Friday Liturgy (which we celebrate in the evening) is a stark recognition of violence, suffering and death.  This is very hard to face; it is no wonder that many people stay away. But Good Friday is not a “funeral for Jesus.”  We read John’s version of the Passion, in which Jesus actually becomes the judge of Pontius Pilate (the Roman governor), and asks us to consider what is truth.  We pray for the world, in all its need.  And we adore the Cross which moved from being the instrument of Jesus’ torture and death, to being the symbol of God’s victory.  We go to the depths on Good Friday, but in the full knowledge and assurance that God will not leave us there.

Holy Saturday

This is the day in which Jesus’ body lay in the tomb.  In traditional thought, it is the day that Jesus visited the souls of those who had died, to lead them out of death and into God.  Being Saturday it was the Jewish Sabbath – the day of rest. It reminds us that after a death there is a period of lostness, of shock, of numbness.

At All Saints’ the children gather for a very brief service – a Bible reading, a prayer, a hymn, and thinking about getting ready for Jesus’ resurrection.  The Church is not decorated until this, and the children have their Easter Egg hunt.

Easter

Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection, the victory of life over death. It is because of Easter that our faith is valid; we put our trust in a God who acts – and acts decisively to defeat sin and death. Our Easter celebration begins with the Great Vigil on Saturday night.  This is truly the night of the Christian Passover – the night in which Christ carries us from death into life. We start in the memorial Garden and light a fire that represents the Resurrection.  The Pashal Candle (large baptismal/Easter candle) is lighted from the fire, individual congregational candles are lighted, and then we process into the darkened Church and sing the Exsultet, a hymn to God extolling the Light of Christ. We then hear a number of readings from the Old Testament, interspersed with hymns and prayers, which recall the story of God’s action throughout history to save us.  Water represents the waters of the Red Sea, through which the Israelites were led in their flight from slavery in Egypt.  At the Vigil, water is poured into the baptismal font and adults and children are baptized.  Even if there are no baptisms, the water is poured, the congregation renews their baptismal vows, and are sprinkled with water.  Our baptism is a direct result of Christ’s Resurrection. Finally comes the Easter Acclamation: “Alleluia.  Christ is risen.  The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!” We ring bells, a fanfare is played on the organ, the lights come up and Easter has arrived.  We then celebrate the first Eucharist of Easter.  It’s the same feeling as counting down the seconds to midnight on New Year’s Eve – only much more profound, joyous, and of eternal significance.

The celebration continues on Easter Day, full of joy and gladness.  In fact, Easter is not just one day; it is a whole season that continues for fifty days.  The new life and rejoicing of the Resurrection and what it means for us who follow Jesus (and, by extension, for all Creation) cannot be contained!  Easter lasts longer than Lent – it goes all the way to Pentecost.

This is the reason that Holy Week, and the Triduum especially, are at the very core of our faith.  To renew our trust in God and love of the Lord we attend to the worship and devotion of these days.  Each year will be different.  Each year we should learn a little more, see a bit more clearly, delve a little more deeply in the Paschal mystery, and our faith will develop and grow and flourish.

Blessings,
Vicki McGrath+

Holy Week & Easter Schedule
Wednesday, 7 pm - Taize Worship
Maundy Thursday, 6 pm - Agape Meal (Parish House); 7:30 pm - Holy Eucharist & Stripping of the Altar; Prayer Vigil until 12 am
Good Friday, 12 noon - Interactive Stations of the Cross; 7:30 pm - The Good Friday Liturgy
Holy Saturday, 10 am - Kids' Service (15 mins.) and Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Eve, 7:30 pm - The Great Vigil of Easter; followed by the First Party of Easter
Easter Day, 8 & 10 am - Festival Eucharist

Dear Friends in Christ,

We are in the last weeks of Lent.  Even if you haven’t been able to make much spiritual preparation for Easter, there are still some opportunities for prayer and reflection that are listed in this e-letter Please take a look, and participate where you can.

And to those of you who signed up to do the “fun run” level of the Bible Challenge – reading through the Gospel of Matthew during Lent – congratulations!  You made it! I hope that your experience of daily Bible reading has deepened your faith, brought you closer to God and left you feeling like the Bible is worth reading and pursuing further.
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WORSHIP
Special Needs Worship-All God's Children Service – March. 17 - at 12 noon. Designed for children and families with a range of special needs – including anyone who has a hard time sitting still! It’s 30 mins. long, with lots of movement, music and participation. Pass the word to friends and neighbors who can benefit from this. We need volunteers to provide a gluten-free snack for the kids and some munchies for adults.

Prayer Watch(Maundy Thursday night) – Jesus asks us to keep watch with him in the Garden of Gethsemane.  We’ll be holding our annual Prayer Watch in the Church at our Altar of Repose on 3/28 after the Maundy Thursday service, from 8:30 pm – 12 midnight, with 30 minute watch times available.  We’d like to make sure that there is at least one person on watch in every time slot.
Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex.

Lenten Taizé Services – Weds. 7 pm. Come for 30 minutes of candlelight, chanting, prayer, silence and Scripture reading, in the spirit and style of the Taizé Christian Community whose mission is reconciliation with God and others. Connect with God and renew your spirit.

Easter Flowers – if you would like to donate flowers and plants for Easter, either in memory of someone or in thanksgiving for a blessing, please use the flower envelopes in your pews.  Remember to include the name of the person you want remembered.  The names will appear in the Easter bulletins. The deadline for the information is March 21.  Thank you.

PARISH LIFE
Coffee Hour after the 10 am service will continue to be held in the Lower Room of the Parish House until the new kitchenette upstairs is completed.

Maundy Thursday Agapé Meal – Please join us for this simple, desert-themed community meal before our Maundy Thursday worship. What kind of foods are included? Pita bread and hummus; tabbouleh and vegetable salads; cheese, olives, grapes and dried fruit; cous-cous or rice pilaf; wine and grape juice. How is an Agapé meal different from a Seder? Agapé is the Greek word for divine love. In the early Church Christians shared a meal together as part of worship, in which context they celebrated the Eucharist. The Seder, by contrast, is the central Passover celebration in Jewish homes, recalling the night of their deliverance from
slavery in Egypt. The Christian Seder is actually the Easter Vigil, the night of which we celebrate our deliverance from sin and death through the resurrection of Jesus. Consider making this meal part of your Holy Week experience this year, before we worship
together on Maundy Thursday. Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex to let us know what part of the meal you can bring and how many people will be attending.

Wedding Shower for Jody Doktor, our Director of Music, and Shea Velloso onSunday, April 7 at 1 pm in the Parish Hall.  Help Shea and Jody get ready for their wedding.  The event will be a pot-luck luncheon.  If any of you would be willing to make a vegan main dish (for Shea) it would be much appreciated. Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex to tell us what you can bring and how you can help! And……

Wedding Service will be on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 10:30 am at All Saints’and everyone is invited to the service! There will be
wonderful music (of course!).  Hope you all can be there to share your joy and prayers for Jody and Shea on their big day!

SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday School Schedule
3/17: Sunday School as usual
3/24: Palm Sunday; all kids participate in outdoor Palm Procession, then PreK&K kids go to class. All others go to worship. J2A after coffee hour
3/31: Easter Day (no Sunday School)
4/7: Family Service (no Sunday School)

Holy Saturday Kids’Service, Easter Egg Hunt and Ribbon Banner Making – March 30, 10 am. Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex. And we need donations of candy for the eggs, volunteers to provide refreshments and the materials for the banners. Please sign your kids up on the sheet in the Narthex and let us know how you can help. Thanks.

Communion Class – 1st and 2nd graders are invited to join this 3-week class to learn more about the Eucharist.  Classes meet on Mondays from 4-5:15 pm with Mother Vicki in the Rath House, 4/15, 4/22, and 4/29. On May 5th the children who have completed the class will be recognized at the 10 am service.  To enroll your child, please e-mail the Parish Office.  If you want your child to participate but have a scheduling conflict, please speak to Mother Vicki.  This is an important aspect of your child’s Christian education.

ADULT  FORMATION
Bible Study/“Bible Buddies” groups are meeting weekly throughout Lent on Wednesdays; 10:15 am in the Church Narthex& 7:45 pm in the Rath House, to support those who are participating in the Bible Challenge. Bring your questions, your wonderings, your sense of humor. Bring your Bible, too, or use one of ours.

OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Stewardship - When we focus on scarcity, it seems as though there isn’t enough of anything, that God hasn’t been generous.  As a result, our faith shrinks down to what little can be seen. But with faith we can see abundance, for more than enough.  Once we become aware of God’s abundance, we may also realize that there is more than enough of all God’s gifts.  God’s abundance is at the heart of the Bible. ~ Lenten Devotional, Luther Seminary.

Parish House Construction Update– The electrical work continued this week, both on the entry-way and on the existing building.  The plumbing work for the heating and Parish Hall sink was installed. The framing for the new kitchenette was completed and the cabinets and a rolling cart for the folding chairs were delivered.

Memorial Garden News – The broken fencing next to the Rath House has now been repaired thanks to Mark Stapperfenne; he did a great job!  Also, the inscription on the new altar top has been completed.  While we still need to do some re-planting we are making good progress.  If there is anyone interested in helping with Memorial Garden planting (both the design of the plan and the work itself), please speak to Charlie Hogan, Janice Lettieri or Mother Vicki.

Office  Recycling - Keep bringing in those used printer & toner cartridges! We received eight this week! Thank you! We receive $2 credit at Staples for each cartridge. In 2012, we raised $476 toward office supplies! Remember to drop them off in the box in the Narthex.  ~Susie Harris

Holy Week and Easter
These are the most important days in the entire Christian year. We experience again the central facts of Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection that are the foundation of our faith. Our participation in the events of Holy Week and Easter become the cornerstone for our walk with the Lord. This year we are making some changes that will underscore the inherent drama of Holy Week.

Palm Sunday, March 24. Palm Procession with Bagpiper; Dramatic Reading of the Passion Gospel with musical accompaniment after Communion.

Agapé Meal, Thursday, March 28, 6 pm. This is a simple, desert-themed meal; a way of gathering, as Jesus and his disciples did, before we commemorate the Last Supper in the Eucharist (This replaces the Seder Supper).

Maundy Thursday Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar, March 28, 7:30 pm. After Communion, we prepare the altar for the starkness of Good Friday, and set up the Altar of Respose in front of the baptismal font for personal prayer and meditation.

Prayer Watch – 8:30 pm-12 am (Maundy Thursday night). Come and keep watch in the Church with Jesus on the night of his trials in the Garden of Gethsemane. 30 minute prayer times are available, concluding with Good Friday Morning Prayer at Midnight.

Stations of the Cross, Good Friday,
March 29, 12 noon – this interactive, intergenerational services moves throughout the Church, tracing Jesus’ journey to the Cross. At each Station there will be things to see, touch, sing, do and say.

The Good Friday Liturgy, 7:30 pm. In the stripped and stark Church we gather to observe and mourn the death of Jesus on the Cross.

Holy Saturday Children’s Service and Easter Egg Hunt, March 30, 10 am. A 20-minute service in the Church to mark the day of Jesus’ body lying in the tomb. The traditional parish Easter Egg Hunt for younger children follows. Older kids will make Easter ribbon banners to decorate the parking lot lamp posts.

The Great Vigil of Easter, March 30, 7:30 pm. In the Memorial Garden we light the new fire of Christ’s resurrection and process into the Church to hear the story of our salvation by candlelight and then celebrate the first Eucharist of Easter.

Easter Day, March 31, 8 am and 10 am. All the glories of Easter with choirs, hymns and organ at both services. Flowering plants for children.
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Lent 2013 ~ Day 30
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid? 

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord!  ~ Psalm 27:1, 13-14

Blessings,
Vicki McGrath+