Rector's Ramblings . . .
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As I write this, we are coming to the end of the Lenten season and will then move into Holy Week. Holy Week is an important devotional and liturgical occasion for Episcopalians. Below is a description of our services during Holy Week. Please put this in a prominent place and attend as many of our Mediator services as possible.
Palm Sunday. The congregation gathers in the Memorial Garden before both the 8:00 and 10:30am services. Palm branches are distributed and we process into the church. Central to the service is the reading of the Passion Narrative. Our response is a time of silence. There is no sermon and we proceed with the prayers and Holy Eucharist.
Monday, 6:00pm. The Stations of the Cross. We gather in the Memorial Garden (Parish Hall in case of rain). This service was widely observed by pilgrims to Jerusalem: the offering of prayer at a series of places in that city traditionally associated with our Lord’s passion and death. An adaptation of this service will be led by the Youth of the Church of the Mediator. It is important that our young people share in the power and promise of Holy Week in an active way. Please join us for this very special service.
Tuesday, No Service.
Wednesday, 6:00pm. Taize Service. This liturgy is for the worship of God, but it is also meant to quiet the soul. The quietness does not happen at once, but gradually. There is repetition in the music, periods of silence and the readings are slowly read, so that we may experience a deep quiet. Candles, icons and incense are used to deepen our worship experience.
Maundy Thursday, 6:00pm. The Liturgy celebrates the events of the Last Supper, the foot washing and the institution of the Eucharist. It is the only Eucharist celebrated between Wednesday and the Great Vigil and ties the events of the Last Supper to those of Good Friday.
Good Friday, 12 noon. We observe the Friday before Easter as a commemoration of the crucifixion of our Lord. There is no music; the service begins with the solemn collects. This is followed by the veneration of the cross as it is processed through the church. We glory in your cross, O Lord, and praise and glorify your holy resurrection; for by virtue of your cross joy has come into the whole world. (BCP 281).
Great Vigil of Easter, 7:00pm. Holy Week services carry us through the events of the passion. This ancient service leads us from death to life with Christ through fire, light, word, water, and bread and wine. The service begins in total darkness which is gradually illuminated by candle light. We bring new members to share in the joy of resurrection through the Rite of Baptism. The service is followed by a Feast in the Parish Hall.
The Day of Resurrection…Easter Day! We bring back the “Alleluia’s” as we celebrate Easter Day. There will be a full choir at both the 8:00 and 10:30 services. Traditional ‘hot crossed buns’ will be served in the Parish Hall between services. An Easter egg hunt and flowering of the cross will take place between services as well.
Parishioners are urged to attend as many services as possible during Holy Week. Child care will be provided for night services.
Helen+
