Easter Vigil: The central rite of the entire Christian year and a marvelously rich service which begins in darkness (any time convenient between Saturday sunset and Sunday sunrise) with the lighting of the new fire, from which the Paschal candle is lighted. A procession of clergy and servers follows this single light into the darkened church, pausing three times to chant, “The light of Christ.” The Paschal candle is places in tis stand and , standing near it a deacon or other person sings or says the Exsultet. The service continues with lessons which trace the history of God’s people in the Old Testament; baptisms (or renewal of baptismal vows if there is no baptismal candidate); confirmation; and the first Eucharist of Easter. The Vigil Service is especially impressive when it can include the initiatory rites, a deacon chanting the Exsultet, and a bishop celebrating the Eucharist with lay and clergy participating fully. Recovering the Easter Vigil in its full significance is one of the greatest achievements of the modern liturgical movement.
Good Friday: Friday before Easter, on which we remember the crucifixion of Jesus with a day of fasting, abstinence, penance, and special devotion. Special rites for the day include a reading of the passion narrative from Joh n’s Gospel, a lengthy period of intercessory prayer called the Solemn Collects, and the recitation of anthems recalling the significance of the cross. No Eucharist is celebrated this day; the altars were stripped at the end of the Eucharist on Maundy Thursday and any immovable crossed where shrouded. In some places a cross is brought forward du ring the Good Friday liturgy to serve as a focus for devotions. Communion may be part of the Good Friday liturgy, but it is administered from the reserved sacrament. No celebration of the Eucharist, in fact, takes place from Maundy Thursday until the celebration at the Easter Vigil on Easter Eve. Exsultet: Song of rejoicing an giving thanks for “this night” and remembering central moments in the history of God’s people, sung or said by a deacon or other person appointed after the lighting of the Paschal candle and procession into the church during the Easter Vigil. The Vigil begins with the blessing of the new fire and the recounting of the sacred story through the Exultet. It is followed by readings from Scripture, which tell the story of God’s unabated love for us down through the ages. Hearing the salvation story, we are then given the opportunity to renew our baptismal promises. For those not yet baptized, it is an excellent time to make that decision. The Vigil then culminates in the first service of Easter Day! The alleluias ring out; the organ, silent since Maundy Thursday, bursts forth and the choir leads the assembly in glorious songs of praise. Everyone is encouraged to bring a bell to ring!
If you have not experienced the Vigil recently, join us. You will be blessed. The old adage "many hands make light work" is very true for the Soup Kitchen. Every week approximately twenty people will volunteer, some for an hour, others for six hours or more. There are many opportunities to serve on Tuesday and throughout the week. The kitchen crew arrives first at 8:30 or 9 to start food prep and some times the day before. Others will cover the tables and set out salt and pepper. Coffee pots are readied for the two hundred cups of coffee needed. One or two head down to Giant Eagle to pick up donated baked goods and meat. Breads and sweets will then be set on a table for people to take home as needed. Meat is put in the freezer to be used for future meals or given out on Bag Day.
A small group gathers in the Mackie room to wrap the individual table services. By 10:00 people are already arriving to find a seat and drink coffee with friends. Volunteer servers keep an eye open for folks as they sit down and get them their beverage and table service. The "coordinators" check the mail, pay bills, and orient new volunteer s. By 11:30 the volunteers are in full swing, with servers and food preppers busy at their tasks. The first round of pots and pans are washed. Servers chat with the patrons, finding out what is new in people's lives and welcoming the newcomers. At noon, the meal is served and each tab le is waited on. After dessert, clean up begins. Dish washing starts with a vengeance. By 2:00 things have wrapped up for the day. Volunteers take turns washing the towels and aprons. Later in the week there may be more trips to pick up food or unload the shipments from Second Harvest. Twice a month bags are packed for food give outs and the Food Cupboard is restocked. Help is always needed, especially at clean up and when shipments come in. Most of all, we need people to be present for those who come to share our Tuesday meal; to be part of the conversation, to listen and be welcoming and extend the gift of hospitality. What is your opportunity to serve? Come and see. Dates and stats: Next Bag Days: April 11 and 25 Next visit by Barb Ives to help with VA, SSA, Medicare and housing: April 4 and 18 What makes Holy Week holy? As the week begins, Palm Sunday is a mind-bending juxtaposition of Jesus’ raucous last entry into Jerusalem with the sober reading of the Passion. Monday and Tuesday provide a quiet opportunity to reflect on a few less familiar events of the week. On Wednesday betrayal and forgiveness come to the fore. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Day always stretch our visceral e motional/spiritual response way beyond what we ordinarily experience.
However, neither the actions of Jesus nor our responses are by themselves, what makes Holy Week holy. The simple definition of holiness is to be set aside. What makes the week holy is that we set aside the time to fully enter into these last events of Jesus’ life. We do this not as an escape from the world but rather as a decision to be open to the Holy Spirit and the Word in a conscious way. It is a decision to engage the world, to engage our daily lives through the lens of this last week of Jesus’ life. It is in this intersection that holiness emerges. As a way of facilitating that intersection we offer the following schedule of services. Please participate, as you are able. Palm Sunday—Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem 10:30 AM Holy Communion and the reading of the Passion Monday and Tuesday—The week begins 3:30 PM Holy Communion in the Parish Hall (Mackie Room) Wednesday—Betrayal 7 PM Holy Communion and healing service Maundy Thursday—Jesus’ last supper with his friends 7 PM Holy Communion, foot washing and stripping the altar Good Friday—Jesus is nailed to the cross, dies and is placed in the tomb 7 PM Retracing Jesus’ last day no communion Saturday—Jesus is raised from the dead 7 PM Holy Communion, the first service of Easter Easter Sunday—Alleluia! He is Risen! 9 AM Easter Breakfast - 10:30 AM Holy Communion |
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