HOLY WEEK AND EASTER
Holy Week marks the final week in the season of Lent. It begins with Palm Sunday on March 29 as we join the crowds who hailed Jesus as king upon his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, forgetting again that our Savior went not to joy but first suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified.
On Maundy Thursday, April 2, we will sit with Jesus at table as he institutes the Lord’s Supper and washes the disciples’ feet. As he did so, he said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you.” The word “maundy” comes from the Latin phrase for new commandment, mandatum novum. Maundy Thursday, or “New Commandment Thursday,” reminds us that if we are to become great in the kingdom of God, then we must be the servant of all.
Good Friday is the observance of Jesus’ crucifixion. On April 3, we will gather for a solemn service as we give quiet reflection to each Station of the Cross. The next day, Holy Saturday, is a quiet day. The disciples hid themselves away for fear that they too would be killed. And so we hide ourselves away, each in our homes, so that we can think and prepare ourselves for the next day’s gathering and our highest celebration of the year.
Easter is the highest holy day of the year, when the Church celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and his victory over sin and death. But Easter is more than a day; it is also a season that is longer than the forty days of Lent: seven weeks of seven days! The number seven signifies fullness, as in the days of creation, which means Eastertide points us to the arrival of new creation itself.
This year, Easter Sunday is April 5. By tradition, each following Sunday has a theme reflected in the lectionary readings. For example, the Second Sunday of Easter typically features Thomas’ interactions with the resurrected Jesus. The Fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday, which offers a selection from Jesus’ “Good Shepherd” discourse in John 10.
Forty days into Easter is Ascension Day, which always falls on a Thursday (this year, May 14), which means the remaining days we wait with the disciples for the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday, which occurs on May 24 this year.
Easter Sunday
You are invited to join us Easter morning as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!
Our Easter service on Sunday, April 5 will be decked with fresh flowers and accompanied by a string quartet to help us celebrate the occasion.
FORMATION HOUR – 9:00 AM
EASTER SUNDAY SERVICE – 10:15 AM
EASTER EGG HUNT – 12:00 PM
Parking & Seating
We anticipate having high attendance for this service, so please help us out by traveling together as families in one vehicle, parking in the USJ driveway if you're able to walk, and sitting near the front of the nave and in the transepts. The gravel road east of the Parish Hall will also be available for parking.
Easter Egg Hunt
After our Easter Sunday service, we will offer an Easter Egg Hunt outside on our grounds for children of all ages. Make sure they bring their Easter Egg baskets. Meet in the parking lot circle outside of the main red doors.
Donate Easter Flowers
Each Easter, All Saints invites you to give in thanksgiving or in memory of loved ones to help adorn our Easter services with flowers. This year, your gifts will not only beautify Easter Day but also strengthen our Flower Fund for Sunday worship throughout the year. Our goal is $5,000, and dedications, which will be listed in the Easter bulletin, may be submitted using the link below or through the church office.