Lent, holy week and easter - 2012
This
Lent we will be using the Rite I liturgy at our 10:15 service. Rite I
uses traditional language, with “thee”s and “thou”s, and has a
more meditative and penitential quality that fit with the season of
Lent. It connects us with the traditions of the Book
of Common Prayer
going back to the first one in 1549, with the beautiful language of
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. On
the First Sunday of Lent, we will use the Great Litany, to begin our
service, offering prayers that take in a wide scope of human life and
concern.
In keeping with our Lenten We Believe study theme, we will highlight the Nicene Creed by panels on our altar reflecting the different parts of the Creed, using a sung version of the Nicene Creed, and with sermons that connect with what we will be discussing in our small groups.A
WE
BELIEVE
During
Lent last year we did a parish wide study of our Baptismal Covenant. As
a follow up, a small group from the parish has developed a five week
study based on the Nicene Creed. We will explore the Creed through
worship and small group gatherings. There will be opportunities for all
ages and in a variety of places. The small groups will meet at
different times and locations in hopes that more people’s schedules
will allow them to participate. Sign-up sheets will be available at the
Annual Meeting and on the main bulletin board in the Parish Hall.
Our
Sunday worship will give voice to much of what we explore through
prayers, sermons and music. This will be a wonderful opportunity for us
to explore as a community our understanding of the Creed for us
individually and as Episcopalians.
Please
join us in this exciting opportunity as we journey through Lent this
year. And you are invited to join in the following prayer which has
been adapted from one used by your choir each Sunday.
‘Bless
O Lord, us thy servants, who [worship] in your temple. Grant that what
we [say] with our lips, we may believe in our hearts and what we
believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives. Through Jesus
Christ our Lord and savior Amen’
Patricia
G.
Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Services are at: 7:00 a.m., in the chapel; Noon, in the church; 7:30 p., in the church, with choir
CONTINUING OUR WORSHIP IN LENT
Silence for Meditation - During Lent we ask everyone to
enter church before the service in silence, so that we can have a
period of meditation before we begin our common worship. This will be a
change for our congregation, which is used to having a more informal
gathering period, so we encourage everyone's cooperation, including
being aware of how voices carry from the hallway and the narthex (or
entryway).
Monday morning Bible studies will continue in Lent. This group meets at 10:00 a.m. in the library.
Adult Evening Bible Study - The study during Lent this year will be an all-parish small group study of the Nicene Creed. Details to follow.
Rite of Reconciliation - Lent is a time of seeking right relationships with God and other people. Some people find that it is a good time to use the Reconciliation of a Penitent (pp. 447-452 in the Book of Common Prayer) to let go of past hurts, or take an inventory of their lives and sort of get a fresh start. Although we regularly have a General Confession in our services, the opportunity to use this form of private confession, to speak out loud to a priest (or another person) the things we have been holding in our hearts and to hear words of counsel and absolution, can be a gift to renew us. You are assured that anything shared in this Rite of Reconciliation will always remain confidential. If you would like to learn more about the Rite of Reconciliation or would like to schedule a time to do the rite, please contact The Rev. Maria Tjeltveit, at 610-434-0155, or revmaria@episcopalmediator.org.
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER
Palm Sunday, April 1, 8:00 and 10:15 a.m.
The service includes a blessing of the palms, and a dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel. We begin the 10:15 service by blessing the palms at the fountain in West Park and processing into the church. The services move from the praise of Palm Sunday to the sorrow of Jesus' death on the cross.
Holy Eucharist - Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week at 9:00 a.m. in the Chapel
Tenebrae - Tuesday of Holy Week, April 3, 7:00 p.m.
This service, whose name means "shadow" or "darkness," is meditative, with psalms and readings from the Letter to the Hebrews, and writing of St. Augustine, moving from light into darkness. At the end, the final candle is hidden, symbolizing the apparent triumph of evil over good, and a loud noise is made, representing the earthquake at the time of the crucifixion. The candle is replaced, and people leave by its light.
Holy Eucharist with Foot Washing and the Stripping of the Altar Maundy Thursday, April 5, 7:00 p.m.
Our service of Holy Eucharist, remembers the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, told in the Gospel of John, and Jesus words and actions at the Last Supper. It includes a symbolic washing of the feet of twelve members of the congregation, to represent the twelve disciples. It ends with the stripping and washing of the altar, in preparation for Good Friday.
The Three Hours - Good Friday, April 6, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Schedule to be announced.
The Proper Liturgy - Good Friday, April 6, 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
The service focuses on Jesus' passion and death, with prayers for the church and the world, and the veneration of the cross. The hymns at the evening service and Choir anthems add to the solemn beauty of the service. Members of the congregation are invited to carry the cross up to the altar, and place candles around the altar.
Proper Liturgy - Holy Saturday, April 7, 9:00 a.m.
This brief service in the chapel remembers Jesus lying in the tomb.
Easter Vigil - Easter Eve, April 7, 8:00 p.m.
The Easter Vigil begins in the dark with the lighting of the first fire of Easter, and the Paschal candle, which represents Christ's resurrection. In the candlelight we hear the story of God who seeks to save us time and again, respond with sung psalms and canticles, and renew our baptismal vows, remembering that we are buried with Christ in our baptism and share in his resurrected life. Then we move from darkness to light and ring bells for the holy noise as the Easter Alleluia breaks forth and we celebrate the first Eucharist of Easter. The Easter Vigil is followed by the Easter Revel, as we celebrate Christ's resurrection.
Holy Eucharist - Easter Day, April 8, 8:00 and 10:15 a.m.
Our Easter celebration continues with Holy Eucharist, with hymns and organ at 8:00, hearing the Easter gospel and sharing the body and blood of the resurrected Christ. At 10:15, we will reflect on the Easter gospel with a children's homily and a sermon, and our praise will be swelled with brass as well as choir, as we celebrate this festive Eucharist.
Following the 10:15 service, there will be an Easter egg hunt for the children as the adults share fellowship and refreshments at coffee hour. We welcome donations of wrapped candy before April 1st, for the pleasure of our youngsters and to help defray the cost of candy.