Dear Peace Members and Friends,
What a week ahead! Holy Week begins this Sunday with a festival that has two traditional titles: Palm Sunday and Sunday of the Passion. Not one or the other, but both. With palms in our hands; with our Sunday School children singing; with hymns and Scripture—we will remember when Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last week of his life.
We will also take part in the Matthew’s Passion of Jesus. Someone will take the role of Jesus; others will take the roles of Judas, Peter, Pilate, the High Priest; and all of us will take the crowd’s part. Together, we’ll become a part of the confusing symbols and mixed messages of the day. We’ll hear about our fickle, inconsistent ways and about God’s determination to love us anyway.
Following worship and the fellowship time, I’ll present in Adult Education on the events of Jesus’s Final Week.
Sunday is also the beginning of Holy Week, leading into the high point of the church year: the celebration of the Three Days of Jesus’ death and resurrection:
Thursday, April 6th, Maundy Thursday
- With nightfall, Lent comes to an end and we gather with Christians around the world at 7:00pm to begin the celebration of the Three Days. At the heart of this worship is Jesus’ commandment to love one another and at the Lord’s Table we remember Jesus’ sacrifice of his life, even as we are called to offer ourselves in love for the life of the world. The service will conclude with the symbolic Stripping of the Altar. We will also welcome a guest violinist.
Friday, April 7th, Good Friday
- At the heart of this Good Friday worship (7:00pm) is the reading John’s story of Jesus’ passion. The ancient title of this day—the triumph of the cross—reminds us that the church gathers not to mourn this day but to celebrate Jesus Christ’s life-giving passion for the sake of the world.
Sunday, April 9th Easter Sunday
- “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” God has raised Jesus from the dead and we join in celebrating the new life Christ’s resurrection brings to us and all the world. There will be two worship celebrations; one at 9:30am and another at 11:15am.
My thanks to all of you who came out at last Sunday’s Youth Pancake Breakfast!
Also, the funeral for our sister in Christ, Pam Sebesta, will be Wednesday, April 12th at 11:00am, and be preceded by a visitation at 10:00am. Our condolences to Pam’s husband, Jim, and the whole Sebesta family.
See you Sunday!
Mark