Maundy Thursday – 6:00pm
The word Maundy comes from the word mandate. On the Thursday night before he died, Jesus gave his followers a mandate, a new commandment: “Love each other just as much as I love you” (John 13:34). “Maundy Thursday,” then, is just another way of saying “Commandment Thursday,” or “Love One Another Thursday.”
On this day, Jesus gave bread and wine to his disciples as a way they could receive him and remember him. And to show them what love really meant, he acted like a hired helper and scrubbed the disciples’ feet. In our Maundy Thursday worship, we will have the opportunity to receive the bread and cup and participate in foot washing.
We then share the sober mood of Jesus’ journey to Gethsemane and his prayers there. The service closes with an invitation to remain in the sanctuary and pray, keeping watch with Jesus as he invited his disciples to do.
Good Friday – 6:00pm
This is a time to remember and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. Our service will feature readings from the Scriptures, music, and prayers that will guide us in our reflections on the significance of the cross. We will also have a time of silence and meditation to allow us to contemplate the depth of God’s love for us. The service ends with the stripping of the altar and we depart in silence.
Easter Day – 4:30pm
We will begin our worship outside of the sanctuary with the service of light. During this service, the room is dark, and we light and process the Paschal candle through the congregation. As we each move to make room for the light, we remember that as Christ’s light has come into the world, we are all changed. We will speak and sing some ancient liturgy meant to draw us into the weight of Christ’s resurrection and the dawning of His light in the world. It’s a unique start, and if you have never joined in a service like this, we encourage you to participate, watch, and consider God’s goodness and joy.
We then process into the sanctuary for our service of Word and Sacrament. This is our celebration service to worship, hear God’s word, and come to the Table. One of our favorite parts of this special service is the “Holy Noise.” Everyone is encouraged to bring bells or pans or keys and we let out a great, Lent shattering, joy filled cheer that Christ is Risen! We even encourage the kids to run around at this point in our service! We conclude this service at the table as we come to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”