Sat., April 1, 2023

Holy Week

Rob Stevens

Easter and Holy week will be upon us soon and as we approach the most holy of times in our tradition I invite you to consider how we as a community might participate as fully as possible. Sunday April 2nd is Palm Sunday and Sunday April 9th is Easter. It is tempting in the chaos that is often present in our busy lives to participate in these two liturgies alone. I invite you to resist that temptation and experience the richness of our liturgical life by walking the “way of the cross.”

I am aware that coming to all of these services is impossible for many. However, I invite you to consider coming to a service that you have never attended. Perhaps even consider celebrating Easter at the Vigil and First Eucharist of Easter on Saturday evening. At St. John’s “Worship is the most important thing that we do.” And Holy Week is the pinnacle of our year together. I invite you therefore to the observance not only of a Holy Lent, but especially a Holy Week.

This year for Holy Week there will be an offering for worship everyday. The service schedule is as follows:

The church, as is our custom, will be open each day for quiet reflection from 9am-3pm or later depending on the service schedule.

It is not with a heavy hand that I encourage you to participate as fully as possible in our worship life this Holy Week, but rather with an open hand and heart. Walking the way of the cross is a gift. I offer this experience, this discipline, as a gift, an adventure, to all of us who seek to follow God and to live more fully into the gift that is our life. This week of all weeks it is so possible to be grateful for the many gifts we have been given by God.