Fri., March 22, 2024

The Rev. ROBERT E. STEVENS, JR.

Connected in Story, Connected in Christ

Easter is coming and you are invited!

Holy Week and Easter 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 March 24th is Palm Sunday and Sunday March 31st 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 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. It’s going to be a good one this year! Whatever you choose, we welcome you to walking the way of the cross through Holy Week.

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

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday:

12noon and 6pm Holy Eucharist in the Chapel

Thursday:

9:30am Holy Eucharist and Healing in the Chapel

12noon Common Table

6pm Maundy Thursday* Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing, Stripping of the Altar, and Watch through the night.

Friday:

12noon Good Friday Liturgy

6pm Good Friday* Liturgy and communion from the reserved sacrament

Saturday:

8pm The Great Vigil* of Easter, Baptisms and the First Eucharist of Easter

Sunday:

7:45am Holy Eucharist Rite I*

9:15am Holy Eucharist Rite II*

11:00am Holy Eucharist Rite II

*Available via livestream on our YouTube Channel.

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.

Faithfully, your rector and friend,

The Rev. Rob Stevens