Holy Week – Celebrating the Saving Work of Jesus Christ

We invite you to be part of our celebrations and observances as we remember all the great things Jesus has done for us.  Every year around this time we gather to ponder anew the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus.  We get to revisit the central parts of our life and faith with him.

Everything else in our life and faith makes sense and matters because of the things we ponder this week.  Each service has a focus on the various actions and events in this final week of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

Palm Sunday reenacts Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday revisits the major actions of Jesus at the Last supper with his Disciples.  These include the washing of the Disciples’ Feet, the Command to Love, the Institution of the Holy Communion, and the Arrest of Jesus.

Good Friday invites us to gather at the Cross of Christ.  On the Cross he suffers and dies for the forgiveness of our sin.

On Holy Saturday we gather for the Great Vigil of Easter.  In this time we gather with the followers of Jesus to wait for the fulfillment of his promise to Rise from the dead.  In this service we light a new fire in hope of the Resurrection.  We tell the stories of faith from the Old Testament.  We celebrate the gift of Baptism which is our holy connection to the death and resurrection of Jesus.  In the end we renew our commitment to follow Jesus as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the beginning of our Resurrection Celebration.

Early on Sunday we gather in the Carmine Cemetery for our Easter Sunrise Service.  This is an ancient tradition of Christians.  Our brothers and sisters in the faith have gathered in cemeteries early on Easter Sunday since the earliest days of the Church.  We do this to reconnect with the place of Jesus’ Resurrection.  He was raised from the dead in a graveyard of sorts, the borrowed tomb in which Jesus’ body was placed.  It was early in the morning on the first day of the week, as we read in John chapter 20.

Later that morning we celebrate with the whole Church that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead.

Here is the schedule of our Holy Week Services.  We will also include the schedule of services at our partner church, Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church near Ledbetter.

All are welcome at these services at either church.

Palm Sunday Weekend

Saturday, March 24 – 6:00 p.m. at Carmine

Sunday, March 25 – 8:00 a.m. at Waldeck; 10:00 a.m. at Carmine.  Both Sunday services will include the procession of Palms.  Waldeck will also include the Passion story from Mark’s Gospel.

Maundy Thursday

Thursday, March 29 – 5:45 p.m. at Waldeck; 7:30 p.m. at Carmine

Good Friday

Friday, March 30 – 7:00 p.m. at Carmine

Holy Saturday

– The Great Vigil of Easter

Saturday, March 31 – 7:00 p.m. at Carmine

Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of our Lord

Sunrise Service – 6:45 a.m. at the Carmine Cemetery – bring a lawn chair for seating.  We will gather among the graves.  If inclement weather we will gather in the pavilion at the cemetery.

At Waldeck:  8:00 a.m. Festival Service – outside in the pavilion on the south end of the church building.  If inclement weather, inside the church.  Holy Communion.

The service will be followed by a pot-luck brunch in Annex.  An Egg Hunt will be offered around 9:30 a.m.

At Carmine:  9:00 a.m. – Sunday School in Fellowship Hall.  Also, a reception with kolaches, coffee, etc. will be offered in the Parlor (the room next to the sanctuary.)

10:00 a.m. Easter Festival Service with Holy Communion.

11:15 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt, outside the Sanctuary entrance.

After Easter:

After Easter Sunday, both churches will resume their regular weekend schedule:

Carmine:  Sunday School at 9:00 a.m.; Sunday Worship at 10:00 a.m.

Worship on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays at 6:00 p.m.

Waldeck:  Sunday Worship at 8:00 a.m.; Sunday school at 9:15 a.m.