Tag Archives: Three Holy Days

Vigil of Easter – April 15

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , , , ,

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The Great Vigil of Easter

Saturday, April 15, 7 p.m.

Click this link to view a blog post from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) regarding this service and its connections with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Click this link to view a blog post by our own Jennifer Clark Tinker which tells about her experience and joy related to attending the Great Vigil of Easter each year.

 

An Introduction to the Vigil of Easter

Like the children of Israel who watched and waited through the night for the Lord of the Exodus, we too come together this night to watch and wait for the Lord of the Resurrection. We come, as Christians have come since the first century, to keep vigil and to prepare ourselves for the arrival of the Bridegroom who is chief host and guest at the Resurrection feast to come.

First, we must break the darkness of the night.   Like the virgins in the parable, we must light our vigil lights. Our light will be a very special light, for it is the light of Christ which burns atop the Paschal candle and which dispels the darkness — of night, of sin, of death. Our light will be a constant reminder of the Resurrection victory during the coming season, at every baptism and at every funeral. But for now, it will burn in vigil as we await the Bridegroom.

When we have settled into our pews for the watch, we hear the storytellers among us sharing the stories of our faith — the stories of God’s salvation history and the covenants which he made with our people. These are our “family” stories. We listen. We sing. We watch. And we wait for the feast to come.

After hearing our stories, we make our last minute preparations to meet our Lord. All must be right for the feast. On some years those among us who have not yet joined us are brought into membership with us this night, making all who are here part of the Church family, known as the Bride of Christ.  Each year, so that the whole family is prepared, each of us reaffirms our faith through the Apostles Creed. As we interact with the water and the Lord, we hear and we feel that grace which was given to us through our baptism.

We are nearly ready. The time is close.  We prepare the room and set the table for the Feast of Victory, the First Holy Communion of this greatest festival day of all. And then at last He comes! The Resurrection victory is won! The Bridegroom has come through the darkness to claim his Bride, the Church, to be his own. This is the feast of victory!  In the end flowers and banners must adorn the space, for our time this evening and tomorrow will be a feast to remember.

Our Celebrations of the Resurrection of Jesus

The Great Vigil of Easter – 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 – see the introduction below. Shared with Waldeck Lutheran Church.

Easter Sunrise – 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, April 16, at the Carmine Cemetery. Bring a lawn or folding chair for seating.  Shared with Waldeck Lutheran Church.

Easter Festival – Sunday April 16.  Opportunities at both MLLC and Waldeck

MLLC Schedule:

9:00 a.m. – Sunday School

10:00 a.m. – Festival Worship

~11:15 a.m. – Easter Egg Hunt

 

Waldeck Schedule:

8:00 a.m. – Festival Worship

~9:00 a.m. – Pot-luck Easter Breakfast – bring an item to share

9:30 a.m./After Breakfast – Easter Egg Hunt

 

Holy Week Schedule 2017

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , , ,

Holy Week Schedule

We invite you to participate in the special worship and devotional opportunities for Holy Week 2017 at MLLC.  Here is the schedule of events:

Palm Sunday – April 8 & 9

Worship on Saturday at 6:00 p.m., Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

Palm procession and entering into Holy Week.  Holy Communion.

 

The Holy Triduum – the Three Holy Days: Thursday through Saturday

Maundy Thursday – April 13

Worship at MLLC at 7:30 p.m.

First Holy Communion, presentation of Bibles to First Communion Students, the washing of Feet – following the example of Jesus (we will also offer the washing of hands), Stripping of the Altar.

There will also be a Maundy Thursday Service at 5:45 p.m. at Waldeck Lutheran Church, our shared ministry partner.  The Church is located at 6915 Waldeck Church Lane, Ledbetter, TX 78946 – this is about 6 miles south of Ledbetter at the corner of FM 2145 and FM 1291.

 

Good Friday – April 14

Worship at MLLC at 7:00 p.m. – a joint event with Waldeck Lutheran Church

Remembering the Suffering and Death of Jesus Christ our Lord.  This will include the reading of the St. John Passion account from chapters 18 and 19.  This is a shared even with Waldeck Lutheran Church.

 

The Great Vigil of Easter – Saturday, April 15

Worship at MLLC at 7:00 p.m. – a joint event with Waldeck Lutheran Church

Service of Light, Services of Readings, Remembrance of Baptism, First Holy Communion in celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

 

The Resurrection of Our Lord – Easter Sunday

April 16

6:45 a.m. – Sunrise Service at Carmine Cemetery – a joint event with Waldeck Lutheran Church

Bring a lawn or folding chair for seating

9:00 a.m. – Sunday School

10:00 a.m. – Festival Worship Service with Holy Communion

After worship – Easter Egg Hunt for the children

 

For those who are interested:

Waldeck Lutheran Church Easter Sunday Schedule:

8:00 a.m. – Festival Service with Holy Communion.  This will be outside in the covered pavilion, as weather permits, or inside as needed.

After worship – Easter Breakfast.  This will be a pot-luck meal, and you are invited to bring a food item to share.

Good Friday is March 25

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements and tagged with , , ,

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We will gather together on Friday, March 25, at 7 p.m. to remember the events of Good Friday.  This is our annual remembrance of the dramatic sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin.

 

Introduction to Good Friday

We begin our liturgy as we ended the Maundy Thursday Liturgy: in silence. What was begun then continues this day as we journey with our Savior from the Last Supper, the stripping and humiliation, to the cross and tomb. Good Friday is the second day of the Triduum, the “Three Sacred Days” of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday with its Vigil of Easter.

The Good Friday Liturgy is marked with austerity, silence and reflection. The chancel itself is bare from the Maundy Thursday stripping. There is no organ music except to accompany the hymns. Everything focuses on our adoration of the crucified Christ, reigning from the throne of the cross.

The service of Tenebrae is an ancient Holy Week devotion which began in the 7th or 8th century, or possibly earlier.  The name “Tenebrae” means shadows.  The service takes its name from the ceremony of extinguishing in succession all the lights in the sanctuary, casting it into total darkness which is symbolic of the disciples’ desertion of our Lord, and of his death and burial.

The purpose of the Tenebrae Service is to aid us in realizing the total impact of the darkest day in the history of the world, the day Jesus died on the cross.

The opening portion of the liturgy includes no praise. It proceeds directly to the Invocation and Prayer of the Day. It is a simplified version of our Sunday Liturgy of the Word. The chief acts are the reading of the Passion of St. John and the Bidding Prayer for the needs of our world.

Following the final hymn is a meditation on the Seven Last Words of our Lord which he spoke from the cross.  After each word is read, there will be a prayer and silent meditation.  Lights and one candle will be extinguished after each meditation until the sanctuary is in darkness.

After the lights are all extinguished, the congregation will stand as the Paschal Candle is carried from the sanctuary reminding us of the burial of Jesus.  A loud noise, made by the closing of a Bible,will remind us of the closing of the tomb.  This announces the fulfilling of the Scriptures and the completion of our Lord’s work on the cross for us.

The Paschal Candle (called the Christ Candle during Advent/Christmas) will not return until the beginning of the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday evening at 7 p.m.  On Good Friday we recognize that Jesus was fully dead and was placed in the borrowed tomb.

Note:  The return of the Paschal Candle moments after the loud noise is a form of the Good Friday service designed to be used in those congregations which do not have the Great Vigil of Easter.

All will leave in silence to return tomorrow as we wait in vigil and then celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection at the Great Vigil of Easter.  At the Vigil tomorrow evening we will have the first Holy Communion in celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Schedule for the rest of Holy Week:

Easter Vigil – Saturday – 7:00 p.m. – in sanctuary

 

Resurrection Sunday:

Resurrection Sunrise service at 7:30 a.m. at the Carmine Cemetery.

   (Bring your own chairs for seating at the cemetery)

Breakfast in the fellowship hall at 8 a.m.

Festival Resurrection Service at 9:00 a.m. in the sanctuary

Egg hunt and party for the children. ~10:15 a.m