Dear Friends,
As we approach the Sixth Sunday of Lent, also known as Palm Sunday, I often pause at the way our worship brings together two very different moments of Holy Week: the waving of palms and the reading of the Passion. One moment invites shouts of “Hosanna!” while the next takes us to the foot of the cross. The shift from celebration to sorrow can feel abrupt.
Between Jesus’ humble entry into Jerusalem and his arrest, so much takes place—moments that have shaped the life of the church for centuries. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet, shares bread and wine at the Last Supper, offers his final teachings, and prays in the garden. These are not small details; they are a central part of our faith.
Over time, as fewer people were able to attend every service of Holy Week, the church began including the Passion reading on Palm Sunday so that everyone could hear the story. Yet for those who wish to experience the journey more fully, the Triduum—the three holy days at the heart of our year—offers a way to walk each step of the story.
It begins on Maundy Thursday, when we remember the Last Supper. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as a sign of love and shared bread and wine with them, giving us the gift of Holy Communion. “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning “commandment,” reminding us of Jesus’ call to love one another.
Following the Maundy Thursday service, you are invited to keep watch at the altar of repose. This quiet vigil allows us to remain with Jesus in the stillness of the night, just as he asked his disciples in the garden, “Could you not stay awake with me one hour?” In that silence we remember his loneliness and love, offering our presence and prayers as the church keeps vigil before the darkness of Good Friday.
On Good Friday, we gather in quiet reflection at the cross. The story is painful, yet it reveals the depth of God’s love poured out for the world.
Then comes the Great Vigil of Easter, when we hear again the story of God’s saving work from creation to resurrection. The empty tomb becomes the fulfillment of promises spoken across generations, bringing new life in ways we cannot fully imagine.
This week invites us to walk step by step through the mystery of our faith—from table, to cross, to empty tomb. As we participate in these services, we remember that Easter is coming—but not yet. For now, we pause, watch, and listen as the story unfolds, trusting that God’s love is with us every step of the way.
May we carry this story into our own lives, offering love and kindness where we can and holding hope in times of waiting and uncertainty. Even in the pauses, God is at work.
Please join us for these important Holy Week services:
- Palm Sunday
- Sunday School 9:30 am
- Worship 10:30 am (Gather in Founders’ Hall)
- Maundy Thursday
- 6:30 pm, Vigil at the Altar of Repose
- Good Friday
- Stations of the Cross 11:00 am,
- Good Friday Liturgy with Holy Communion from the Reserved Sacrament 12:00 pm
- Holy Saturday
- The Great Vigil of Easter 7:00 pm – Joint Service with Epiphany Guntersville, hosted by Christ Church
- Easter Sunday
- Easter Egg Hunt 9:30 am,
- The Feast of the Resurrection 10:30 am
In Christ, Shari+