Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter Services
 Holy Week at Christ Church
The Christ Church Community Update
For Sunday, March 28, 2010
Whoever you are, and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are welcome at Christ Church, as you are, to receive the blessings of God so freely given.
March 28--Palm Sunday

9 AM--The Liturgy of Palms and Passion, Holy Eucharist, Hymns, Sermon
10:15--Palm Sunday Procession with the Church School to the Burial Ground
11 AM--The Liturgy of Palms and Passion, with Choir and Sermon (no Eucharist)

March 29 and 30--Monday and Tuesday in Holy Week

12 PM--The Holy Eucharist
6 PM--Evening Prayer
March 31 Wednesday in Holy Week

12 PM--The Holy Eucharist
6 PM--Tenebrae
Tenebrae, meaning "Shadows" is a service of Psalms and other traditional readings preparing us for the great three days to follow.  Please note that this year the service is without choir and music.

April 1--Maundy Thursday

12 PM--The Holy Eucharist
5:30 PM--Agape Parish Potluck*
7 PM--The Liturgy Commemorating the Institution of the Last Supper, the Foot-washing, and the Stripping of the Altar


*  Offerings are traditionally meat, cheese and grains in the tradition of the Middle East and Mediterranean

April 2--Good Friday

12 PM to 3 PM--The Liturgy for Good Friday, Meditations on the Meaning of the Cross, and a Service of Healing
  7 PM--Haydn's The Seven Last Words of Christ is offered by the String Quartet, with the prayers for Good Friday


April 4--The First Sunday of Easter

6 AM--The Great Vigil of Easter at Sunrise and the First Eucharist of Easter
9 AM--Festive Eucharist with Hymns and Sermon
10:15 AM--The Easter Egg Hunt in the Churchyard
11 AM--Festival Eucharist for the Feast of the Resurrectionwith Brass, Percussion and Choir

The Holy Week and Easter Schedule is found online here.
Greetings!

I am blessed by going to all of the services of Holy Week and Easter.  Join me!

Next Sunday, I will be far more exhilarated than exhausted.  The week is an unfolding drama of joy, betrayal, watchfulness, meditation, sustenance, conflict, resolution and resurrection.  Through these seven days, we will proclaim with our lips and lives that "Good is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death; and victory is ours in Christ who loves us."  (Archbishop Desmond Tutu)

Some notes: 
  • On Palm Sunday, both congregations gather at 10:15 in the park to the south of Christ Church for an outdoor Sunday School class with the Church School about the events of the day, and then we process through Old City to the Burial Ground, passing out blessed Palms to all the city's visitors and residents.
  • The Holy Eucharist is offered each noonday through Thursday.
  • Tenebrae, on Wednesday, is a spoken service of psalms, beginning at 6 PM, while our church is still bright, and concludes as the shadows (tenebrae in Latin) lengthen and darkness consumes the light.  We pray that enough light is left in our too often dark world to kindle a new fire on Easter.
  • Maundy Thursday at 7 PM includes the liturgy of foot-washing.  None must, all may participate.  Wear shoes and stockings easy to remove.  Sandals, flip-flops, Crocs all welcome.
  • If you've never heard Franz Joseph Haydn's string concerto, The Seven Last Words of Christ, you've missed one of the church's greatest musical meditations for Good Friday.  Renown Philadelphia violinist David Yang and his quartet offers this moving music on Good Friday evening, 7 PM.
  • On Easter Sunday, the 9 AM and 11 AM are glorious, but also consider coming to Christ Church in darkness, arriving at 6 AM, and kindling a fire from branches from our burial ground, lighting one candle, and then following it into the dark church to witness the sunrise.  This vigil becomes an Easter service of a different sort, with music by cello and recorder.  Each year, many come to this service, go for brunch and then return for the blaze and glory of 9 and 11 AM.
This week, please consider making an Easter offering to Christ Church in addition to your pledges in thanksgiving to God for the blessings of life, the joy of Easter, and the hope of resurrection.  We open our doors to more than a thousand visitors this week, stretching us financially.  Help us give Christ Church away to them, and the world beyond.  Please use the special Easter envelopes in our pews, or contribute through our website (registration required, for security.  Use the email address to which this email has been sent).

I eagerly await sharing the blessings of the week ahead with you.

Tea Sandwich makers needed


Christ Church needs about 1000 tea sandwiches for our festive Easter Sunday reception after the 11:00am Service on April 4.  One loaf of thinly sliced bread makes about 50 tea sandwiches, so we will need 20 or more parishioners to assist with this reception.  If you are able to contribute and/or need a good tea sandwich recipe, please contact Cecilia Wagner at 215-922-1695, ext. 21 or cwagner@christchurchphila.org.


Agape Pot-Luck Dinner On Maundy Thursday


On Maundy Thursday, April 1, we will gather together for an Agape pot-luck dinner at 5:30pm in Neighborhood House.  Please bring a dish to share in the tradition of the Middle East and Mediterranean regions.

 
Good Friday Children's Program


We will offer a special afternoon for our Church School children on Good Friday, April 2 from noon to 3:00pm Leza Kramarenko along with volunteers will lead our Church School children (ages 4 and up) in a special "Last Supper" presentation in which they will act out the parts of Jesus and the disciples.  Lunch will be included.  Parents are encouraged to drop off children at noon so they may attend church. Registration is needed. Parent volunteers are invited to participate for any portion of the time.  Please see Leza for volunteer sign-up. Childcare for infants to 3 years old will be available in the nursery.  To register your child, please see Leza in the Atrium Church School or contact her at elezavetak@gmail.com.
 

Egg Hunt In The Churchyard


Our egg hunt will be held Easter morning, April 4, at 10:10 A.M. in the churchyard.  Don't forget to bring a basket!   Atrium 2 church school (ages 7-10) will be closed on Easter.  Atrium 2 children are warmly welcomed in big church during our 9:00A.M. and 11:00A.M. Services. 


Baptisms at Christ Church 2010


April 4 (Easter Sunday), May 23 at 10AM (Pentecost), June 6 (Bishop's Visitation).If you would like to have a baptism for yourself or your child, please contact the Rev. Susan Richardson at the church office.
 
Christ Church Gardeners


The volunteer gardeners will resume monthly work days on Saturday, April 9 at 10:00AM.  Please join us in the North Garden.  Newcomers are always welcome.  We hope to see you there.  Questions?  Please contact George Niedermayer at niedy711@aol.com.
 
Sandwiches For The Homeless


Come join the crew of sandwich makers who monthly make 350 bologna sandwiches for the shelter at St. Mary's.  We gather next on Saturday, April 17, 8:30-9:30am. Kids love to help, too!  Questions?  Please contact Wayne Christman.
 

Dinner for the Homeless


Christ Church parishioners of all ages gather once a month at the homeless shelter at Old First Reformed, corner of 4th and Race Streets, 6 to 8 p.m., to create unique, excellent meals, and eat and enjoy fellowship with the men.  Plus, we need help the day before to head to the Italian market to buy fresh ingredients - go local, go green!  It's great to help those in need and to enjoy each other.  The next shelter dinner date is Monday April 19.  Can you help, even for a few minutes?  For more info on shopping, cooking or serving the food, contact Nick DiPatri at ndipatri@gmail.com. 


Life At Christ Church Class


Each Sunday, when we say, "Whoever you are, and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are welcome here," we mean it.  We pray that Christ Church is the right place for you to shape your faith journey.  For each of us, the journey is different, but our destination is the same: to be fully alive in God and keenly aware that we are disciples of Jesus Christ.  If this is the right place for you, then we hope you will become a member. 
 
Our next Life at Christ Church class will be held as a one-day class on Saturday, April 24 from 8:30pm to 2:30pm in Neighborhood House.  The class is an opportunity to ask any and all questions about Christ Church, the Episcopal Church, and your place in our community of faith.  Breakfast, lunch and childcare are provided. Please contact the Rev. Susan Richardson with any questions.  To register for the class, contact Cecilia Wagner  or 215-922-1695, ext.21.  If you need childcare please let us know.
 

Parish Work Day


Please join us for our next parish work day, Saturday, May 22, 8:00A.M. to 2:00P.M. Come for an hour or two to help clean and polish the Church and Neighborhood House.  Many hands make light work, so join your fellow parishioners for some volunteer light labor, bring a friend and we'll all have fun doing it!  Let Jeanne Stuardi know you can help by contacting her at 215.922.1695, ext 36 or jstuardi@christchurchphila.org.
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Telephone: 215.922.1695