Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, March 29th

Holy Eucharist: 8:00 spoken and 10:00 am with choir and organ

Monday, March 30th ~ Wednesday, April 1st

Self-guided Stations of the Cross 9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Maundy Thursday, April 2nd

Dinner Church at 6:00 pm [gather in children's chapel]

Good Friday, April 3rd

Ecumenical Worship at 12:00 noon [at All Saints']

Evening Worship at 7:00 pm [at First Congregational]

Holy Saturday, April 4th

The Great Vigil and First Eucharist of Easter at 7:00 pm

Easter Sunday, April 5th

Holy Eucharist: spoken at 8:00 am and 10:00 am with choir, organ and trumpet

The Attraction of the Repellant Cross

Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help, whose hope is in the LORD their God. [Psalm 46] May Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bless you with the knowledge of his abundant love for you. A prayer for today:

Creator God, who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; You keep your promises forever, give justice to those who are oppressed, and food to those who hunger. Thank you for your abundance and give us what we need to be your faithful servants. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

Our Maundy Thursday, April 2, observance will be in the form of "dinner church," gathering at 6 p.m. in the children's chapel, processing with hymn and candles to tables in the parish hall. The dinner will be set within a Eucharist and open with the blessing of the bread. The service will continue with a Latin peasant meal of Cuban black beans over rice, Creole chicken, and fresh fruit, a few short readings recalling the life and ministry of Oscar Romero, the saint of El Salvador, followed by the blessing of the wine. Service will include a short interval in the sanctuary for washing of hands and stripping of the altar, and end with dessert snack in the parish hall and clean-up. (The service is planned to be less than two hours.) Women's Worship, as is our tradition, will prepare the main dishes, and list other items needed on the sign-up sheet that will be posted by Sunday. All are welcome.

Outreach Luncheon is this Thursday, March 26th. Volunteers are needed for setup, serving and cleanup. If you are able to volunteer, please contact Sandi Johnson at 569-3337. Thank you.

Please join us for a casual Bible Study + Eucharist gathering on Wednesdays at 3:00 pm or 7:00 pm in the All Saints' Library this Lent. Our theme and primary texts follow...

March 25th - Why We Worry, Why We Judge: Matthew 6:19-7:12

April 1st - The Choice is Yours: Matthew 7:13-29

The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld will visit All Saints' on Sunday, March 22, 2015. During his visit any individuals who wish to officially become members of the church will be welcomed through: Confirmation, Reception, Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows, or the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Please review the various rites below and contact our rector: pastorbillpetersen@gmail.com if you wish to prepare for membership during February and March.

Confirmation: The sacramental rite in which the candidates "express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop" (BCP, p. 860). Those who were baptized at an early age and those baptized as adults without laying on of hands by a bishop are expected to make a mature public affirmation of their faith, recommit themselves to the responsibilities of their baptism, and receive laying on of hands by a bishop (BCP, p. 412). Adults baptized with the laying on of hands by a bishop are considered to be confirmed.

Reception (Christian Commitment): Baptized persons who have been members of another Christian fellowship and who wish to be affiliated with the Episcopal Church may make a public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their baptism in the presence of a bishop. The bishop lays hands on each candidate for reception and says, "We recognize you as a member of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this Communion" (BCP, p. 418). Candidates for reception normally have made a mature commitment in another Christian fellowship.

Reaffirmation (of Baptismal Vows): The BCP refers to those persons already baptized who are presented to the bishop in the context of a service of Baptism or Confirmation to reaffirm their baptismal vows. These might be persons returning to the church after a period of unbelief or those who have entered a new level of spiritual life. The BCP does not specify who these persons are, and a variety of interpretation exists. The BCP provides a form to be used for reaffirmation of baptismal vows instead of the confirmation formula (BCP, p. 419). The word "renewal" rather than "reaffirmation" is used to describe the reaffirming of the baptismal covenant by the entire congregation at Baptism, Confirmation, or the Easter Vigil (BCP, p. 292).