- St. Matthew's Window: Palm Sunday, Triumphal Entry                                                                    
"He has burst his three day's prison..."
(Hymn 180)
By John Lawyer 

"We spend most of [our] lives conjugating three verbs: to Want, to
Have, and to Do. Craving, clutching, and fussing, on the material, political,
social, emotional - even on the religious - plane, we are kept in perpetual
unrest: forgetting that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance,
except as far as they are transcended by and included in, the fundamental
verb, to Be: and that Being, not wanting, having and doing, is the essence
of a spiritual life." (The Spiritual Life, part I)

So writes the prominent Anglican devotional author of an earlier generation, Evelyn Underhill. The purpose of Lent is precisely to help us shift at least for a season from wanting, having, and doing to focus simply on being, who we are at our deepest level, which means who we are in Christ. This extended inner listening to our deepest selves culminates in the Triduum, or "three days," the technical term for the liturgical observation of the time than runs from sundown on Maundy Thursday through the celebration of Jesus' resurrection on Easter morning.

Some years ago I had a chance to spend a year at St. John's Abbey with my family at what was then known as the Ecumenical Institute. I remember remarking to one of the senior monks during the course of the Triduum that it seemed like we were spending the whole three days jumping in and out of the Abbey Church for one service or another, as well as the regularly scheduled morning, noon, and evening prayers. He looked at me kindly, and then said, "No, you see it's really all one single, long service that runs for three days, in various modes at different times as the story unfolds." And indeed we do start with intimate fellowship round the table and the new commandment, "Love one another" on Thursday, then slip into the agony in Gethsemane. This is followed by the mounting tension of Jesus' arrest and several trials early on Good Friday, which culminates in the horror of the Crucifixion. Saturday is quiet, all passions spent, all hopes dashed, all expectations shattered as He lies in the tomb, apparently dead and defeated. Finally we reach the crowning triumph of Easter morning and the joyful shout, "He is risen!" Death is done in, and the Kingdom of God is inaugurated on earth.

The point of all this is that no part of the drama stands alone; no individual segment makes sense apart from the full sequence of what came before and what comes after. This was true of the historical events themselves, and is equally true of our liturgical remembrance of them. The full schedule of observances at St. Matthew's can be found elsewhere in this newsletter. Join in as you can, and continue your reflections at home or work when you are not here; but as you do, bear in mind that we are following a single story, one which asks to be understood in its diverse wholeness.  
Station II
Station XI
St. Matthew's Stations of the Cross  
2016 Holy Week Services at St. Matthew's

PALM SUNDAY, March 20, 10:30am & 5:30pm
An extended palm processional in our worship space at the 10:30am service will be followed by a dramatic re-enactment of the story of Jesus' passion by Guthrie Theater actor and St. Matthew's parishioner Peter Thomson. A palm processional will also take place at the 5:30pm service.

MAUNDY THURSDAY, March 24, 7:00pm
Join us for this family-friendly service including Taizé music and interactive prayer stations, footwashing, a prayer writing station and candle lighting at the cross, concluding with the traditional stripping of the altar and silence. This is a wonderful way to help children observe Holy Week, as there is time to move around the sanctuary, participating in various prayer stations. Young people from the congregation read scripture and strip the altar. A Taize music team led by Sunday night musician Eric Selle will share their gifts.
 
An Agapé meal with Middle Eastern food will take place before the service at 5:30pm in our parish hall. Please bring Middle Eastern-style foods to share such as tabbouleh, hummus, cheese, salads, vegetables and fruit. For more information or to assist with this potluck, contact Rosa Uy.

GOOD FRIDAY, March 25
  • Prayer Book Service, 12:00 noon. This service offers a traditional prayer book liturgy with reading of the Passion, sermon and communion from the reserved sacrament.
  • Stations of the Cross, 7:00pm. Journey through Jesus' last hours with the 14 Stations of the Cross, traditional "stopping places" during Jesus' walk to Calvary. The stations at St. Matthew's were created by 14 artists from our community (see images above). This contemplative service includes periods of silence and congregational singing. Our parish choir will lead the congregation in global music selections illustrating various stations.
EASTER SUNDAY, March 27
Brunch at 9:00 am; Worship Service at 10:30am.
We will celebrate one Eucharist at 10:30am. with music by our Parish Choir and church musicians. A festive Easter brunch will precede the service at 9:00am. Please bring a coffee cake, egg dish, fruit or juice to share. 
 
Music for the Good Friday Stations of the Cross
By J Michael Compton 
- Chinese Er'hu
 
Please join us as we walk the Way of the Cross on Good Friday evening. Led by the parish choir, we will worship singing songs of Chinese origin, accompanied by traditional Chinese instruments (Er'hu and Guzheng). The Er'hu is a bowed instrument with only two strings, held and played like a cello.  The Guzheng is a multi-stringed instrument plucked like a harp, with a tonal quality capable of great depth.   

- Chinese Guzheng
A special Thank You for a clean, tidy church...

 

In preparation for Holy Week and Easter, a dedicated group of parishioners spent last Saturday cleaning the sanctuary and side chapel.  They shined up all those nooks and crannies that are neglected (and not always cleaned by our regular cleaning crew). Many thanks to Liz and Larry O'Toole, Karen and Ray Gerst, Tracy Dunnwald, Michelle Chiezah and Janet Murphy. 
Faith + Learning Resources
  • St. Matthew's parishioner Ron Matross shared a report from the Sunday Morning Book Group after reading Not in God's Name: Confronting Religious Violence by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.  Click here for a summary of the book's themes and their discussion.
  • Registration is now open for spring Lay School classes at Luther Seminary. The Lay School of Theology is a program of informal, non-credit classes taught by seminary professors for people who want to learn more about matters relating to their Christian faith and life.
    Spring classes are scheduled on consecutive Mondays from April 4-May 2. Blair Pogue recommends the course on Food and Drink in the Biblical World. Learn more on the Luther Seminary website.
  • At the All Ages Faith Forum last Sunday, St. Matthew's Children and Youth Director Terese Lewis organized some terrific Lenten prayer stations for children and adults.  Many of them include materials from Godly Play. You are welcome to explore the stations as they will remain in the parish hall through this Sunday, March 20.
Looking Ahead: Calendar Highlights
  • March 20: Palm Sunday processional and gospel reading by Guthrie Actor Peter Thomson, 10:30am service. Palm processional for 5:30pm service.
  • March 24: Taize Maundy Thursday Service, 7:00pm, Middle Eastern dinner 5:30pm
  • March 25: Good Friday Prayer service at noon & Stations of the Cross, 7:00pm
  • March 27: Easter Service, 10:30am
  • April 15-16: Middle School Youth Retreat at St. Matthew's - Pre TEC (includes Twin Cities and Southern MN area youth).
  • April 29-30: Women's Retreat at the Riverwood Conference Center
 
Please share your news and photos with us: tidings@stmatthewsmn.org 

Visit our website for the prayer list, calendar and sermons