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Next Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, with services every day until Easter. Here's a guide from the Worship Committee about what to expect:
On Palm Sunday at 9:00 and 10:30, we gather on the lawn for a blessing of the palms, and then we process into the sanctuary singing "Hosanna!" to commemorate the glorious entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In more recent years, the Church has also celebrated Passion Sunday on this day, with a group of readers telling the story of Jesus's betrayal, suffering, and death. Just as we did last year, we will have this reading at the end of the 10:30 service. There will be a hymn before the reading begins. If you would prefer to hear the Passion story later in Holy Week, please feel free to leave quietly.
On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings, contemplative prayer services will be offered at 7:00. These short services (about 35 minutes) will follow the format of Lent's "Washed in Contemplation" services, consisting of a brief reading, a period of silence for meditation, and a closing prayer.
On Thursday, we begin the three liturgies of the Triduum. These form a single, continuous service spread over three days. For that reason, the order of service for the Triduum is presented in a single booklet, and there is no dismissal on Thursday or Friday.
On Maundy Thursday at 5:30 and 7:00, we commemorate Jesus's last evening with his disciples. We wash each other's feet as they did, and we share bread and wine for the last time until he comes again at Easter. Many people find the foot-washing deeply moving as an expression of our care for one another. At the 7:00 service, the Schola Choir joins the Adult Choir, and the music includes the beautiful Faure Agnus Dei. At the end, we strip and wash the altar, leaving it bare. Then, we process together to the Lady Chapel-decorated as the Garden of Gethsemane-to hear the story of Jesus's betrayal. You are invited to stay for a time afterward in prayerful silence, to keep watch in the Garden as Jesus asked his first disciples to do.
On Good Friday at 5:30 and 7:00, the church is dark. The organ is silent; all the hymns are a cappella. This is the only major service of the year when we gather without receiving bread and wine as the body and blood of Jesus. At the 5:30 service, we hear the story of Christ's suffering and death presented in a manner appropriate for younger children, in the style of our 9:00 service on Sunday mornings. At the 7:00 service, we hear the Passion according to St. John, sung by the Adult and Madrigal Choirs in a beautiful choral setting written by our parish musician. Acknowledging our own role in Christ's suffering, we join our voices to shout "Crucify him!" After hearing the news of his death, we venerate the cross with a bow or a kiss.
On Saturday at 7:00 is the Great Vigil of Easter. For many, this is the highlight of the church year. We gather in darkness and kindle a new fire, lighting the Paschal candle and passing its light from person to person. We hear the Exultet-the ancient chant that has marked this liturgy for centuries. Then we settle down around the fire to hear the scriptural stories of our salvation, beginning with the Creation story from the book of Genesis and continuing through the sacrifice of Isaac, the parting of the Red Sea, and the Exodus out of Egypt. After each story-and instead of a single sermon later in the service-a member of the congregation breaks open the Word with a short reflection on the reading.
The last story we hear will be the Easter Gospel itself-the story of Christ's resurrection, when the women discover the empty tomb. Immediately after proclaiming that story, the priest sings, "Alleluia, Christ is risen," and the people respond, "The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!" Then the great celebration begins-as the lights come on, the bells ring, the Easter lilies arrive, the streamers fly, and we sing the festive and traditional "This is the Feast of Victory for our God." We then renew our baptismal vows, reflecting the ancient practice of baptism at the Vigil, and share bread and wine in the First Mass of Easter. After the service, we gather in the parish hall for a festive reception.
(If you know Grace's Easter Vigil well, you may notice that two elements appear at a slightly different time in the service. The Worship Committee has suggested this adaptation for theological reasons, as a way to emphasize Christ's resurrection as the culmination of salvation history. The 1979 Prayer Book offers many options for the Easter Vigil service, and the placement of the "Alleluia" Easter acclamation is one of those options. This year, the "Alleluia, Christ is risen" Easter acclamation and the festive hymn are placed after the proclamation of the epistle and Gospel appointed for Easter. We believe this is consistent with the Prayer Book's effort to combine the Vigil's ancient Service of Lessons with the Liturgy of the Word of the traditional First Mass of Easter.)
On Sunday morning at 9:00 and 10:30, we gather to hear the story of Christ's resurrection and celebrate the Good News once again, with traditional hymns and communion. At the 10:30 service, the Schola Choir joins the Adult Choir for glorious music, including Beethoven's "Hallelujah" from The Mount of Olives. A festive coffee hour and reception follows both services (and between the two, an Easter Egg hunt!).
If you have questions about any of these services, please see any one of us. Have a blessed Holy Week!
-Shawn Schreiner, Chair
Linda Coberly and Charles Wells, Vice-Chairs
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Don't forget about our wonderful reception following the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday night, April 19. We are seeking donations of sweets - cakes, cookies, or pastries. Please place your sweet donations in the kitchen on your way into the Vigil.
We are in need of a coordinator for the Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday after the 9AM service. The coordinator would be in charge of hiding the eggs. Interested? 
