Holy Week

The culmination of the Church Year, we journey through the Passion of Christ beginning with Palm Sunday, moving to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and finally, Hallelujah! - Easter Sunday!

Scroll down to find a description of what we remember on each of these days as well as some ways you can celebrate with All Saints and at home.

when & how is Holy Week celebrated?

Holy Week is the culmination of Lent - it starts on Palm Sunday and continues to the day of Easter. During Holy Week we remember the last week of Jesus' earthly life. At the end of this Lenten season of mostly quiet introspection, contemplation, fasting and charity, we move in a whiplash dureing Holy Week from devotion to betrayal, from triumph to apparent failure, into guilt, into despair. Then, on Easter, we break through darkness into resurrection hope as we celebrate Christ's victory over death!

For even more information, visit Holy Week: A Rookie Anglican Guide.

Questions to Ponder during Holy Week

Which of the characters in the Passion narrative do you identify with at this moment in your life: joyful welcomer? suspicious inquisitor? eager servant? quiet onlooker? accusatory crowd?

How does it affect you to hear that Christ came not to be served but to serve?

Where have you found joy amidst your suffering? What good was revealed to you by what you've suffered?

Do you have a "Holy Saturday" part to your life right now - areas of darkness, waiting, or lost hope? Talk with Christ about how you are experiencing this and make space to listen to how he might respond.

What does "eternal life" mean to you?

gather with all saints to celebarte Holy week

Palm Sunday Worship: April 10 @ 4pm in our sanctuary

Seder Meal: Wednesday, April 13 @ 5:30pm. Contact us to find out more.

Thursday Foot Washing: DIY home parish or family based prayer book liturgy - page 560 in the BCP or see below

Good Friday: Open house style Stations of the Cross between 12-8pm with Good Friday service @ 6pm in the sanctuary

Holy Saturday: DIY home parish or family based prayer book liturgy - page 578 in the BCP or see below

Easter Sunday Worship: Baptism and Eucharist celebration @ 4pm in our sanctuary! Alleluia!

palm sunday worship

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. The procession with palms, which was already observed in Jerusalem in the fourth century, calls to mind the triumphal entry of Jesus, our Lord and King, into Jerusalem. The procession is an act of worship, witness, and devotion to our Lord. The purpose of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem was to fulfill his Father’s will; thus it is fitting that this service continues with the reading of the Passion Gospel in which the whole story of the Holy Week is anticipated. We who hail Jesus as King one moment, may in the next deny him, even joining with the crowd in shouting, “Crucify him!”

Invitations:

Worship with All Saints on Sunday @ 4
Go for a walk carrying your palms
If you have young children, read the story from your favorite story Bible. With chalk, draw a path of palms and coats leading to Jerusalem on your driveway or sidewalk. Encourage the kids imagine!
Meditate on Matthew 21:1-9, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:28-40 or John 12:12-15.

wednesday seder meal

The Seder was the Jewish celebration of Passover. This meal celebrated the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Many aspects of the Exodus story serve as types for Christian sacraments. We remember Baptism in the crossing of the Red Sea and the Eucharist through God’s provision of manna in the wilderness. Most importantly, as Christians, we proclaim Christ, the true Passover Lamb, the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”! Our Eucharistic service every Sunday emerges from elements of the traditional Jewish Seder meal. Jesus highlighted the “third cup” of the Seder meal and the unleavened bread as symbolic of the redemption found in his body and blood.

If you would like to join our All Saints Seder meal, please contact us! Wednesday, April 13 @ 5:30pm in the basement fellowship room.

*To celebrate a Seder Meal on your own, you will need to plan ahead with shopping and meal preparations as well as take time to look over the leader's guide.

Here is a shopping & prep list.
Here is a participant guide - print one for each person.
Here is a leader's guide - one side of the page has the instructions for leading the Seder and the other side has the participant guide.

For more information you can check out the following. resources:

A detailed explanation of the Seder liturgy with Messianic explanations

Seder meal preparation tips on Chosen People Ministries

maundy thursday

Maundy Thursday receives its name from the mandatum (commandment) given by our Lord: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (JOHN 13:34). At the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and commanded them to love and serve one another as he had done. This day commemorates the Lord’s example of servant ministry, the institution of the Eucharist, the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal leading to the crucifixion.

Invitations:

The Maundy Thursday liturgy is on page 560 of the BCP. You will need a Bible, a chair, a basin of water and a towel or two. You might want to have music ready to play during the foot washing. As you wash each other's feet, you might want to add a blessing or prayer for the person you are serving.
Daily Readings can be found on page 744 of the BCP.
If you are alone for this liturgy, consider prepping a warm, fragrant foot soak for yourself and take time to imagine Jesus washing your feet.
Meditate on John 13:1-20

good friday

The Good Friday liturgy is the second part of the Triduum (the sacred three days, with Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday). This most somber of all days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his Cross. Some churches do not use musical instruments or bells on this day. The church is often darkened. The bare, stark appearance of the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and the sorrow of the day. The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on the Cross. The faithful are reminded of the role which their own sin played in this suffering and agony, as Christ took all sin upon himself, in obedience to his Father’s will. By the Cross we are redeemed, set free from bondage to sin and death. The Cross is a sign of God’s never-ending love for us. It is a sign of life, in the midst of death.

Invitations:

Open house style Stations of the Cross between 12-8pm with Good Friday service @ 6pm in the sanctuary
Daily Readings can be found on page 744 of the BCP.
Schedule confession with Father Brian.
Build a resurrection garden out of things found in the yard or a park.
Turn off electric lights to remember the darkness that came upon the earth at Jesus' death. Use candles if you need light from Good Friday through Easter morning.
Practice silence and/or fasting for part or all of the day.

holy saturday

On Holy Saturday, we remember the time that Christ spent in the grave. The day when his disciples were scattered, afraid, and confused. The day of darkness, despair, and lost hope. We are invited to practice living in the tension between the cross and the empty tomb.

Invitations:

A simple Holy Saturday liturgy is on page 578 of the BCP.
Meditate on Psalm 88.
Practice silence and/or fasting for part or all of the day.
Make "empty tomb" cookies on Saturday night, that will be ready for Easter day.

The Great Vigil, when observed, is the first liturgy of Easter Day. It is celebrated between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter morning. It is appropriate that the service begin in darkness. The liturgy normally consists of four parts:

The Service of Light: a new fire is kindled symbolizing Christ the light of the world. The Service of Lessons: key passages from Scripture recount the history of God’s mighty acts and promises. Holy Baptism or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows.

The Holy Eucharist is the proper culmination of the Easter Liturgy. As we keep this holy feast, we share the joy of our Savior’s triumph and are strengthened by his grace to walk in newness of life.

Invitations:

The Easter Vigil is found on page 582 of the BCP. Simplify as needed for children.
Daily Readings can be found on page 744 of the BCP.
Recount favorite Bible stories of God's faithfulness. Retell your own personal stories of God's faithfulness.
Renew your baptismal vows, page 194 of the BCP.