Christ Church, Bethany, warmly invites you to attend services during Holy Week, the last week of Lent. Newcomers are very welcome. The Reverend Dr. E. Bevan Stanley, interim rector, states that "The more one participates in the various worship experiences of Holy Week, the more powerful Easter will be. These services are also a great resource for teaching children about our faith and what Jesus did for us."
The week begins with palm waving and the joyous celebration of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, April 1. Traditional services will be held at 8 :00 and 10:00 a.m. and a contemporary service will be held at 5:00 p.m.
Holy Week continues with Holy Eucharist services held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday and at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
On Wednesday the very moving Tenebrae service is at 7:00 p.m. Candles are gradually extinguished to symbolize the somber events of Holy Week.
At the meaningful Maundy Thursday service, which commemorates Christ’s Last Supper, there will be a Holy Eucharist, foot washing, and stripping of the altar.
April 6, Good Friday, the Stations of the Cross devotion at 12:00 noon will follow Jesus on his way to Calvary. At 7:00 p.m., there will be a Proper Liturgy with the reading of the Passion narrative from the Gospel of John and the Veneration of the Cross.
The Great Vigil of Easter will be held on Holy Saturday at 8:00 p.m., the holiest night of the Christian year. This dramatic service begins in darkness when the new light is ignited. After a quiet time of hearing Scripture, the miracle of the Resurrection breaks in with light and music. In the Parish House, following the service, there will be a festive celebration of the Resurrection to which everyone is invited.
The Reverend Stanley declares, "If you cannot make it to church every day of Holy Week, at least try to come to the special events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday evening. If you can’t make anything else, do what you can to get to the Great Vigil of Easter," for that is the most important liturgy of the entire Christian Year.
On Easter Sunday, the joyous day of the Resurrection, the services will be at 8:00 a.m. and l0:00 a.m. There will be a fun-filled Easter Egg Hunt for all children in attendance following t he l0:00 a.m. Eucharist. Come and share our blessings.
