Sunday, April 20

Resurrection of Our Lord/Easter Day

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Worship: 8 & 10:45 am

Carry in Brunch between liturgies

Rejoice, heavenly choirs! Sing, choirs of angels!

Rejoice, all creation around God's throne!

Jesus Christ our Light is risen!

Sound the trumpet of salvation! 

(Exsultet)

Saturday, April 19

Holy Saturday

Vigil of Easter: 8:30 pm

Rom. 6:3-11; John 20:1-18

From a sermon by St. Epiphanias of Salamis:

Something strange is happening - there is great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.

The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh, and has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began.

God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear. God has gone in search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep.

Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, God has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, He who is both God and the son of Eve.

The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of Him Adam, the first man God had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: "My Lord be with you all." Christ answered him: "And with your spirit."

He took him by the hand and raised him up saying: "Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."

• Visit someone. Take them some hot cross buns for their Easter feast.
• Bring a votive candle in a canning jar to church to take home the new fire of Easter.

Friday, April 18

Good Friday

(from “God’s Friday”)

Worship: 12 Noon & 7 pm

 Is. 52:13-53:12; Ps. 22; Heb. 10:16-25; John 18:1-19:42

Sing, my tongue the glorious battle; tell the triumph far and wide;

tell aloud the wondrous story of the cross, the Crucified;

tell how Christ, the world's Redeemer, vanquished death the day he died.

(ELW 355, st. 1: Venantius Fortunatus, tr. John Mason Neale)

• Bake hot cross buns to break the fast (see recipe, p. 40.) Leave the radio and TV off today.

Thursday, April 17

Maundy Thursday (from “Mandare” – to command)

Worship: 7 pm

Ex. 12:1-14; Ps. 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

Where true charity and love abide, God is dwelling there.

We are gathered by the one love of Christ Jesus;

let us lift our voices to God and be joyful.

In holy wonder let us love the living God,

and may our hearts ever be one in faithful love.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

(ELW 653, st. 1: Latin hymn, 9th c.)

• Clean out a closet. Give away what you don’t need.

Wednesday, April 16

Worship: 12 Noon

This is my ending, this my resurrection;

Into your hands, Lord, I commit my spirit.

This have I searched for; now I can possess it.

This ground is holy.

All heav'n is singing, "Thanks to Christ whose passion

Offers in mercy healing strength and pardon.

Peoples and nations, take it, take it freely!"

Amen! My Master!

(as above, sts. 5,6)

• Take a walk. Look for signs of spring.

Tuesday, April 15

Full Moon

Worship: 12 Noon

Thorns not its own are tangled in its foliage;

Our greed has starved it, our despite has choked it.

Yet, look! it lives! its grief has not destroyed it,

Nor fire consumed it.

See how its branches reach to us in welcome;

Hear what the Voice says, "Come to me, ye weary!

Give me your sickness, give me all your sorrow,

I will give blessing."

(as above, sts. 3,4)

• Learn how to say “thank you” in a new language.

Monday, April 14

Worship: 12 Noon

Passover begins at sundown

There in God's garden stands the Tree of Wisdom,

Whose leaves hold forth the healing of the nations;

Tree of all knowledge, Tree of all compassion,

Tree of all beauty.

Its name is Jesus, name that says, "Our Savior!"

There on its branches see the scars of suff'ring;

See how the tendrils of our human selfhood

Feed on its lifeblood.

(ELW 342, sts. 1,2: Kiralyi Imre von Pecselyi, tr. Eric Routley)

·       Place the palms from the Palm Sunday liturgy on your altar.