Friday, March 27, 2015

Holy Week Worship

Wednesday, April 1 at 12:00 noon

Guided Reflection on the Stations of the Cross with Pastor Scott Anderson and Vicar Daniel Locke


Maundy Thursday, April 2


12:00 noon -- Holy Communion with stripping of the altar
7:00 pm -- Holy Communion, foot washing, and stripping of the altar

Good Friday, April 3

12:00 noon -- Stations of the Cross Worship using "This Far by Faith -- The Way of the Cross" service
7:00 pm -- Tenebrae Worship

Saturday, April 4

7:00 pm - Vigil of Easter

Easter Sunday, April 5 -- The Resurrection of Our Lord

8:30 am Holy Communion Worship
9:30 am Easter Breakfast in Trinity Hall (free-will offering will be taken to offset food costs. Menu: eggs, sausage, pancakes), applesauce, fruit, biscuits, and beverages)
10:15 am Easter Egg Hunt (for children up to grade 5 -- bring a basket)
11:00 am Holy Communion Worship


From the Pastor...


April is here and with it we celebrate the victory over death that we share with Christ. Our Lenten journey comes to an end as we remember Christ’s last Three Days. I want to share with you my reflection on the Three Days and especially the meaning behind the Great Vigil of Easter. May God bless us in our journey to Easter.
Pastor Scott

“Every Sunday in worship the church celebrates the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gathers us to receive again the gifts of God that come to us through Christ, the saving Word. On several key days at the center of the church year, however, worship takes a particular shape. These central days have come to be known as the Three Days recalling Jesus’ own words to his disciples that he would be handed over to death, and that ‘after three days he would rise again.’ The Three Days encompass the time from Maundy Thursday through the evening of Easter Day. In particular the church has celebrated with the services of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Saturday Evening.” (ELW)
The Church celebrates these three days with one continuous service. No benediction is given on Thursday or Friday. This year, we will produce one bulletin for the three days. The Great Vigil of Easter is important because it is an expression of our spiritual boundary crossing. Each of the four scenes of this service points to some facet of our passage from death to life with Christ.  

Scene 1: The setting is the new fire, a symbol of Christ’s glorious resurrection from the dead. We quickly process to the sanctuary for the readings, led by the paschal candle. This action symbolizes Christ’s leading us from the darkness of sin to the light of forgiveness.

Scene 2: The readings remind us of our baptismal passage from death to life. The creation story prefigures our journey from the spiritual chaos of sin and death to eternal life in Christ. The flood story from Genesis 7-9 reminds us that we, like Noah, have been preserved from God’s condemnation, having been brought safely through the waters of baptism. Like Noah, we who have been saved are a new humanity. The exodus story suggests that we have been rescued from the slavery of sin and brought to the promised land of righteousness in Christ. Ezekiel’s prophecy of the valley of dry bones points to our reception of the life-giving Holy Spirit.

Scene 3: The focus shifts to the font, as we celebrate the central act of crossing the boundary from sin and death to new life with Christ in baptism. This celebration of baptism reminds us that in baptism we die and rise again with Christ and are cleansed from sin and “sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”




Scene 4: The focus is now on the Lord’s table. We remember how Christ, our Passover Lamb, was slaughtered to gain our freedom from sin and death. The risen Christ himself comes to be our food, filling us with faith, hope and love. In this act of remembrance we look toward our final transition from this world to the next, when we anticipate the day” when Christ will come again in beauty and power to share with us the great and promised feast.”

In addition to the Three Days celebrated at 7 pm each day, we will have noon services on: 
Wednesday – guided meditation on the Stations of the Cross
Thursday – Maundy Thursday Holy Communion
Friday – Stations of the Cross Liturgy

I hope you all will join in the celebration of the Three Days with Christ.
Pastor Scott

Friday, March 6, 2015

March

LENT...

Each Wednesday during Lent (February 25, March 4, 11, 18, and 25) we have the following opportunities to meditate, attend worship, or intentional prayer time as well as share in food and fellowship:

  • 12:00 pm Quiet Communion
  • 6:00 pm Lenten Suppers
  • 7:00 pm Lenten Worship 

What is Quiet Communion? It is a service with spoken confession, reflection on the readings, Apostles' Creed, and Holy Communion. 
Evening Lenten Worship uses the worship setting "That You May Have Life" which includes Holy Communion from the worship setting "Unfailing Light", a liturgy for Lent created by Marty Haugen and Susan Briehl which we have used previously.
Lenten Suppers are open to all and usually are simple meals, served from 6:00-7:00 pm. 

The Way of the Cross has always been a powerful part of the Christian Faith tradition. The early practice of Christians attempting to retrace and walk the path of Jesus has been a treasured way to commemorate the Passion and Death of Christ. The Stations presented in our sanctuary during Lent are original art by Nicholas Markell. It has been interpreted through the work of our Arts Committee and the work of Barbara Williams Ellertson. You are encouraged to find the time to come and meditate on the imagery and the Biblical texts. A booklet entitled Biblical Way of the Cross by David Haas is available to guide your meditation. These may be found on the usher table in the foyer. Please use the booklets for meditation and leave for the next person to use.

Hope College Chapel Choir will be at St. Paul's on Sunday, March 15 with a concert at 5:00 pm. Hope College is located in Holland, Michigan, and it has a strong choir program dating to 1938. Its 40 auditioned choristers tour extensively in the United States and Canada and have traveled abroad on seven occasions. The choir performs in the annual Hope College Christmas Vespers program, which is broadcast throughout the US on PBS Television and National Public Radio. The program is open to the public and we invite you to our beautiful sanctuary.

"Miserere" -- Another opportunity to enjoy music at St. Paul's will come on Friday, March 27 when we feature El Fuego Early Music Ensemble. There will be a 7 pm pre-concert lecture in Trinity Hall followed by an 8 pm concert in the sanctuary. This Lenten theme concert, titled "Miserere," features sacred cantatas of the Spanish Baroque by Jose de Nebra (1692-1768) and Juan Manuel de la Puente (1692-1753). The leader of the El Fuego ensemble, Salome Sandoval, is a Venezuelan native who established the group in Boston and moved to Durham in 2014. Members of the new, Durham-based El Fuego Early Music Ensemble include Allison Willet and Matvey Lapin, baroque violins, and Jacqueline Nappi, organ and harpsichord.

Have Books? During March, the preschool is collecting new and gently used children's books for Book Harvest, a local non-profit that gives books to children in need. Since 2011, they have given over 160,000 donated books to low-income children. Books open a world of discovery and learning for children. Donations bins are upstairs and downstairs. 

Interested in Membership at St. Paul's? Pastor Scott Anderson will meet with all who are interested and those who have questions -- Sunday, March 15 at 9:45 in the conference room.

CROP Hunger Walk takes place on Sunday, March 22, stepping off at 2:30 pm from the front of Duke Chapel. This is an 8K (4.8 miles) walk. Register now to walk or donate to those who are walking. Stop by the table in the foyer any Sunday until then.

This Summer St. Paul's Musical Theater Summer Camp will make its debut! Dates are July 26 - August 1. We are looking for rising 7th-10th grade students to participate in our first musical production of "Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway". Join us for a week of acting, singing and dancing that's sure to be memorable and fun filled! Know a teenager that enjoys performing? Then send them our way!!!
Contact Vicar Daniel Locke for registration and more information.