Lent - Holy Week - Easter

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Ashes are symbol of our mortality--that God made us of dust and to dust we shall return. They point us towards hoping in resurrection life only through Jesus Christ. Ashes are also a symbol of repentance--that apart from God, there is no life.   Services are at 9:00 am and 7:00 pm, which include the imposition of ashes in the sign of the cross on one's forehead, a sermon, and the Holy Eucharist. 

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 fundamentally an act of worship, witness, and devotion to our Lord.
At Emmaus, we go the extra step of bringing this liturgy to life at our 10:30 service by going outdoors, welcoming Jesus complete with actual donkeys, and dramatic, participatory readings of the story. While many liturgical churches also read the Passion Gospel (the Cross), we do not because we believe it important to keep the focus on Palm Sunday on those events, and encourage our people to attend Good Friday.

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. 

The Good Friday liturgy is the second part of the Triduum (the sacred three days). 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. 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.

Noon: Stations of the Cross: Using Sacred Art to focus out worship, we walk the church visiting each traditional "station" of Jesus way of suffering.

7:00 pm: At Emmaus, we participate in a dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel (the crucifixion story), hear a sermon, and bring our sins to the cross. All this happens with the Crucifixion backdrop inviting us into our Savior’s passion. 

The Great Vigil of Easter, when observed, is the first liturgy of Easter Day. It is celebrated at a convenient time 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:

On Easter we celebrate our Savior’s victory over sin and death. Every Sunday commemorates the Feast of our Lord’s passing over from death to life. This day is really the model for every other Sunday. It is important to remember the ancient and more typical name, outside of the English speaking world, Pascha—from Passover, for this day is the fulfillment of what the Lord began in Egypt. This day is especially festive, with offerings from our  vocal choir.

8:00am Holy Eucharist.
10:30am Holy Eucharist with Children’s Church