This next weekend is Palm Sunday. The day begins Holy Week – the climax of the Lenten Season. Holy Week includes special times of worship designed to help us understand and appreciate the price Jesus paid for our salvation. This week also includes some faith milestones in the lives of our members.
Please celebrate this special week with us at Trinity when we observe major events in Jesus’ life and celebrate significant faith events in the lives of our fellow Christ-followers.
Palm Sunday (Saturday) – March 24 – 6:15 p.m.
We recognize Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem less than one week before His crucifixion. The crowds welcomed Jesus with hopes that He would become their king (Luke 19:28-40). During this Saturday evening worship we celebrate this event with a special service that includes our annual Palm Sunday Cantata featuring choir members from both our own choir and the choir of St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Otisville.
Palm Sunday – March 25 9:15 a.m.
It’s Confirmation Sunday at Trinity! While we celebrate the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, we also celebrate a faith milestone in the lives of several young people who have completed a two-year study of basic Lutheran doctrines. We witness these young people confirm their Christian faith and we pray for them as they continue their journey as Jesus’ followers.
Maundy Thursday – March 29 @ 7:00 p.m.
On the night of Jesus’ arrest He celebrated His last meal with His disciples (Luke 22:14-23). During this last meal, Jesus began the sacrament of Holy Communion which has been a weekly celebration for Jesus’ followers since the earliest days of the faith (Acts 2:42-46; Acts 20:7). Our congregation gathers on this special Thursday evening to reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ gift of communion. We also celebrate this evening as some of our young members receive first communion after they have completed the “Early Communion Prior to Confirmation” course with their parents.
Good Friday Tenebrae Worship – March 30 – 7:00 p.m.
The name “Good Friday” hardly seems appropriate when we remember what Jesus endured and suffered on this day two millennia ago. We gather and worship on this holy day to remember and appreciate what Jesus endured for us. This is an specifically somber service: we begin by gathering in silence; we reflect on Scriptures that tell the account of Jesus’ suffering; and our service concludes in darkness. Our youth play a significant role in this worship as they read God’s Word and extinguish altar candles leading to a worship that concludes in darkness. During this solemn worship we discover again that this Friday is “good” because of Jesus made it good through the terrible things that happened to Him.
