 |
|
Editor's Note:
As we focus on the holiest of weeks, today's newsletter is replaced with a devotion for Maundy Thursday, a Holy Week message from Bishop Dillahunt, an Easter message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Holy Week worship and event information, and prayer and parish notes. The regular weekly newsletter will return next week. Blessings to you and yours! Kathy Whited
|
|
|
Maundy Thursday Devotion:
Love One Another
by Pastor Jay Shailer
John 13:1-17, 31-35 (NRSV)
Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord-and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
The New Commandment
When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
|
|
The parade is over. The singing and joyous celebrating are now just a memory from Sunday. The palms are all cleaned up, and the city of Jerusalem is quiet. Tonight, we get one last meal with Jesus. But, before the action picks up in Gethsemane tomorrow, we get one last lesson from our Lord.
He tells us to love each other. He doesn't just give it lip service. He gets down on his knees, pours water into a bowl, and washes the disciples' dusty feet. This is the love he speaks about. Humble, lowly devotion to the ones you love. It's a love that carries no glamour. It's a love that gains you nothing other than sideways glances from others, who would never do something that is beneath them.
Jesus is showing us that love is costly. But more importantly, it is holy. How we love each other echoes an eternity. It is how we identify ourselves as followers of Christ. It is our calling card for the world.
As we, the church, enter into the great three days of Christ's death and resurrection, I pray we hear this one last lesson about our identity as citizens of God's Heavenly Reign. People will know us by how we love each other. People will know. People will see where our hearts and our values are by how we fall to our knees and reach out in service to our neighbor. Our promise in Jesus' resurrection is firm, and our call and identity are clear. When we get to the other side of the big celebration Sunday morning, and those decorations are cleaned up, and we go back out into the world, I pray that this identity shines brightly and clearly.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, servant of all, we lift up our hearts to your command. Give us the strength to love as you love us. Amen.
|
|
Easter Message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
|
|
| "The joy we feel at Easter" | ELCA Easter Message 2019 |
|
|
|
Prayer Stations of the Cross
Artwork depicting these holy days are on display in the Far Hills Campus Narthex while the church building is open through Good Friday. There is a devotional pamphlet with Bible readings and prayers for each station.
Maundy Thursday
We celebrate Communion - the Lord's Supper - instituted by Jesus this night, and we conclude the service with the Stripping of the Altar, symbolizing Jesus being stripped of all his earthly belongings as he heads to the cross.
Optional foot washing prior to the service in the Far Hills Narthex.
Maundy Thursday Service
| Thursday, April 18 |
7:00*PM |
Far Hills Sanctuary |
Good Friday
The Passion according to the Gospel of John will be the narrative for the day, and candles will be extinguished throughout. At the conclusion of the service, a large cross will be placed in the front of the congregation and in front of the altar. We offer honor and reverence to the one who, lifted up from the earth, draws all people to himself.
Service of Light and Darkness
|
Friday, April 19
|
Noon* & 7:00*PM |
Far Hills Sanctuary |
Easter Vigil NEW TIME
This service marks the beginning of the Easter celebration, and the gift of life we receive through baptism and sustained in the gift of communion.
|
Saturday, April 20
|
|
Begins in Far Hills Outdoor Chapel
|
Easter Sunday, April 21 Christ is Risen!
We celebrate the Resurrected Christ in
these joyous services filled with flowers, music and the good news of great joy - Christ is Risen Indeed!
Bring cut flowers for a special flowering of the cross at both campuses! There will also be a carry-in breakfast at 9:30 a.m. at the Austin Campus, so bring a dish to share.
Far Hills Campus
Flowering of the Cross in the Gathering Space all morning
|
8:00 & 10:15* AM
|
Traditional Services (Sanctuary)
with Jubilate Bells
|
|
9:00*AM
|
Contemporary Service (Celebration Center)
with choir
|
Austin Campus
|
8:30 AM
|
Traditional Service - Flowering of the Cross
|
|
9:30 AM
|
Carry-in Breakfast
|
|
10:30*AM
|
Contemporary Service
with choir
- Flowering of the Cross
|
* Child Care available
|
|
Bunny Hop 5K/10K and Family Easter Celebration
Enjoy an inter-generational, family-friendly celebration with a 5K/10K race, and free activities, including live music, 9-Square-In-The-Air, bounce house, egg hunt and a potluck.
Register the for race here, and if the online registration is closed, you can also sign up the morning of the race, April 20.
| Saturday, April 20 |
8:00 AM-1:00 PM |
Austin Campus |
|
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
|
Race check-in & same-day registration
Race Starts
Live music, bounce house & 9 Square
Awards and Door Prizes
Easter Story and Puppets, then Easter Egg Hunt
Potluck Luncheon for Everyone |
|
|
Prayer & Parish News
Recently Hospitalized: Nothing reported
Hospice: Tom Hutcheson, Brian Wudke
Baptisms: This weekend at the Easter Vigil we celebrate the baptisms of Samuel Michael and Benjamin Lyle, sons of Scott and Erin Haligowski.
In observance of Good Friday, the Church Office will close at noon on April 19. Epiphany Lutheran Preschool will also be closed on Good Friday, but Morning Care will be open. In observance of Easter, the
Church Office will be closed on Monday, April 22
.
Let Us Pray for You!
If you have a prayer request, email
Pastor Charlie
, or
submit a prayer request online
. We want to know when you're hospitalized and when you have a major life event. Contact
Pastor Charlie
(937-344-1229) or
Pastor Jay
(937-750-2333) or Pastor Tracy (765-716-1916).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
