Welcome to Holy Saturday. If you are like me, you may not have known that this day – nestled between the dark irony of Good Friday and the eruption of celebration on Easter morning – even has its own name and identity. In most Presbyterian churches we have no celebrations or commemorations of this day in our liturgy.
Holy Saturday is always a hinge moment for us in the church, but this year in particular, it seems as though I more easily relate to this day than I do to any other day in the liturgical year.
It feels like we’re in one long Holy Saturday.
Each year on this day leading us to the resurrection I am drawn to the disciples of Jesus. I imagine their confusion and despair. While most years I have to struggle to connect to their despair, this year, I’m drawn in by the “what’s next?” confusion they must have felt. I keep asking the questions over and over again …
When will this be over? What will it look like when things are “normal”? What does “normal” even mean?
Yes, it is like we’re stuck in Holy Saturday. Just as we step into this Holy Saturday with the knowledge of what will come tomorrow, we, in the midst of our present wilderness life, do so with knowledge of God’s resurrecting power. Indeed, we cannot separate our experience as Christians from the knowledge of Easter. As Christians, we are an Easter people and we are an Easter people even today and even in this season.
But even so, we still have our Holy Saturdays.
We have seasons of Holy Saturdays throughout our lives.
Holy Saturday comes when we have a difficult diagnosis. It comes when we are in the midst of treatment. It comes when we lose someone we love. It comes when our job ends or our children are lost and confused or when the pressures and anxieties of our lives seem to overwhelm. Holy Saturday comes in our lives when all of the hopes and dreams and realities we have come to rely upon seem to come crashing down around us. And when our Holy Saturday comes, and when Holy Saturday seems to last for days and days or weeks or even for years, it is hard to see Easter. No matter how prepared we think we are, hope seems elusive and promises seem trite. No matter how long and how far we’ve walked with Jesus, his words fall silent.
Easter morning doesn’t always replace our Holy Saturday fears and emotions, but we approach Easter with the confidence that we follow a God who has already conquered death.
And so, today, may we remember the hinge moment of the disciples’ despair before Easter so that when our Holy Saturdays beset us we might be reassured, comforted, and held in the tight embrace of our God as we wait for the risen Christ to leave the tomb empty.
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. as we celebrate the wonder and mystery of Christ. All of the information and links can be found below. On this “in between” day, I also encourage you to experience our Maundy Thursday and Good Friday service videos which are linked below.
Peace,
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P.S., As always, please do reach out with any concerns or needs you might have. I continue to have volunteers reach out to help with grocery store and other errands, so if you have need or are in a demographic that should not be going out, please, please let us help.
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Click on the image above to join our sunrise worship live @ 6:00 a.m.
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Click on the image above to join our Easter worship service live @ 9:30 a.m.!
Click here for the 9:30 am worship bulletin.
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No matter where you may be in the world, you can feel close to PCWS!
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In case you missed our Maundy Thursday Service, here is the recording. The end of the service takes us into Good Friday.
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If you weren't able to join the Mid-Day prayer on Friday, it was a brief service including the reading of the account of the trial, death, and burial of Christ from John's gospel account.
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Let’s Fill the Can!
Your response has been amazing!
We
continue to receive contributions to the Second Baptist Church of La Grange food pantry.
Let's keep it up!
Please come by and do a “drive by” drop-off and give a short "honk" to say hello! Let’s fill the can!
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During Lent the children of the church have been collecting money in their fish-box banks for One Great Hour of Sharing. For decades, churches, including ours, have collected funds on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday to contribute to OGHS. Each gift to One Great Hour of Sharing supports efforts to relieve hunger through the Presbyterian Hunger Program, promote development through the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, and assist in areas of disaster through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (which has been responding to COVID-19 needs). You can learn more about the offering by
clicking here
. You can donate online by
clicking here
and selecting One Great Hour of Sharing under
Special Offerings
. You can also drop your contribution by the locked mailbox at the church or mail it in. Help us continue to make a difference with your contribution to this special offering!
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Online Giving
Have you ever considered using online tools as a way to manage your contributions to PCWS? You can have your bank send contributions directly to PCWS or you can use our giving site to set-up recurring or one-time payments (there's no additional fee when you use your checking or savings account.) Since we’re not gathering in-person each week, this would be a good time to get yourself set-up with electronic payments. Please contact our
Financial Secretary Patrick Rivers
, with any questions or instructions for setting up payments through your bank.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our ministries, particularly during this uncertain time.
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Our siblings at Nueva Paz Presbyterian Church in Cuba
Our men & women serving our country in the Armed Services
The people of Syria,
and especially the relatives of PCWS’ Interfaith Women’s Book Group
First responders, nurses, doctors, and others
providing care to others
Betty Toft
Betty Anderson
Billye Dvorak
Brent Young,
son-in-law of Larry & Becky Glasscock
Brian, f
riend of the Smyers family
Cheryl Donchez,
friend of Theresa & Condy Dixon
David DeFrance,
nephew of Becky & Larry Glasscock
David Young,
nephew of Amy Malone
Dorcas Dvorak,
friend of the Merrifield family
Elsie Anderson,
mother of
Michelle Hennessy
Gary Mirlenbrink,
uncle of Lori Carsten
Holly Oliver,
daughter of Mary Kae Headland
The family of Inez Martinez,
friend of the Merrifield family
Jessica DeFano
, niece of Michelle Hennessy
John Kregg
Joshua Haberkorn,
grandson of Shirley Pine
Kathleen Kircher
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Laura Querry,
daughter of Becky & Larry Glascock
Linda Bell,
daughter of Margot Walsh
Marc Goldstein,
friend of Carol Ulreich
Marc Ladene,
friend of the Slezaks
Marge Sandrik
Mary Kate Miller,
step-mother of Julie Garino
Mary,
dear friend of Bruce Geary
Matthew, Dorothy, and Children,
friends of the McMahon's
Michael De Vries
Michael,
friend of Jane Norman
Mike Slesicki,
cousin of Barb Farr & Joe Benson
Nate & Joann Dardick,
friends of Laurie Merrifield
Norb Mirlenbrink,
Uncle of Lori Carsten
Pat McTiernan,
friend of Phyllis DiFrancesco
Pat White,
friend of Becky Glasscock
Paul,
cousin of Elizabeth Slezak
Paulette Erickson,
friend of Carol Ulreich
Peggy Mirlenbrink,
aunt of Lori Carsten
Peter Wilkie
Phil Kasik
Ruth Kaduke,
niece of Herb & Joyce Smyers
Teri Tuffner,
aunt of Candice Mares
Terry Moore,
friend of Mike Pelton
Theresa Ybanez,
great niece of Laura Fruit
The family and friends of Toni Potenza Moya,
daughter of Harriett Potenza & Craig Harris
Parents of Tiffany Sellman
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4/11 - Carolyn Bozek
4/11 - Jessie Fronk
4/11 - Dom Garino
4/12 - Alena Cushman
4/16 - Dick Martinaitis
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4/16 - Rick Remiker
4/16 - Jack Rodos
4/17 - Chris Lee
4/17 - Piper Murray
4/20 - Zach Karstens
4/20 - Ruth Riordan
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PCWS Office Closed
The PCWS office remains closed for the immediate future. Our office staff are still working remotely and on a limited basis. You can continue to
email Patrick
with any questions about financial issues, including setting up electronic giving on a one-time or recurring basis (there is no fee to use your checking or savings account.) If you need immediate assistance, please email
Pastor Erik
or leave a message for him on his church extension which he checks regularly, or call his cell - (708) 505-5409
.
Pastor Erik is checking the U.S. Mail daily. The mailbox is also now a locking box, so please feel comfortable dropping off correspondence directly (including contributions).
Please do not come to the church office.
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Remember PCWS in your will and estate planning.
Please contact Pastor Erik for more Information.
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