Call Us: (620) 342-0375

Faith Statement: Through the love and inspiration of Jesus Christ and each other we reach out beyond ourselves to support others, continue to grow in faith, praise God, and celebrate His gifts.

Every year during Triduum (literally, three days), we mark the holiest days of the Christian year with great intention. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil lead us through tactile remembrance of the promise, betrayal, and death of Jesus, preparing our souls for the holy celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Morning.

Traditionally, we have combined Maundy Thursday’s Service of the Table and Good Friday’s Service of Darkness into one act of Holy Week worship. The Service of the Table recalls the night Jesus took bread and cup at the Passover meal, shared it with his friends, gave them a new commandment to love one another, and then was betrayed into the hands of the empire that sought to destroy such radical thinking. The Service of Darkness, or Tenebrae, offers a vivid reminder of the hours when Jesus’ body was stripped, crucified, and placed in the darkness of the tomb at the same time darkness fell across the land through readings and the extinguishing of candles. This year, as we continue to live in the shadow of pandemic and civil division, we have our own stark reminders of the fraught reality Jesus and his disciples faced that holy week. Nor do we seek to endanger others by gathering at a time when we are called to faithfully care for our neighbors. At the close of our traditional service, we leave without benediction; we leave in silence; we leave by various doors to go our various ways; and we leave in gathering darkness akin to the darkness invoked in the Gospel story.

Therefore, in the name of Christ, members of EPC will spend intentional time in prayer this Good Friday wherever the holy day finds us. Participants are encouraged to pray however the Spirit leads, praying on their own behalf, and on behalf of our whole church family.

Often, we say, “I’m praying for you,” and we mean, “I’m praying about you.” This Triduum, vigil participants are, indeed, praying for those who cannot find the words, the heart, the strength to pray as the Lenten journey gives way to the holiest of days culminating in the unbridled joy of Easter. We hope you will join us in this sacred endeavor, and Thank you! to all who shoulder this task on behalf of us all.

Blessings be upon you, all our EPC family and friends, and all God’ s children, as we prayerfully and faithfully face the darkness, holding fast to the promise of Christ’s glorious Light.

If you would like a copy of the Good Friday Wednesday Prayer Vigil Prayer Sheet, please contact Ken Weaver or Pastor Phyl.

As Holy Week began, we had made it 2935 of 6676mi on our Journey to Jerusalem! That puts us in the Atlantic Ocean 1820mi off the coast of Casablanca, Morocco. Help us make landfall by Easter, enjoying the rich architecture, religious history, and strategic location of this port city dating back to the 7th century BCE! Log those miles, activity time, memory verses, and Lenten reflections (and turn them in to Amanda G or Pastor Phyl) to see where our Journey takes us next week and help us reach the Holy City during Eastertide!

Graduation Sunday will be May 16. If you have a high school or college graduate this spring, let us celebrate with you! Send the full name and photo of your graduate, along with the name of the school, college, or post-college, and include their degree. Please email a picture in jpg format along with information to businessoffice.epc@gmail.com by April 15 so that we can include this in our May newsletter.

By Laura Moriarty

Copyright 2018; HarperTeen; 402 pp.

This novel, and this review, was written especially for teens to let them see the consequences of family values, stereotyping, ignorance, kindness, prejudice, education, patriotism and more.

Meet Sarah-Mary, an opinionated 15 year-old, and Caleb, her sensitive 11 year-old brother, who are living with their aunt in Hannibal, Missouri. Now imagine a United States in which registries and detainment camps for Muslim Americans are a reality. If that sounds a little far-fetched, ask your high school American history teacher about the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 which was used during both World Wars to confine German, Italian, and Japanese immigrants on American soil. Ask your grandparents about the 120,000 Japanese-Americans on the West Coast who were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated by Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

But this doesn’t concern Sarah-Mary because she doesn’t know any Muslims. That is, not until Caleb introduces her to a Muslim fugitive in hiding! Follow the two as they set off on a dangerous journey, hitchhiking their way through the heart of America, discovering courage, and kindness in the most unexpected places.

Moriarty is a New York Times bestselling author. And don’t let the number of pages hold you back; I finished it in 3 days, and I’m a slow reader. Plus HarperTeen publishes with generous space between the lines for its inquisitive audience.

The MBF Trustees currently consist of seven trustees and two Financial Administrators. The committee has identified the need to have a third person to be on deck in case someone is unable to fulfill their duties. There is also concern that there needs to be some succession planning to ensure there is knowledge to fill a Financial Administrator role.

MBF Trustees would like to ask the congregation if anyone may have an interest in learning about the MBF Financial Administrator role. If so, please contact Don Miller, MBF Financial Administrator.