It is ALMOST time for the “A” word again. Twelve days from now, echoing St. Paul, we will literally stand at the grave and shout “Alleluia.” Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Day is the center of our faith. Christmas and Pentecost have meaning in reflection because we know that Jesus is the Christ who has died, is risen, and will come again.
Old Donation will celebrate the day of resurrection in all its glory, giving thanks to God who is the source of every blessing. Every “in-person” service for Holy Week and Easter will be designed for our 30 minute target. So we will worship efficiently, but fully. Some services will be inside the historic Church. A couple will be held in the new Great Hall (which is not finished but will work well for our needs). Our outdoor “Eden Chapel” in the graveyard will be our largest capacity. It is theologically, aesthetically, and practically perfect for Easter worship (so long as God provides a beautiful morning). If we have rain, outdoor services will be moved inside the Great Hall and we will add services to accommodate.
The Sunday schedule really begins Saturday night with the Easter Vigil at 5:00pm. The Great Vigil will be slimmed down to only celebrate Easter with traditional baptisms. “This is the night” of great joy when darkness was defeated and Christians have been baptized at the Vigil to join with Christ in his death so they may be raised in his resurrection. For former Roman Catholics, Saturday night might even feel more like the “old days.” We will have live music and Holy Eucharist outdoors. Indoor worship will use Easter hymns our choirs have recorded. Outdoors we will have “live” music from the St. Cecilia choir and Gathering Band.
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For those participating in our “Streamed” Eucharist, communion kits will be distributed Wednesday and Thursday from the Church as in the past.
If we “sell out” the existing indoor options on Easter, we will add one more in mid-afternoon. This schedule is a response to your survey preferences. Please feel free to ask if something we can do differently might help your celebration.
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Holy Week: Experiencing the Cross |
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Mother Ashley preached recently, “to see (and know) Jesus, he says you have to look squarely at the CROSS.” The day of resurrection is experienced most fully when we also walk the way of the cross. True joy is known at its peak when we also know the deepest of disappointment and suffering.
Palm Sunday, the Sunday of the Passion, begins the journey with Jesus. Monday through Thursday our Noon Prayer streamed service will feature a series of theological conversations about what make Holy Week “holy.” Maundy Thursday and Good Friday conclude the way of the cross, leading to the Easter celebrations noted above. This year our offering will include:
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6:30pm: Agapé Meal
An agape meal, sometimes called “love feast,” recalls the Jewish Seder meal and Jesus’s last supper with his disciples. It’s intended to be a simple meal - bread, cheese, fruits, nuts, soup - with wine or another beverage. We invite you to join us, from your homes, in the celebration of this meal. Prepare your supper, and tune in on Facebook for a live-streamed service of prayer, scripture, and a blessing over food, followed by the (non live-streamed) eating of the meal.
8:00pm: Stripping of the Altar and Vigil
The stripping of the altar is often one of the most moving ceremonies of the year, and like last year we invite your participation again via Facebook live-stream. We will remove everything from the altar and around it, after which the beautiful and haunting hymn “Were You There” will be sung. The ceremony will end in silence, and our Vigil will begin. This year, we feel it will be perfectly safe to have a live Vigil as we’ve historically done (so long as there is enough interest), as well as the live-streamed Vigil. If you would like to come to the church to sit and keep watch, please sign up HERE. We welcome anyone who would like keep watch from home on Facebook Live.
If we don’t have enough people signed up to fill all the in-person spaces, we will hold the Vigil via live-stream only. Either way, we will be sitting with Christ in the Garden.
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Noon: Stations of the Cross
We will release a video of the “Stations of the Cross” which we will use as our Good Friday devotion. It is produced by congregations in our diocese (including us). We will email to you at Noon and include a link to the Great Litany which we recorded at the beginning of Lent.
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Please remember that staff and clergy are working hard to help us all live in community and be faithful. To do this requires everyone to contribute and participate, and that includes finances. If you normally only contribute to your pledge or make donations when you are in Church, please make an effort now to contribute online, through your bank, or mail* your donation. Our website has a link for Giving. Feel free to email the office if you need help.
*Our mailing address:
Old Donation Episcopal Church
PO BOX 68067
Virginia Beach, VA 23471
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