2011 Holy Week and Easter Schedule

Palm Sunday, April 17
Palm Sunday commemorates the day when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem to begin the last week of his earthly life. Great throngs of people welcomed him, and spread palm branches in his path because they thought he was the Messiah who would rescue them from Roman oppression. They were right about his being the Messiah; they were wrong about his plan of salvation. Bear in mind the fickleness of these crowds: when they realized that Jesus was not exactly the Messiah they wanted him to be, their cheers of welcome turned into shouts of “Crucify him!” Palm Sunday services begin with palm processions to the great hymn, “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”. But then, we rapidly plunge into all the plotting, betrayal, and desertion, which mark Holy Week.

5:00 pm Saturday Service, Chapel (April 16)
8:45 am Blessing of the Palms, Kane County Courthouse, followed by procession down 3rd Street
9:00 am Liturgy of the Palms & Holy Eucharist, Church
9:00 am Children's Sunday School
10:30 am Holy Eucharist, Church

Monday in Holy Week, April 18
7:30 pm Evening Prayer, Chapel

Tuesday in Holy Week, April 19
7:30 pm Evening Prayer, Chapel

Wednesday in Holy Week, April 20
7:30 pm Evening Prayer, Chapel

Maundy Thursday, Alpril 21
Thursday in Holy Week is the day Jesus began with his friends and ended totally deserted and alone. It was the day of the Passover feast. Jesus arranged to eat the meal with his disciples andthereby tell them to “Do this in remembrance of me.” From there, Judas went out to betray Jesus into the hands of the authorities; Peter denied him three times; the rest of the disciples fled; and Jesus was condemned to be executed at a corrupt trial. At the 7:30 pm service, every ornament is removed from the altar to symbolize the desertion of Jesus.

7:30 pm Maundy Thursday Liturgy and Stripping of the Altar
Rev. Claudia Nalven, Assistant Rector, Preaching
(no nursery)
10:00 pm - 7:00 am Friday Vigil Watch, Chapel

Good Friday, April 22
Friday is the day in Holy Week when Jesus was crucified — executed on a cross between two criminals. The entire night before, he spent being interrogated by Pilate and Herod. He was whipped, beaten, mocked, and then made to carry his cross up Mount Calvary. Why in the world do we call this day good? Because he did it for us! The great plan of God’s salvation, outlined in the Book of Isaiah, called for us to be healed through the suffering and death of a servant.

7:30 am Good Friday Service, Chapel
10:00 am Children’s Stations of the Cross followed by Easter Egg Hunt for age tiny-grade 5
12:00 pm Stations of the Cross, Chapel
7:30 pm Good Friday Service, Church
Evan Davis, Director of Youth Ministries, Preaching
(no nursery)

Holy Saturday, April 23
At 7:30 pm, the Great Vigil of Easter dramatically moves us from the darkness of death to the light of the Resurrection. We gather on the Chapel steps, and then enter the darkened church with the first fire of Easter and process behind the Paschal candle to experience the gloriously arrayed altar.

7:30 pm The Great Vigil of Easter, Church
Rev. David Baughman, Deacon, Preaching
(no nursery)

Easter Sunday, April 24
Easter is the greatest day of the Christian year! Without Easter, we would have no Christianity: Jesus would be dead, buried, and forgotten, and the last word in life would belong to death. With Easter, Christ is alive forevermore and death has lost its power to extinguish us and separate us from the love of God. This is the day when God raised Jesus from the dead, and we celebrate it at four glorious liturgies.

5:15 am Sunrise Service, Heritage Prairie Farm, followed by breakfast ($5 donation)
(2N308 Brundige Road, Elburn, IL)
8:00 am Holy Eucharist, Chapel
9:00 am Holy Eucharist with Festival Choir, Church
10:30 am Holy Eucharist with Festival Choir, Church
Rev. Dr. Mark A. Tusken, Rector, Preaching

9:00 am & 10:30 am nursery available
No Sunday School on Easter