Palm Sunday and Easter

[MattY]

We are planning on having a sunrise service at a local outdoor pavilion on Sunday morning, with basically just the first part of the service (singing, devotions, Sunday school). Then we'll have breakfast at church in the church basement. Following that, we'll complete the service by having the sermon in the sanctuary like normal. I would expect the sermon to be themed on the resurrection. The service will be completed probably an hour earlier than usual.

This is the same thing we did last year.

We don't normally do anything for Palm Sunday or the other days of Holy Week. Today the sermon was themed on the events of Holy Week leading up to the crucifixion, just going through each day. But that was by the minister's own choice of what to preach about, not by an assigned or expected theme.

[Valerie]

So, since “we” sent the original standard that everyone works off of…..(said with a smile) we have a whole week!

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, a longer service than usual, as it includes longer readings, processions and blessing and distributions of palms. Folks generally fold their palms and stick them behind crucifixes in their homes. Last years are taken down and burned. Many folk will try to get to confession during the week. Holy Thursday is a mass celeabrating the inauguration of the mass by Jesus at the last supper. Many Anabaptists are surprised to learn this is where the Catholic Church practices foot washing, where the priest washes the feet of twelve people (or in more conservative settings men).

After the Holy Thursday mass the tabernacle is emptied and there will be NO masses or communion until the Saturday night Easter vigil mass. On Good Friday churches hold different types of prayer services, often Stations of the Cross.
The Sat evening Easter Vigil is the mass where new church members are baptized and fully accepted into the Church (as was traditional since the earliest days, Easternis the most important day of the year and the Mass reflects that.

We will have the entire family for a big meal after Mass, with Ham, Lasagna (yes, we have Italian blood), sides, Cake in the shape of a lamb, and of course for our Orthodox relatives the all important (but non religious) home made baklawa. (So poorly pronounced baklava by the Greeks. ).

For those that shudder at our “idol worship” the statues and such have been covered since Lent began and will be removed just prior to the Easter Vigil mass.

Happy Easter to you All. I always appreciate my favorite hymn, Oh Sacred Head Surrounded, is song so frequently on Easter in Catholic and Anabaptist settings. Yes Anabaptists, like Silent Night, Lead Kindly Light, and Faith of our Fathers, O sacred Head Surrounded were ours first.

Make the most of Holy Week as you spiritually try to walk in His shoes.

So your Orthodox family get 2 Easter’s one with you and their Pascha April 12?

[JayP]

Yes, ur we always got TWO Christmases so we made out.

I am really perplexed by folks that gather for breakfast for Easter. Just say’n.

[JimFoxvog]

Our church just started calling Palm Sunday "Passion Sunday" with the reading of the crucifixion narrative. I asked and was told that many churches have started this in recent years, as many don't attend Good Friday services and the crucifixion is too important for people to skip.

[ohio jones]

Today, many of the songs referenced Palm Sunday or praise in general. The sermon was on Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, leading up to the events before the crucifixion.

Most of the churches in town arrange for a community Good Friday evening service. This year it's our turn to host. Of course the crucifixion was probably actually on Thursday, but traditions are hard to break.

I am really perplexed by folks that gather for breakfast for Easter. Just say’n.

We have breakfast at church nearly every Sunday anyway. The only difference at Easter is that it's between the special early service and the regular service, so there's more people and more food. What can I say, we like to cook and we like to eat.

The last few years we've been using the two services to look at the entire scope of redemption history, beginning with creation. Multiple people are assigned to tell a part of the story. Very meaningful and usually well attended.

[Bootstrap]

Our Bible studies have focused on the last week of Jesus' life since February. About 1/4 to 1/3 of each Gospel is about this week, and that's still not enough time to completely cover it.

Palm Sunday was about ... well, Palm Sunday. Waving palms and singing praise, the distance between what the crowds were expecting and what Jesus came to do.

Easter was the largest celebration in the early church. Christmas was not. I think celebrating Easter is very biblical. But not with bunnies and eggs and pagan symbols. It's not about flours and pretty dresses and springtime, it's about the resurrection.

[Valerie]

Our Bible studies have focused on the last week of Jesus' life since February. About 1/4 to 1/3 of each Gospel is about this week, and that's still not enough time to completely cover it.

Palm Sunday was about ... well, Palm Sunday. Waving palms and singing praise, the distance between what the crowds were expecting and what Jesus came to do.

Easter was the largest celebration in the early church. Christmas was not. I think celebrating Easter is very biblical. But not with bunnies and eggs and pagan symbols. It's not about flours and pretty dresses and springtime, it's about the resurrection.

Of course Satan would want to mess with Easter & take the focus off the true meaning for the observance. He & his realm hate Christmas too so he had to orchestrate distraction from its importance- he goes about like a roaring lion so until he’s @finally” eternally dealt with he will be an enemy of the Cross and of course the attemp was to kill the infant Jesus but failed.

[Valerie]

I loved our Palm Sunday in our old Foursquare Gispel Church, the children would file in down the sidkes waving their palms and it was always a special service at the beginning of Holy Week.

[ohio jones]

Easter was the largest celebration in the early church. Christmas was not. I think celebrating Easter is very biblical. But not with bunnies and eggs and pagan symbols. It's not about flours and pretty dresses and springtime, it's about the resurrection.

That reminds me of the time Sunbeam was trying to educate me about the different kinds of flours. I guess I thought the brand name on the package was the main difference. Still have her biscuit recipe somewhere; I should try that sometime. But maybe not for Easter, since biscuits are usually accompanied by sausage or ham gravy.

[JohnL]

I think this is mostly how Christmas was celebrated in my tradition. Family time, holiday from work, special food, gifts, southern lamb (ham but don't tell George) etc ...

We interpret Acts 10:9-16 as meaning the old clean-unclean kosher regulations of Judaism no longer applied. In fact I seem to remember that the only food we're told to avoid was when Paul said if it causes a weaker brother to stumble then don't eat the meat sacrificed in pagan temples. It really doesn't mean the meat itself is unclean. It's about how eating that meat can be misunderstood in someone else's eyes. I know why we eat ham. It's because lamb really wasn't a livestock option in these parts. We have 4 meat options here. Beef (if it's cheap enough). Pork because it's plentiful. And Chicken. It there's enough deer around that's our 4th option. Wild turkeys aren't always plentiful from year to year. I personally don't think Jesus would get upset as long as we remember why we celebrate and live our lives to honor him.