Dear Emmanuel Family,

 “He is risen!  He is risen indeed!” 

 In just a few weeks our sanctuary will be ringing with the joy of those words on Easter morning.  By the time our Lenten journey ends and Easter arrives, I will be ready to shout them.  Easter, like Christmas, is so meaningful for Christians that we have a tendency to jump right to those celebrations without moving through the days before which prepare us for the joy.  So while March will bring Easter celebrations, we’re not quite there yet and there are several other important events I want to highlight. 

 Sunday, March 2 our Bishop, Kevin Kanouse, will be visiting with us for the day.  He will preach and preside for worship and then offer an adult forum during the Sunday school hour.  He hasn’t been here (the last pictures I saw were of him digging on our land the day Emmanuel broke ground) in some time so I invited him to be with us.  Your council and I are delighted to host him.  There is nothing like a personal visit to learn about the many ministries of our synod and to have an opportunity for questions.  Please join us in worship that day and stay for the forum so you will have a chance to hear from him and learn more about the NT-NL Synod. 

 Wednesday worship services and soup suppers will continue through March 12.  Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, March 16.  All those who wish to participate are invited to gather outside for our palm processional into the sanctuary which commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.  The celebration of that entry quickly changes when the passion story is read and we meditate on Jesus’ passion and death.  Palm Sunday begins the process of preparing us for the Three Days – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. 

 This year we will be doing something a little different for Holy Thursday.  We will gather together that evening to celebrate a Seder or Passover meal in remembrance of the night when Jesus gathered with his disciples before the Passover for his last meal with them.  The Seder meal is ritual reenacted by Jews every year to tell the story of the rescue of God’s people as written in Exodus.  During the Seder service, we will break and serve a simple meal as part of worship before concluding the Passover.  The Seder meal/worship will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours.  It is open to the entire family but because of the planning involved, reservations are required.  The cost of the meal will be $5 for adults and $2 per child.  Reservations and payment will be taken until March 9.  

 The Good Friday Tenebrae service will retell the Passion Story while the darkness slowly increases to represent the darkness of Christ’s three days in the tomb.  The service invites us to meditation and prayer.  During the day, the sanctuary will be open from noon to 3:00 p.m. (the time when Jesus hung on the cross) for personal meditation and prayer.  A list of suggested meditations from Scripture, hymnody, and prayers from the Lutheran Book of Worship will be available. 

 On Saturday, March 22 I will be available at the church from 9-11:00 a.m. for those wishing to make individual confession as part of their preparation for Easter.  “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)  Martin Luther regarded private confession as a “precious and comforting treasure” (Large Catechism 457:7) because it “strengthens and consoles the conscience” (Apology to the Augsburg Confession XII:39).  The service for Individual Confession and Forgiveness is found on page 196 in the LBW.   It is not a substitute for the corporate confession and forgiveness we use every Sunday but another opportunity to receive comfort and grow in faith toward Christ and one another. 

 It is my prayer that the worship and prayer opportunities listed above will enhance your Lenten experience and help prepare you for Easter Sunday.  Our worship schedule begins Easter morning with a Sunrise Service at 7:00 a.m. led by our youth, followed by Easter breakfast hosted by the youth at 8:00 a.m. and Festival Worship at 9:00 a.m.  Following worship, Congregational Life will host coffee fellowship and Sunday school will host a children’s Easter activity. 

 Please join us for worship and invite those you know to celebrate Easter at Emmanuel!

In the power of the Spirit,

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This site was last updated 02/24/08