Easter at Grace Lutheran Church
The Holiest Week of the Year!
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday. During this week millions of Christians all over the world gather to praise and proclaim the most important of Jesus’ words and works. All eyes focus on the three most important days of the Christian year: Holy (Maundy) Thursday, Good Friday, and the Festival of the Resurrection. These three days are often called the Triduum. Pastor James Tiefel, Emeritus Professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon WI, offers these paragraphs to help us deepen our understanding and appreciation of the ceremonies and customs during these special days.
Palm Sunday
The Christian Tradition
In Christian tradition, palms were carried in the procession on Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. Since the 8th century after Christ, children and adults have carried palm branches into church as they sang:
All Glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. (Christian Worship 412)
The real focus on this Sunday, however, was the reading of the Passion history, giving this day the title Passion Sunday. There were no midweek Lenten services centuries ago, and so the story of the Savior’s suffering and death from St. John’s Gospel was read in church both on Passion Sunday and on Good Friday. Services were held on every day of Holy Week, and devout churchgoers would have heard the Passion history according to St. Matthew on Monday, that of St. Mark on Tuesday, and of St. Luke on Wednesday.
At Grace
Since our Lutheran church puts a major emphasis on midweek Lenten services, Palm Sunday worship at Grace focuses on the Savior’s entry into Jerusalem. With the children of Grace, we join Christians through the ages in singing Hosanna–which means, Save us, Lord.
Holy Thursday
The Christian Tradition
In the middle of Holy Week comes an important Christian festival, Holy Thursday. It was on this night that Jesus gave his followers the special meal we call the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We recall the Sacrament’s beginnings and remember its great value for our lives: in, with, and under the bread and wine we receive the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. Historically, Thursday was known as Maundy Thursday. The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum meaning “command,” and recalls the words Jesus spoke to his twelve disciples after he washed their feet before the meal, “A new command I give to you: Love one another.”
At Grace
While Holy Communion is offered more than 50 times during the year, we observe the Sacrament on Holy Thursday with a special ceremony that concludes with stripping of the altar at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. While the congregation sings the hymn, the communion vessels and altar vestments and appointments are carried from the chancel. Once removed, the altar, which represents the body of Christ, becomes the focus and brings to mind the abandonment of Jesus in Gethsemane. The altar is left bare for Good Friday. There is no closing hymn or blessing. Worshippers are asked to dismiss in silence when they have finished with their prayers and meditation.
Good Friday
The Christian Tradition
Good Friday was not a good day for Jesus. Not only did he suffer intense and excruciating physical pain, he also endured the pain that came with being separated from the love of his Father. God the Father turned his back on his Son on Good Friday because Jesus stood in our place and carried our sins. He, the perfect God-man, became sin for us that in him we might become the righteousness of God. It is that work of Christ that makes this day Good Friday for us. Since the earliest days of its history, the Church has reserved its deepest solemnities for this day and especially for the three hours, from noon to 3:00, when darkness covered the earth and the Savior endured his deepest agony.
At Grace
At Grace worshipers gather for Tenebrae, a service of darkness at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. There is no preservice music. The altar remains stripped bare. Worshipers enter and leave the church in silence, as Jesus’ followers did as they approached and departed from the cross. We will hear Christ’s seven words spoken from the cross. After each reading a black candle is extinguished, symbolizing the life that ebbed slowly from the Savior’s body. Finally, as the church is in total darkness, a loud noise called strepitus (strep’ ee toos) is heard that represents the closing of Christ’s tomb. A single candle is lit as worshipers depart anticipating the celebration of the resurrection on Easter morning.
The Festival of the Resurrection of Our Lord
The Christian Tradition
Victory is the cry of Easter! The celebration in the early Christian Church began at midnight, and Christians gathered to keep vigil and to wait for the shout, “Christ is risen!” The Church reserves its highest ceremony for Easter morning. Many of the hymns and prayers we use have been used by Christians for centuries. The Song of Praise returns, and it is a song especially for Easter “This Is the Feast of Victory for Our God.” The alleluias return with vigor on Easter morning:
Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
At Grace
Easter worship at Grace includes many of the great Christian traditions associated with the celebration of the resurrection. We sing “This Joyful Eastertide” and call out the Easter alleluias. Easter dawn (6:30 a.m. with Holy Communion) remembers the early hours of the first Easter Sunday. After three days in the tomb, Jesus’ resurrection dries our tears and drives away all our fears. Easter Festival (8:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.) provides us with certainty that Jesus lives. And because he lives, so will believers! And we respond to this beautiful truth with our most joyful Easter exclamations… “He is risen. He is risen indeed! alleluia!”
How do you celebrate Easter? This special Sunday is about so much more than candy, egg hunts and feasting. In fact, the back story of Easter is about God’s love for each of us and how his son, Jesus spent his final week so that all of us can have hope! This year, join us at Grace Lutheran as we spend a whole week remembering and celebrating Easter in a new way. We can’t wait to see you!
The amazing news of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the very reason Grace exists. It’s a good place to be, following the one who conquered death. For over 100 years, Grace has been connecting people to Christ and one another, offering a high-quality education for children through our school, and giving people opportunities to live out their faith inside and outside of Grace’s walls.
When you walk through our doors, you’ll be greeted by a friendly face, offered a worship folder, and if needed, an usher will help you find a spot to sit. Our worship services last for around an hour, and we have coffee and donuts in between our two usual Sunday services (For Easter, we will have a full breakfast spread from 7:30-10:30AM)
Every weekend, hundreds of people worship at Grace. After worship, our pastors will do their best to greet you, but they cannot always reach everyone. If you would like to be contacted, please fill out your information in the black friendship folders in each pew, so we know how to contact you. You can also check out our Welcome Table which has more information about Grace, along with some Grace swag for you to take.
Address
Grace Lutheran Church and School
913 Nebraska Street
Oshkosh, WI 54902
Phone
(920) 231-8957
Fax
(920) 231-8552
Follow Us
Worship Services
Sundays at 8:00am and 10:30am
Mondays at 6:00pm