Holy Week Update! April 1st
Dear Zion Lutheran Members,
Before detailing Holy Week services, we will not be having our scheduled clean-up workday for Saturday, April 4th. This event will be postponed until a later time.
Now that Holy Week is quickly approaching and the restrictions and cautions against gatherings of ten or more people have not been let up, the biggest celebration of our Church Year will look a bit different. Though it’s hard to imagine Holy Week without the rest of the body of Christ here at Zion in attendance, we will have services in groups of ten.
We will hold two services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. On both days, the service times will be 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. We will have ONE Easter Vigil service at 6:00 PM. There will be no confirmations/baptisms at this service anymore. Rejoice, for our sister in Christ, Amanda was baptized on Friday, March 27! The confirmation ceremony will be postponed until further notice. Finally, we will have three services on Easter Sunday: 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, and 11:30 AM. There will be a sign-up online for these services, which we will limit to ten. A link to this sign-up can be found on the Church website and Facebook. If those services are filled and more people are wanting to observe Holy Week services, then we can accommodate that. Just call me if you’d wish to participate in these services and we’ll find a service for you.
Since more services will be offered for Holy Week, we will not be having daily services April 6-8 and April 13-18.
Starting Sunday, April 19th, we will have two services on Sunday – 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM – and one service on Monday and one service on Tuesday. The Monday service will be at 10:00 AM and the Tuesday service will be at 6:00 PM. We should be able to accommodate the amount of folks coming to church within four services of groups of ten or less.
I know many of you are feeling the pangs of being isolated at home, longing for the days when we can gather as a church family around our Lord’s body and blood. Our Lord will bring us to that point soon. But we must wait patiently, leaning on our Lord’s understanding, not our own.
Though COVID-19 limits our social gatherings, the Church Year still goes on. We still celebrate our Lord’s passion, His death and resurrection, amid the chaos. We remember that the Church Year leads us to our destination in Jerusalem – the place where our Savior was nailed to a tree so that the price of sin may be paid on our behalf. Easter provides the joy and the hope amid anxiety, despair, loneliness, and uncertainty. Once we can gather again as a church family, we will have another Easter-like celebration! We will celebrate a ‘resurrection’ so to speak, of the corporate body of Christ at Zion!
May the good news of our crucified and risen Savior give you hope, joy, and peace.
In Christ,
Pastor Ralston
Let us pray.
Almighty God, heavenly Father, give us grace to trust You during this time of illness and distress. In mercy put an end to the epidemic that afflicts us. Grant relief to those who suffer, and comfort all who mourn. Sustain all medical personnel in their labors, and cause Your people ever to serve You in righteousness and holiness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
