Events set for Holy Week
The First Lutheran church and the United Methodist church are teaming up to provide Holy Week celebrations for any and all members of the community interested in participating.
The First Lutheran church and the United Methodist church are teaming up to provide Holy Week celebrations for any and all members of the community interested in participating.
First Lutheran Church in Plains and the two United Methodist churches located in Plains and Paradise are putting on celebrations for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the three significant days in the Christian faith that prelude Easter and Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
Miriam Schmidt, the pastor at First Lutheran Church, said the three congregations decided to team up for Holy Week events after news broke that the evangelical Lutheran church of America and United Methodist church came to a full communion agreement this past August breaking denominational barriers. Although these two denominations are collaborating on Holy Week events, Schmidt said they are putting on events for anyone in the community to come and join them in celebrating Easter no matter what denomination they claim.
“It may be that these two different denominations are working together, but it’s a community wide Christian celebration, and I don’t want to be competing with other congregations,” said Schmidt. “I’m not trying to take away from that, but these are services that I think are interesting and important for people who don’t have services at their church.”
There are two focus points for the events leading up to Holy Week, said Schmidt. The first is the hope that all congregations can start working together to celebrate the Christian faith and the second is to center the events around education.
To start on Maundy Thursday, which this year is April 2, in the ancient times of Easter celebrations, people would come to church and read the story of John’s Gospel. To put a new swing on things and make the service more of an activity, First Lutheran Church will be having a service at 7:00 centered around confession and forgiveness. Following the service, there will be a traditional foot washing for those wishing to participate. Following the foot washing will be a celebration of the Lord’s supper.
“I want to highlight that the Lutheran and Methodist church practice what is called an open communion table. Everyone is very much welcome and that’s the opening service of the three days,” said Schmidt.
The Good Friday service will be held at the Methodist church in Plains and will feature a mixed choir with members from all three congregations. The service will be a drama that centers around passion stories and Jesus’ last words.
“For a lot of people that’s a really powerful service, in the darkness with music and drama on this day when we remember Jesus’ crucifixtion and the crucifixion in our lives,” said Schmidt.
Saturday night, April 4, the three churches will be putting on a brand new service for the community centered around the Easter vigil. People interested will meet outside at First Lutheran church at 6:00 p.m. for a bonfire, which said Schmidt is meant to symbolize Christ’s light in the world. Following the fire, everyone will head inside to tell and act out stories from the Old Testament. There are also going to be two Baptisms on Saturday evening at the service.
“They are interactive services and you move around and move from place to place and a service that is really good for kids to go to because they have things to do. They’re moving and they’re engaged and they don’t have to be quiet during an hour-long sermon,” said Schmidt. “It’s people with different backgrounds drawing together.”