Holy Week is the most important week of the Christian year. The events that Holy Week commemorate are the crux of the Christian faith. As Christians, we need to be willing to walk the journey with Jesus; “to deny ourselves, take up our cross and

follow him”.

Holy Week & Easter follows Christ’s journey from triumphant entry into Jerusalem, to death on Calvary and then glorious

resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Holy Week invites you to follow in the footsteps of Christ. You will be taken on a deep, mysterious and spiritual journey, as

you interact with, pray about and learn of Christ’s sacrifice. By the end of the journey, you’ll know Gods love for you.

Holy Week is an emotional roller-coaster; it cuts right to the core of what it is to be human; it cuts right to the core of what it

is to be saved by God.

atAll Saints’, OrpingtonYour Parish Church!

An Introduction and Guide to Holy Week & Easter

Sunday 25th March – Palm Sunday

8 a.m. – BCP Holy Communion A short traditional Book of Common Prayer service of Holy Communion.

9.30 a.m. - Procession and Eucharist Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week where Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. But Jesus travels to Jerusalem knowing that this journey would end in his sacrificial death. It’s an amazing story.

The service starts with a procession with Donkeys into God’s church to commemorate Jesus’ entry into God’s city, Jerusalem. During the service, the passion narratives of the Gospel are enacted, showing Gods limitless love for the world revealed in and through the crucifixion. Palm crosses are also blessed and given out to the congregation. These carry dual symbolic meaning. They represent the palm leaves the crowd placed on the ground to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem. They also represent the cross and the way the fickle crowd turn on him leading him to his death. So the service starts in celebration and singing, but ends somewhere very different.

26th, 27th, 28th March -Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week

9 a.m. - Morning Prayer Simple, reflective Morning Prayer (30 mins)12 noon - Midday OfficeA simple, short form of Midday Prayer (15 mins)7.30 p.m. - Holy EucharistA simple midweek communion service using different styles each day. (45 mins)8.15 p.m. - ComplineA profoundly moving, meditative short service of night prayer and chant (15 mins)

Thursday 29th March – Maundy Thursday

8.00 p.m. - Foot Washing, Sung Eucharist and Stripping of the Altars. The Maundy Thursday Liturgy remembers the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his disciples the night before he died. In the upper room he commands them to love others as he has loved them and tells them to repeat the breaking of bread often in remembrance of him. In a demonstration of service and love, Christ washes the feet of his disciples, much to their amazement. This action demonstrates that the Son of God did not come to be served but to serve, and through that service he gave his life as a ransom for the forgiveness of our sins, and the promise of eternal salvation.

During this moving service the clergy wash the feet of others as a sign of Christ’s call to serve, which is a central teaching of Christianity; and the Last Supper is continued today through the Eucharist. At the end of the service the Altars are stripped, echoing the inner desolation that came upon Christ as he confronted the reality of his immanent death.

Then a Silent Vigil in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, concluding with Compline. A silent vigil is then held, mindful of Christ’s plea to his disciples: “Could you not watch with me for one hour” as he went to pray to his Father, before being betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

This is all then drawn to a close with the singing of Compline, the Church’s beautiful ancient short service of night prayer.

Friday 30th March - Good Friday

10 a.m. – Ecumenical Morning Prayer and Walk of Witness (leaving from the Methodist Church)On Good Friday we remember the day Jesus willingly gave himself up to suffering and death on our behalf. The walk of witness recounts Christ’s journey from the prison to his death on the cross.

12 noon. – The 2 Hours Reflection The 2 Hours Reflection is immensely powerful, yet reflective and prayerful, where we reflect on Christ’s death in silence. Silence is encouraged and a simple boiled egg and bread and butter are available to keep you nourished during this day of fasting. 2 p.m. - The Good Friday Liturgy, the 3rd

Hour and Final Communion. At the Good Friday Liturgy, is the traditional Good Friday service of the Church, and it is filled with deep symbolism and emotion. We walk the journey at the foot of the cross, we hear again the narrative, we get a chance to reflect on and venerate the cross and we receive the Final Communion – symbolizing Jesus being removed from this world at the 3rd hour. ‘The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”’ Mark 15:38-39

Sunday 1st April – Easter Day

6 a.m. – Great Easter VigilThe Great Easter Vigil is the Church’s traditional dawn church service; which Christians have been doing since the earliest of days. During this service the Paschal (Easter) Candle is lit from a camp fire, which symbolizes Christ rising from the darkness of the grave and appearing on the lakeside by a camp fire. As the Paschal candle then passes through the darkened Church, the light of Christ spreads to each person present. Then returned to darkness we look into ancient scripture and follow the story of Christ throughout time, just as the disciples did on the road to Emmaus. Then with joyous singing and the building full of light, we rejoice as we find Jesus with us in the glorious Resurrection. This service’s rich symbolism cuts right to the core of our humanity and basks in the radiance of the most important event in the history of humankind.

8 a.m. – BCP Holy Communion A short traditional Book of Common Prayer service of Holy Communion.

9.30a.m. - Easter Church Family Vigil The Church Family Easter Vigil continues the mysterious symbolic magnificence of the day. With lights still burning from the earlier dawn service the Paschal (Easter) Candle is lit to declare Christ’s resurrected life among us. As the Easter candle passes through the Church, the light of Christ is passed to each person present, and as we do so we can feel Christ’s resurrected promise drawing us to continue following him in the world today. This all-age friendly, yet highly symbolic service draws much of its symbolism and action from the earlier vigil and basks in the radiance of the most important event in the Christian year – The Glorious Resurrection!