2018 HOLY WEEK AND EASTER
MARCH 25, 2018
The days between Palm Sunday and Easter make up what is likely to be the holiest week of the Christian year. It is a time when we focus on the passion, death, and resurrection of the one who came to save us. It is a time when we are reminded of the entire Christ event that was foretold by prophets, celebrated by angels, and has been proclaimed by Christians ever since. We are reminded that the words we sing during Advent, “O come, o come Emmanuel,” were not meant to be a prayer for God to send a baby, but for God to send a savior.
Palm Sunday is March 25th. In our Palm Sunday worship services, we will be recalling that the events we celebrated during the Advent and Christmas seasons are significant because of the events we celebrate during Holy week and Easter. We hope that you will join us this Sunday for this powerful witness to God’s work on our behalf.
PASSOVER SEDER MEAL
SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2018
5:00 P.M. TO 7:00 P.M.
Passover is the oldest and most important religious festival in Judaism, commemorating God’s deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and his creation of the Israelite people. At the center of this festival is the Passover Seder meal, through which the story of God’s relationship with his people is told. It is really more than a festival. It is an elaborate teaching experience, especially for the children, intended to call people to their identity as the People of God. By using all of the senses, the Passover Seder tells the story of God’s grace in history and calls the participants to experience and share in the story as their own story. Passover becomes more than simply a service or a time; it becomes a way to confess faith in the One who has acted in history.
There has been increasing interest among Christians in this ancient festival for various reasons. One reason is that there has been an increasing sensitivity to cultural and societal problems, and a corresponding desire to learn about others. There has also been a renewed awareness of the importance of the Old Testament Scriptures as Christian Scripture, and a desire in our modern world to recover a sense of the sacred through liturgy and historical traditions. It also provides a cultural context for Christianity’s Jesus, who was Jewish and whose last meal was during Passover.
This year, Lakeway United Methodist Church is pleased to host a community Passover Seder, on Sunday evening, March 25, 2018, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Seder will be followed by a simple meal of stew and unleavened bread. There is no cost, but we ask that you call our church office and let them know that you are coming.
We hope that you will join us as we gather to remember this piece of our sacred story.
MAUNDY THURSDAY
MARCH 29, 2018
COMMUNION SERVICE: 6:30 P.M.
Maundy Thursday is a day that, in the life of the church, is all about the table. It is a day when we remember the last supper that Jesus shared with his beloved disciples and the words that he left them with: “Love one another as I have loved you.” It is a day when we ponder the events after the meal, when Jesus knelt to wash the feet of his friends … the one who would betray him, and the one who would deny him. It is a day filled with meaning and centered on a table of love, forgiveness, hope, and hospitality.
We hope that you will join us as we gather to remember this piece of our sacred story. The special communion service will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2018, at 6:30 pm in our church sanctuary.
GOOD FRIDAY
MARCH 30, 2018
TENEBRAE SERVICE: 6:30 P.M.
Please join us on Friday evening, March 30, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. for our Good Friday Tenebrae service of darkening. We will be pondering the last seven words of Christ from the cross. This is always a powerful service and we hope you can share the experience with us.
EASTER SUNDAY
APRIL 1, 2018
SUNRISE SERVICE: 6:45 A.M.
WORSHIP SERVICES: 8:30 A.M., 11:00 A.M.
If you are looking for a great place to celebrate the risen Christ on Easter Sunday, we invite you to come and celebrate with us at Lakeway United Methodist Church.
Our Easter sunrise service will begin at 6:45 a.m., and our 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services will feature lots of joyous singing and hearing again the good news that Christ has risen!
All morning long we will be serving coffee, juice, and brunch-style finger foods in our Fellowship Hall. So whether you want to come at the break of dawn and celebrate and worship with us at our sunrise service, or whether you prefer to sleep in and come to one of our later services, we invite you to come and share this glorious day with us!