The Holy Week Journey

Service Schedule

As springtime arrives and we get closer to Easter we will once again observe Holy Week which brings about the conclusion of the penitential season of Lent.

Very shortly after the beginnings of Christianity, followers of Jesus who lived around Jerusalem would gather and visit the places that had shaped the end of Jesus’ earthly life.  Over the centuries, this practice of remembering the last days of Jesus’ life spread throughout Christianity—and it is this time of remembrance that we call “Holy Week.”  Holy Week recalls the events of the week that led up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Over the years, this week has been considered the most important and holy time in the life of the church—especially what is known as the “Triduum”— or Great Three Days—of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter morning. Two thousand years later we continue this ancient and holy practice and many of the elements of our Holy Week worship have been used by Christians since at least the year 400 AD.

Please join us for our worship during Holy Week, as we contemplate the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Palm Sunday—April 14

5:30pm, 8:30, 9:45 and 11am, Mission Campus

These services follow Jesus as He journeys triumphantly into Jerusalem to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies. We shout “Hosanna to the King of David!” along with the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The 8:30 and 11am services will be enhanced by the Trinity Festival Choir.

 

8:30 and 11am, Shawnee Campus

We follow Jesus as He triumphantly enters into Jerusalem with special music and scripture.

 

Maundy Thursday – April 18

Noon and 7pm, Mission Campus

Join us before worship for a light middle-eastern style buffet starting an hour before each service as we remember the Passover meal celebrated by Jesus and His disciples and by all of Judaism since the Exodus. Following the buffet, we gather for a solemn service commemorating the Last Supper. Communion is celebrated, the altar is stripped, and a hand washing ceremony takes place to remember the servant nature of our Savior.

 

6pm, Shawnee Campus

Join us for a special Seder meal, as we celebrate the Passover the way Jesus and His disciples would have celebrated it. We will also see how Jesus changed this traditional meal, bringing it to fulfillment as He instituted the meal we now call Holy Communion. The Maundy Thursday Seder Meal runs from 6-8pm, and is a fully integrated experience, a combined time of worship and a full meal eaten together as the extended family of Christ. This year, instead of a potluck, we will be catering the meal to enrich the worship experience. You do not need to bring a potluck item, but it would help us plan if you would RSVP at tlcms.org. If you would like to contribute ingredients to the meal, please sign up for one of the needs at the link at tlcms.org.

Good Friday – April 19

Noon and 7pm, Mission Campus

7pm, Shawnee Campus

This service commemorates the crucifixion of our Savior. As we journey with Jesus to the cross and remember His last words, we are reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that He gave for our salvation. Good Friday worship is actually the second part of the worship service that began on Maundy Thursday and that will conclude with Easter. The entire three-part service is known as the “triduum.” Thus the first portion of our Good Friday services has the feel of being “already in progress” as it begins with the Confession and Absolution in preparation for receiving Holy Communion.

Holy Saturday Easter Vigil – April 20

5:30pm, Mission Campus

This contemplative service begins outside of the sanctuary and transitions into the sanctuary as worshipers begin to transition from the somber mood of Good Friday to the joy of Easter.

Easter Services – April 21

8:30, 9:45, 11am, Mission Campus

Easter services are the climax of the church year when we celebrate Christ’s victory over sin, death and Satan. These services are festival services with the Trinity Choir, brass and percussion. Holy Communion will be celebrated at the 11am service.

 

8:30, 11am, Shawnee Campus

Easter services are the climax of the church year when we celebrate Christ’s victory over sin, death and Satan. We celebrate Christ’s resurrection with contemporary praise music fitting for the occasion. Special music will be included and Holy Communion will be celebrated in both services.

Seasonal Artwork

For the 2018-2019 season we are highlighting the beautiful artwork of Dr. James He Qi during the festivals of the church year. Currently a Minnesota resident, He Qi has studied at Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing Art Institute in China, and Hamburg Art Institute in Germany. He was the first among mainland Chinese citizens to earn a Ph.D. in Religious Art after the Cultural Revolution. He also received his honorary doctorate degree from Australia Catholic University in Melbourne. He is a member of the China Art Association and a former council member of the Asian Christian Art Association (1998-2006). He received a 20th-century Award for Achievement in recognition of outstanding achievements in the field of Religious Art Theory and Christian Art Creation of IBC in Cambridge, UK.

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