Holy Week and Easter 2023 | St. John's Episcopal Church

Holy Week and Easter at St. John's Church this year were particularly moving and beautiful.

Beginning Holy Week with the Palm Sunday liturgy which included the reading of Christ's Passion, the church was filled with glorious and moving music and stirring prayer and reflection as we marked Jesus' last days with his disciples.

As we progressed through Holy Week the presence of the choir for the liturgies on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday made a particular impact and truly enriched our services. On Maundy Thursday as the clergy washed parishioners' feet the choir offered Maurice Duruflé's beautiful and moving Ubi Caritas, an anthem appropriate for foot washing whose text translates as: "Where true charity and love dwell, God himself is there." This same text has been used in foot-washing services since the 8th Century CE. That service ended with the traditional stripping of the Altar while Director of Music, Bryce Westervelt, sang the plainsong text of Psalm 51.

Good Friday was another stirring service to which the choir added musical strength for the first time in recent memory. On this day St. John's offered prayers for the whole church, for Christ's saving mission and ministry, and read the Passion Narrative from the Gospel of John. The Choir sang Bach's beautiful passion chorale as well as the traditional American Spiritual "Were you there?" The service also included a memorable performance of Stainer's "God so Loved the World." This spare service of music and prayer were perfectly tuned to the solemnity of the day.

That evening for the first time the church also offered an outdoor prayer walk for children and adults using the stations of the cross as an organizing theme of reflection. Parishioners and clergy prayerfully walked through our nature preserve stopping to read scripture and prayers at several places to remember and rehearse the journey of Jesus through the Via Dolorosa, or way of sorrows on his final day of life. This service was a moving and beautiful way to connect spiritually with the story of our tradition and the stark beauty of creation in the early spring.

Easter Sunday was a joyous day. It included a festive egg hunt, incredible music, a filled church, and 3 incredible services of Holy Communion. Of note, our festival brass quartet led by Michael Canipe returned for the first time since before the pandemic and added their energetic touch to what was already an incredibly joyous service. The choir performed the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah adding musical punctuation to an incredible day. Communion was offered using our rarely used silver chalice, paten, and flagon from 1835.

In short, it was an incredible week filled with meaningful worship!

Special thanks to all those who made it all possible including our Altar Guild, Flower Guild, and parish staff - especially Adam, Bryce, Carol, Marisa, and Mary Beth