News Letter

We begin with the blessing of the psalms (in the Church at 8 am, in the Common Room at 10 am), which will then be handed out to the congregation. (The 10 am congregation will then process outside and into the Church through the front doors amidst musical fanfare.) All of this is to recall the crowd’s excitement of Jesus entering the gates of Jerusalem . The mood changes as we come to the gospel reading of the Passion Narrative – the story of Jesus’ arrest, betrayal, abandonment, trial, and crucifixion. There will be opportunities for congregational participation to help us enter the feel of the crowd that witnessed this event. We move into the Eucharist and end the service quietly, with bells tolling, leaving the church in silence.

Tenebrae, Wednesday March 31: 6 pm

“Tenebrae” is Latin for 'shadows' or 'darkness'. The distinctiveness of this service is the gradual extinguishing of candles while a series of scripture passages are read. The lights gradually dim and the sense of darkness looming is felt. Knowing that Jesus, himself, experienced abandonment helps us during our own times of feeling separated from those we love.

Maundy Thursday, April 1: 7 pm

This is a celebration of the Last Supper as well as an acknowledgment of Jesus betrayal and arrest. We remember Jesus’ final evening with his disciples and the directives he left with them, and with us: 1) to love and serve one another (enacted through the ceremony of foot washing), and 2) to remember him with the sacraments of bread and wine (the Eucharist). Additional bread and wine will be consecrated and “reserved” for use at the Good Friday service. We end with a Stripping of the Altar, recalling a sense of preparation of the tomb in which Jesus is to be laid.

Good Friday, Station of the Cross, April 2: Noon

We gather for prayers and reflections on the Stations of the Cross, a traditional way of commemorating Jesus’ final walk through the streets of Jerusalem from prison to Golgatha.

This solemn service is held in the now-barren church (having been stripped the evening before) and includes solemn collects, a brief homily, and receiving communion from the Reserved Sacraments.

Easter Vigil, April 3: 7 pm

This very wonderful service can open us to the whole mystery of God’s promises to us and our salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We assemble quietly outside of the Church doors. In the darkness, a big fire is lit and from it, one large candle. The light of that candle then lights the little candles we each hold in our hands. In the light of those candles, we process into church. Then a solo voice begins singing. Listen to those words and feel their power! This is (notice the present tense) our Passover, this is the night when the slaves were delivered to freedom and safety, the night when God raised up Jesus and broke death’s hold on us. This night (the song continues) will see evil driven away, the proud humbled, mourners rejoice, hatred take flight and peace settle in. Then, the Bible is opened to its first page and we hear the wonderful words that stand there: “In the beginning . . . . “ Over and over come those words which both judge and guide our everyday life: “and God saw that it was good.” We turn to the story of God’s promise to Moses and the story of how the slaves escaped through the sea; to God’s promises through the prophet Ezekiel who said that God will give us “a new heart” so that “you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of Dry Bones moves us to wonder with awe about where God is breathing life into our worn and weary lives. And, last, we hear the gospel where the story is told of the empty tomb. This night continues with the renewal of our own Baptismal Covenant – we are called to become actively engaged in this story! Then comes the celebration of the Eucharist. The lights come up, music rings out in joyful hope, and the alleluias return to our lips after a long season of Lent! As we receive the sacraments of bread and wine, we become truly transformed. This is the night we claim our life with Christ. Come, be a part of the Story!

Ecumenical Sunrise Service, Sunday April 4: 6:30 am

Join our Rector with the larger West Haven faith community at Bradley Point as the Easter sunrise brings on this new day of hope.

Easter Services, Sunday April 4: 8 and 10 am

Our usual worship service times, with Alleluias returned! Festive choral music with a trumpeter will be part of the 10 am service. And we will sneak some singing into the 8 am service – can’t have Easter without a song on our lips!

A Prayer for Forgiving Oneself

Gracious God, my heart is heavy with my own failures. I try to excuse them and explain to myself why they occurred, because I want to be free from the feeling that I am unworthy and incapable of being all that I can be. But I find it easier to accept your forgiveness than to forgive myself. When I try to forgive myself, it seems I only remember and re-play my failures in my mind, and a sense of hopelessness floods over me. Help me to know that my past actions are a part of my growing humanity and that even when I fail to live up to what is your will for me, every single moment can be lived anew. Remind me that refusing to forgive myself only keeps me from experiencing that newness. Assure me of the truth that by casting "my sins into the depth of the sea" (Micah 7:19b), you have freed me to discard them myself and live the next moment as if it were my first--for indeed it is. I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.