AUMC
ANTHONY
UNITED
METHODIST
CHURCH
Holy Week
Holy Week is the last week of Lent, the week immediately preceding Easter.
Palm Sunday
Holy Week begins with a celebration. On Palm Sunday, Jesus' followers cheered him as he entered Jerusalem, laying their cloaks on the ground for Jesus' animal to walk on.
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At the Anthony UMC, the children wave palms as they parade through the sanctuary.
Maundy or Holy Thursday
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, is the Christian holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter. It commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the gospels.
The 2017 service for Holy Thursday included a reenactment of The Last Supper by the children followed by Holy Communion. Communion is open for all Christian believers.
Good Friday
Tenebrae Service
The Tenebrae is an ancient Christian Good Friday service that makes use of gradually diminishing light through the extinguishing of candles to symbolize the events of that week from the triumphant Palm Sunday entry through Jesus' burial. The word "tenebrae" comes from the Latin meaning "darkness."
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This increasing darkness symbolizes the approaching darkness of Jesus' death and of hopelessness in the world without God. The service concludes in darkness, sometimes with a final candle, the Christ candle, carried out of the sanctuary, symbolizing the death of Jesus. A loud noise may also sound symbolizing the closing of Jesus' tomb. The worshipers then leave in silence to ponder the impact of Christ's death and await the coming Resurrection.
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The 2023 joint service with Harper UMC included a release of our written transgressions into the fire pit.
