Thursday, April 27, 2006

Back in the swing

Well, after the glorious (an rather intense) Holy Week and Easter celebrations and some time away for some continuing education it is time to set our minds toward doing those things which we are called to do as a regular part of our lives together. Small groups have resumed and we will be turning our attention more intentionally toward what we can do to serve this community God has placed us in.

Keep tuned and hopefully we will get some pictures from Easter up on this site soon.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Back into the swing

Well...Holy Week and Easter were absolutely awesome. But now that the special services of Lent and Easter are done we are back to a schedule that is a little more "business as usual" with weekly Sunday Worship at 10:00 and small groups meeting the 2nd and 4th Wednesday and Thursdays of the month. Hopefully, some of the folks who took Easter pictures will send them along and I will post them as they become available. Until then...I'm taking a nap!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Celebrating the Triduum Sacrum


Dear Friends in Christ,
In her book, Worship Without Words, Patricia Klein observes that liturgical worship reflects the monarchy of the Roman Empire (and more importantly, the Kingdom of God) which was the hierarchical social structure which Christianity was born into. But monarchy is a concept that is often foreign to our modern, democratic paradigm. In the same way, in our word-based, information saturated age symbolism and mystery are often lost on us. So I have collected a few thoughts to help you interpret the liturgical actions of the days ahead. Some of you are new to liturgical worship and these concepts may seem foreign. Others have been going through these liturgies for many years. Wherever you are approaching this week from, I trust that greater understanding will only enrich our corporate (and your personal) experience of worship.

The Triduum Sacrum (roughly meaning the 3 Holiest Days of Holy Week) are nearly upon us, they are the apex of the liturgical year. Beginning tomorrow night with Maundy Thursday and continuing through Holy Saturday (when the traditional Vigil of Easter is normally held) we prepare for the greatest of all celebrations, Easter Sunday.

On Maundy Thursday (from the Latin mandatum, meaning mandate) we remember Christ’s final instructions to the 12, his demonstration of love and humility in the washing of their feet and the institution of the Sacrament of the Kingdom in the last supper. In this service we will take time to wash one another’s feet in obedience to Christ’s words, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” After the service proper is complete we fade into silence and observe the stripping of the altar. This practice (like many in the Church) serves 2 purposes: first, it allows us to take down the Holy Week decorations in order to make way for those of the Feast which will soon follow. But secondly, it serves a symbolic purpose to strip away any vestige of a celebration and prepare for the starkness and desolation of Good Friday. The altar stands in the church as a symbol of God’s presence (this by the way is why the priest and servers bow in reverence when they approach it). As a symbol of Christ then it reminds us of his stripping and beating that occurred in the night watches between Thursday and Friday. Accompanying the stripping of the altar is the setting of the watch. After departing the upper room Jesus went out to the Garden to pray and begged his companions to watch and pray with him. Thus on Maundy Thursday we end in silence with the opportunity for those who wish to remain and pray a while, watching with the Savior.

Good Friday is one of only two prescribed fasts within the Anglican calendar (Ash Wednesday being the other). On this day we remember all of the events that accompanied the sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of the whole world. On Good Friday everything is done in solemnity, a symbol of the mourning each of us should have over the death of our friend and Savior, as it was our sins that drove him to this dramatic act of Atonement. The service begins with prayer as people and clergy alike enter in silence. As we focus on the Passion through the readings and the sermon, we also bring to the foot of the Cross all the needs of the world in prayer through the solemn collects. After this we have the opportunity to focus with reverence upon the symbol of Christ’s suffering and death, the symbol which brings us life – the Cross. A cross is brought in and processed to the front of the church while the people sing anthems and hymns extolling the greatness of the Sacrifice. We receive Communion on Good Friday, but since a celebration seems inappropriate, we receive from elements that are consecrated the night before and held in reserve for this occasion. As we come forward to receive Communion there is opportunity to pause (for as long as is necessary) before the cross, reverencing it and praying before it. Concluding with a prayer, the service ends as it began as we leave in silence.

Holy Saturday is the fulfillment of the ancient Jewish Sabbath. This is the day God once again rested from His Labor as our Lord’s body rested in the grave – his earthly work now complete. It should be for us therefore a day of rest and a day of anticipation. In stricter observances (such as the Eastern Orthodox) it is a day for continuing the Good Friday fast which is usually broken at sundown with the beginning of the Easter Vigil. While we will not have any corporate observance of Holy Saturday or of the Easter Vigil this year, I would encourage you to keep this as a holy day. Make it a day of true rest, and wait with anticipation for the Rising of the Son on the Third Day.

In many ways Easter Sunday seems self explanatory. This should be the greatest celebration of the entire year. The church is decorated with color as a joyful contrast to the blackness of Friday and as a symbol of the new life that the resurrection of Christ has breathed into the world. This is the day that changed all of history! The death of Christ is fulfilled in His Resurrection as the Orthodox hymn proclaims, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death!” Come ready to celebrate!

Our corporate worship will be held at 7pm on Thursday in Fort Collins, 7:30pm on Friday in Windsor, and 10:00am Sunday morning again in Fort Collins.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

+ Holy Week Worship Schedule +


Here is the schedule of Holy Week gatherings. Please plan to attend as much as possible, you will be glad you did.

Palm Sunday: Worship gatherings are at their usual times, 10:00 in Fort Collins and 4:00PM in Windsor

Maundy Thursday: 7:00PM in Fort Collins, 821 W. Lake St. PLEASE NOTE: We will have foot washing so dress your feet appropriately (i.e. ladies no hosiery)

Good Friday: 7:30PM in Windsor (6th and Walnut) NOTE: THIS IS A TIME CHANGE FROM THE PREVIOUS SCHEDULE

Easter Sunday: Joint Worship in Fort Collins at 10:00AM


Holy Week is a special time to walk with Jesus through the final events of His life and the sorrow of Friday is what makes Sunday all the sweeter.

Last Lenten Mid-Week Eucharist Tonight!


We will gather for our last Lenten Mid-Week service tonight (4/5) at 7:00 PM at the Hollidays home. The diretions are listed below. Please join us for another wonderful time of worship and fellowship.


Here are directions to our home -- 3500 Swanstone Dr. #10, Ft. Collins, Ph. # (970) 207-9673.

From Windsor:

Take Harmony Exit (#265) off 1-25.
Drive west about 1.5 miles. After you pass the Hewlett Packard plant on your right, turn right or north at the traffic signal (Ziegler). Drive one mile to a four-way stop. You are at Horsetooth Rd. Turn left on Horsetooth and drive to Swanstone Drive which is the first right after turning on to Horsetooth. Turn right again immediately after entering Swanstone. You will see a large sign that reads: "The Townhomes at Stone Ridge -- 3500." Drive east to unit #10 which will be on your right. The address (#10) is in black numerals above the garage door.

From Ft. Collins:

Drive east on Horsetooth Dr. After passing Timberline, drive 0.8 miles to Swanstone Drive. (If you reach Ziegler, you have gone too far.) Turn north or left on Swanstone and then turn right immediately. You will see a large sign that reads: "The Townhomes at Stone Ridge -- 3500." Drive east to unit #10 which will be on your right. The address (#10) is in black numerals above the garage door.