Youth of Faith Lutheran to portray passion of Christ
Good Friday worship service at Faith Lutheran Church, 127 2nd Avenue East, West Fargo, will highlight the passion story of Jesus, acted out by youth in white face and mime.
This presentation is a long standing tradition at Faith Lutheran Church, and will bring viewers into the depth of the significance of the last moments of Christ's life. The service is called Tenebrae, or service of darkness. Lanterns are burning at the beginning of worship, and one by one, the lanterns are extinguished until the room is blackened, giving a sense of the darkness of death and the grave.
Good Friday worship takes place at 6:30 p.m., followed by a five-hour prayer vigil with half hour intervals for prayer from 8 p.m.-1:00 a.m. early Saturday morning. Participants in the vigil will enter by the west doors of the church. Security will be present during the time of the vigil.
Other Holy Week activities include Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 p.m., emphasizing Jesus' mandate to love one another and to serve each other. This theme is carried out through readings, visuals of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples, and the celebration of the Last Supper. Maundy Thursday is the first service of the three days before Jesus' resurrection, and worship on Thursday flows through Good Friday and the Easter Vigil as one continuous time of prayer and meditation.
Saturday's Easter vigil begins at 5 p.m. in the west parking lot of Faith Lutheran Church, around a bonfire. Participants will move from the fire into the Worship Center, each person following the processional cross and carrying a light into the darkness of Good Friday's Tenebrae. By the end of worship, the lights are fully on and the celebration of Easter resurrection begins.
The Festival of Easter will be celebrated at three services on Easter Sunday at Faith Lutheran: 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. (traditional), and 11 a.m. (contemporary/blended). Journey Worship will take place at 10 a.m. at Scheels Arena, 5225 31st Ave. South, Fargo. The Sacrament of Holy Communion will take place on Maundy Thursday, Easter Vigil, and all Festival of Easter worship services.
Easter breakfast will be served at Faith from 8-11 a.m. The menu includes scrambled eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, caramel rolls, fresh fruit, orange juice, milk and coffee. Suggested donation is $6 for adults and $4 for children. Following Journey Worship at Scheels Arena, caramel rolls, fresh fruit, orange juice and coffee will be served.
All are welcome to be part of Holy Week at Faith Lutheran Church and at Journey Worship. If there are questions about these events, or becoming a part of the broader ministries of Faith/Journey, call the church office at 701-282-3309.