Events for the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Kenmore, Washington
- This event has passed.
In-person and on-line service for the Great Vigil of Easter
Sat, April 4 at 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm PDT
The people at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer welcomes everyone. We look forward to seeing you at the Great Vigil of Easter.
It is in-person and on-line. The link to the service live cast is on the Welcome page of this website.
All are welcome to participate fully at Redeemer.
- All races.
- All religions.
- All countries of origin.
- All sexual orientations (including LGBTQ+).
- All genders.
Easter Vigil
The liturgy of the Easter Vigil is the first and primary celebration of Easter. It is also known as the Great Vigil of Easter.
The service begins in darkness sometime between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day. It consists of four parts:
- The Service of Light.
- Kindling of new fire
- Lighting the Paschal candle
- The Exsultet
- The Service of Lessons.
- Readings from the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers
- Christian Initiation (Holy Baptism) or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows.
- The Eucharist.
This liturgy recovers an ancient practice of keeping the Easter feast. Believers would gather in the hours of darkness ending at dawn on Easter to hear scripture and offer prayer. This night-long service of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light and the Easter Eucharist.
Easter was the primary baptismal occasion for the early church to the practical exclusion of all others. This practice linked the meanings of Christ’s dying and rising to the understanding of baptism.
(Taken from Easter Vigil)
Eucharist
The Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood, and the principal act of Christian worship. The term is from the Greek, “thanksgiving.” The Episcopal Church invites all baptized Christians to receive communion.
Jesus instituted the Eucharist “on the night when he was betrayed.” At the Last Supper he shared the bread and cup of wine at a sacred meal with his disciples. He identified the bread with his body and the wine with his blood of the new covenant. Jesus commanded his disciples to “do this” in remembrance of him. See these passages in Scripture:
The Book of Common Prayer
The Eucharist makes Christ’s sacrifice present. This unites us to Christ’s one self-offering (Book of Common Prayer, p. 859). The Last Supper provides the basis for the fourfold Eucharistic action of taking, blessing, breaking, and sharing. Christ’s body and blood are really present in the sacrament of the Eucharist and received by faith. We also know Christ’s presence in the gathered eucharistic community.
The Book of Common Prayer entitles the whole service the Holy Eucharist.
- The first part of the service is designated the Word of God. It usually includes the entrance rite, the lessons and gradual psalm, the gospel, the sermon, the Nicene Creed, the Prayers of the People, the confession of sin and absolution, and the Peace.
- The second portion of the service is designated the Holy Communion. It includes the offertory, the consecration of the bread and wine in the Great Thanksgiving, the communion of the people, and the concluding prayers of thanksgiving and dismissal. A blessing may be given prior to the dismissal.
The Eucharist is also called the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, the Divine Liturgy, the Mass, and the Great Offertory (BCP, p. 859).
(Above taken from Eucharist .)
Related Events
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
The Episcopal Church welcomes you.