Welcome to St. Jacob's Lutheran Church

The Great Vigil of Easter, a traditional worship service of Christian churches, concludes the Triduum (Three days) and serves as the onset of the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Historically, it is during this service that those preparing for Baptism or Church membership are received into full communion within the Church. The Great Vigil is held in the hours of darkness between Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Sunday.

Among liturgical western churches, including the Lutheran Church, Anglican and Roman Catholics, the Easter Vigil is the most important service of public worship of the liturgical year. The liturgy of the Easter Vigil recounts the salvation history of God’s people from the creation of the heavens and earth, through the manifestation of God’s long-awaited Messiah. The celebration is marked by the first use of the “Alleluia” since the beginning of Lent.

This year, the congregations of St. Jacob’s and New Hope Lutheran Churches will begin the tradition of keeping Easter Vigil together. Join us at St. Jacob’s on April 20th, Holy Saturday, at 7 PM for this most holy and elaborate service of the year.

Our Good Friday Tenebrae service will begin at 7 PM on Friday, April 19th. The Service of Shadows is a traditional worship service recounting the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, his death and burial. The somber tones of the service remind us of Jesus’s suffering for our sake. It is the second worship opportunity of the Triduum.

The Thursday of Holy Week begins what is known as the Triduum, or Three Days. The Triduum is one continual worship service spanning the three days of Christ’s suffering and death. The Triduum will commence with our Maundy Thursday service of worship beginning at 7 PM on Thursday, April 18th.
The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin “Mandatum” meaning mandate or commandment. On the night Jesus was betrayed, he gave the commandment that his followers are to love one another. On this evening, Christ also instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper. Christ himself promised his presence in, with and under the elements of the bread and wine and commanded his people to “Do this for the remembrance of me.” The Maundy Thursday service will conclude with the stripping of the altar and removal of all worship appointments. Everyone is invited and especially encouraged to attend this and all of our worship services.

Holy Week for this year begins on April 14th with the celebration of Palm Sunday and reading of the Passion of Christ. The service will begin with a Blessing of the Palms. Upon entering the church, everyone will be given a palm branch which will be blessed at the beginning of our worship service. Following worship that day, you are invited to take your palm branch home and place somewhere visible, so it can be a reminder for you of Christ’s passion. The dried palms may be brought to the church next Transfiguration Sunday to be burned and reduced to ashes for Ash Wednesday. Following hundreds of years of Church tradition, the palms waved in celebration will become the symbol of our mortality for which Christ came to reconcile forever.

The Worship & Music Committee has been busy planning and preparing for the upcoming Lenten and Easter seasons. We begin the season of Lent with a service on Ash Wednesday, which is March 6th. On the following Wednesdays, please join us at 6:15 PM for a meal, followed by a brief service based on a Lenten drama from Sola Publishing entitled “Pilate’s Investigation: Who Is This Jesus?”

On Palm Sunday, we will gather in the sanctuary for the reading of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem; please make sure to pick up a palm from one of our youth as you enter the church. The reading of the Passion Gospel will transition us from the jubilance of the triumphant entry into the somber events of Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services will begin at 7 PM as in the past.

To continue the Pascal Triduum (The Three Days – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday & Holy Saturday), we will have an Easter Vigil service on Saturday, April 20th at 7 PM. For many of us, this will be a new experience and we hope a very meaningful one as we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice. The Vigil is a joint effort with New Hope Lutheran Church, in which St. Jacob’s is hosting this year.

Easter Sunday will be a bit different this year. After much discussion, and taking many factors into consideration, it was recommended that we have one Festival Communion service for Easter Sunday. Breakfast will be at 8 AM, followed by the service at 9:30 AM. There will be no early service and no Sunday School.

We look forward to having you worship with us.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Laurie