Emmanuel Lutheran Church

April 2023

I was visiting my mom at Copeland Oaks a week ago and I decided to go to her storage closet and get out her Easter decorations. She doesn’t have a lot, but I thought it would be good to get them out a little early so she could enjoy them and cheer her up a bit. She had forgotten that she had them and was excited to see them, but she thought that it was a bit too early as it is still Lent. So we put the few things out in her apartment, but the door hanging won’t go up for all to see until Easter. :)

Here I am in the midst of Lent writing a newsletter article for the month of April, with Easter still a few weeks away. You will receive this April Spotlight even before we enter into Holy Week. So, with a few weeks of Lent to go, do I give the Easter proclamation? Waiting for May’s edition seems like it would be a bit too late. I am torn, so I’ll compromise “He Is R…n! Al….a!” :)

Perhaps it would be good to take this opportunity to invite you to experience the worship of Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday, the weekend of April 1st. So many people in the church attend this service and then “skip” Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil services just to return for Easter morning.

These three services, called the “Triduum” (Latin for “three days”) are actually treated as one worship service over three days and is “the culmination and climax of the entire church year; its liturgies are central to the Christian faith and life, for they celebrate the most important event in salvation history: Christ’s redemptive passage from crucifixion to burial and Resurrection.” *

I have always said that we are better able to appreciate the true meaning of Easter having gone through the journey of Holy Week with Jesus. So, if you have never experienced the Triduum before, give it a try this year.

On another note, I am very excited to announce to you that nineteen people will become members of Emmanuel on Easter Sunday! A few have been attending for a while and have now decided to join. A few have returned to Emmanuel after many years absence. A few have moved into the Salem area and are transferring from other Lutheran churches and a few are coming to us from other denominations or have been unchurched since their childhood. One is welcomed to Emmanuel by adult baptism. The original new member class started out with just eight and day by day the Lord just kept adding to the number! (Acts 2:47). What a time in our church’s history – praise be to God! Come and give them all a warm Emmanuel welcome on Easter Sunday when we will all joyfully proclaim together “He is R…n! He is R….n In…d! Al…a!”

Lent and Easter Blessings,
Pastor Alan

*Worship Wordbook © 1995, Augsburg Fortress