Easter is the greatest celebration of the year at Ascension! We come together on Holy Week to begin our preparation to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
Our Maundy Thursday service features Communion and the ritual of the "stripping of the altar." At the end of the service, everything in the altar and chancel area is removed and left bare. This practice is one of the ancient customs of the Church and symbolizes Jesus' humiliation at the hands of the Roman soldiers.
On Good Friday, we hold two Tenebrae services: one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The Tenebrae service commemorates the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ. The service is marked by readings from Christ's Passion and the singing of hymns. As the service goes on, we extinguish the candles placed on the altar to symbolize the light of Christ's life that was extinguished on the cross. It is a somber service that guides us to reflect on the sacrifice Christ made for us.
He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah! We come together to joyrously celebrate our risen Lord and Savior! The morning begins with an Easter brunch where we enjoy delicious food and great fellowship with one another, followed by an Easter egg hunt for the kids. Our worship service begins at 10am and we sing out our praises for the gift of forgiveness and salvation we receive through the resurrection of Jesus!