Holy Week & Easter 2025
Palm/Passion Sunday · April 13 · 10am
Our six-week-long Lenten “journey to Jerusalem” concludes on Palm/Passion Sunday. Our worship service commemorates the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for the annual Jewish Passover celebration after a month-long and sorrowful journey from Galilee. Although we will not have a donkey procession, the Gospels report that Jesus rode one through the eastern gate of Jerusalem along with tens of thousands of pilgrims who were greeted by residents waving palm branches and shouting the traditional welcome: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” Scholars believe Jesus was well-acquainted with a beautiful vision from the Prophet Zechariah describing a humble king approaching Jerusalem mounted on a lowly donkey rather than a mighty stallion (Zech. 9:9). LPC’s Palm Sunday service begins with a joyful procession of palm-waving children, choir and clergy accompanied by enthusiastic hymns. The day is also called “Passion Sunday” because the joyful liturgy turns anxious and uncertain when worshippers are reminded that it was the beginning of the end. Jesus went straight to the Temple courts and began overturning tables of money changers and sellers of over-priced sacrifices and trinkets. Because Jesus quickly became a threat to the Temple authorities and to the Roman overlords, it was then that the High Priest Caiaphas decided “it is better that one man die rather than thousands of Jews” (John 18:12-14). The priests determined to find a way to have the Romans arrest Jesus and have him executed as a political threat. Our service concludes with a litany of confession as we enter the dark events of that first holy week.
Maundy Thursday · April 17 · 7:30pm
We gather in the evening on Thursday remembering the last Passover meal Jesus had with his disciples. Following a brief sermon, we join together around a candle-lit communion table for a simple, quiet observance of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Table is then made bare. Then follow four brief “Passion” readings from the Gospels. As candles are extinguished, passages are read recalling Jesus’ time of prayer and arrest in the garden, his trial before the Chief Priests and the Roman authorities, and his death and burial. The cross is draped in black, and the service ends in darkness and silence with a charge to “watch and wait and keep a holy vigil until the morning of resurrection…”
Good Friday · April 18 · 7pm
Community Service at Lakewood United Methodist Church, 15700 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood
Dr. Butler and other Lakewood ministers will lead a one-hour service of familiar hymns, readings and brief reflections on Jesus’ last words from the cross.
Easter Sunday · April 20 · 10am
Holy Week concludes and the joyous 60 days of Easter begin as the church remembers those first women followers of Jesus who discovered an empty tomb early on Sunday morning after the Sabbath Day. LPC’s sanctuary will be bathed in Easter lilies and white chancel cloths. There will be another procession to the chancel led by a youth bearing an empty cross as we sing “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” accompanied by organ, tympani and brass. Dr. Butler will challenge us to go into a world of division, economic downturn and political turmoil and become Christ’s living body committed to healing and hope. Easter will continue for six more Sundays as we hear again the stories of Jesus’ mysterious appearances.
Easter Lily Order Form
To place an order for a lily plant for the Easter service on April 20, please complete and return this form to the church office by Sunday, April 13 along with a check payable to Lakewood Presbyterian Church. The price of a lily is $10.00. If you want to take your lily after the Easter service, please indicate on the form.
A Message from the Pastor
by the Rev. Dr. James C. Butler
Whether it is empty or has the Dead Man hanging on it, the cross is meant to remind us that evil is real, the world isn’t fair, that life can become really difficult for all sorts of reasons, but the power of a gracious and redeeming God will be with us, helping and saving us from despair and destruction. Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter remind us what Paul said to believers when times were really hard: that we must die and rise over and over again through the course of our earthly lives. But we do it with the power of Christ whose spirit lives with and among us. If you want Easter to be more than bunnies and bonnets, then consider actually participating in the powerful liturgies and worship experiences of Palm Sunday and Holy Week. I guarantee that your Easter “Alleluias” and “Christ is Risens” will be genuine and heart-felt. May that power which raised Christ from death to life eternal be in all of us.
The Music Corner with Dr. Kaori Hongo
During the month of April, we will be celebrating the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Day). According to Romans 6:11 we are “dead in sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” This invites us and challenges us to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4) and to find ways to share the talents and love with others around us in our everyday life. For me as a musician that is why sharing music with others young and old and spreading the joy that art gives me as an individual is so important. Leading the Chancel Choir in our weekly anthems gives me joy to see so many people from diverse backgrounds come together every week for a common goal: creating music to praise God. Spending time with numerous bells to create magical sounds always inspires me to smile and laugh with my fellow ringers. Exploring music and different composers and styles of music with the little children reminds me every week of the importance of curiosity. Playing the organ continues to amaze me in how thousands of pipes (big and small) come together to create master pieces of music, which are all organized and prepared from the console (key-desk).
As I was looking at the church calendar, I realized that April 22 is “Earth Day.” After looking into the history of this day, I found that the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. It was organized by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, where the idea was to propose a national “teach-in” on the environment, bringing the importance of environmental issues to the national spotlight. The first Earth Day in 1970 found an estimated 20 million Americans participating and demonstrating across the country and in 1990 this mission became global and is now celebrated in over 140 countries. After doing a little more digging, I found a website “The Nature Conservancy” where they talked about different ways that we as a community can help with conserving the earth. Within this website, there was a video of young people dedicating their lives and imaginations to doing just that (https://tinyurl.com/4b3vra69). Listening to them talk struck me that we are all trying to find ways to live and do good in our communities. A young person in the video said that when people come together with different skills and backgrounds, we can create something bigger. (Reminding me of how I see musical groups: choirs and handbell choirs.) And that this is an opportunity for all of us to be more inclusive and more involved in the larger community: the world.
One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Received on Palm Sunday
“And you shall be called repairers of the breach” – Isaiah 58
All over the world, from America to the far corners of Asia, millions of people live in various degrees of hunger, in places of natural and human-made disasters, and without resources for economic development and independence. Thanks to the generosity of Christian communities, there are projects in over 100 nations that are addressing these destructive realities through the Presbyterian Church’s One Great Hour of Sharing Offering (OGHS).
The offering is received every year on Palm Sunday at LPC as one way to celebrate and give thanks for the grace of God in Jesus Christ. OGHS supports three much-needed programs:
- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance which works alongside communities as they recover and find hope following the devastation of natural and human-caused disasters;
- Presbyterian Hunger Program which supports projects that focus on the systemic causes of poverty which is often at the root of hunger;
- Self-Development of People (SDOP) which invests in individuals and communities under-resourced due to racism, oppression and systemic injustice. SDOP also educates Presbyterians about the impact of these social and cultural issues.
As the Risen Christ’s earthly agents, join millions of other Presbyterians working to bring help, healing and hope to the world “God so loves.” A special envelope has been included in this mailing and others will be available in the pew racks on Palm Sunday. If you use a check, please put “OGHS” on the memo line. May God bless you as you bless others.
Faith Formation Events for Children & Youth
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY
We are grateful for the generosity and support from all who attended the youth rigatoni lunch. We were able to raise just over $1,300! With all of the donations given through our youth fundraisers this year and from previous years, we should be able to fully fund nine of our youth who will be going to Triennium this summer. Thank you for your continued support of our youth.
EASTER EGG HUNT & PALM PROCESSION
Please join us for our palm procession and Sunday morning worship on Palm Sunday, April 13. We will usher in Holy Week by waiving palms as we parade through the sanctuary. All ages are welcome. We will meet at 9:45 a.m. in the Lucas Youth Parlor below the sanctuary to receive palms. Following worship on Palm Sunday, LPC invites children, infants to 5th grade, to participate in our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Each child who registers can collect a set of colored eggs to exchange for candy and prizes. Meet on the lower level in Lawther Hall at 11:20 a.m. Please register via SignUpGenius. All community members are welcome.
YOUTH SUNDAY
The youth will take over the sanctuary and lead worship on Sunday, April 27. As part of our confirmation classes, the youth are learning about the parts of our liturgy and why we worship the way we do. They have discussed ways to make people feel more welcome and ways that they might feel more included in worship. Each year on Youth Sunday, the youth choose the hymns, write the sermon and play the music. Please support them as they share their faith during this meaningful service.
AS IF WE WERE DREAMING
From July 27–31, we hope a dozen of our youth will combine with youth from other churches in the Presbytery of the Western Reserve and thousands of teens from around the country for the PC(USA)’s Triennium youth conference. High-school-age youth will go to Louisville, Kentucky for four days of worship, recreation, bible study, outreach and faith formation all around the theme of “As If We Were Dreaming.” The theme reminds us that dreams play an important role in the biblical narrative. It is often through dreams that God speaks to God’s beloved. In Psalms, God’s exiled people were all but without hope, wondering if God had forgotten them. But God restored their hope and brought them back home. The only way they could describe their experience was that it was “as if we were dreaming” (Psalm 126:1). If you have a youth who is entering high school or will be graduating this year, we invite them to join us. We are asking for a $25 deposit and registration submitted by April 6. You can find more information or register at https://preswesrestriennium.weebly.com.
Batteries Needed for Homeless Stand Down
The Homeless Stand Down provides those experiencing homelessness with necessary resources. The event is made possible thanks to businesses, faith groups and organizations that come together to support community members in need. The Presbytery’s Ministry Advocating for Homeless Persons has coordinated with area churches to collect items. Lakewood Presbyterian has been asked to provide batteries (AA and AAA). We will collect the batteries through April 20 for the Stand Down event on Saturday, April 26. A collection box will be located beside the name tag rack in the Atrium. Learn more about volunteer opportunities at https://volunteerconnect.bvuvolunteers.org/hsdvolunteer.
Hand in Hand Returns in April
Hand in Hand, a group for fellowship and learning, will begin its 2025 season on Friday, April 11 at 11 a.m. in the Reed Room. Medical lecturer Tom Strong will discuss non-medical approaches in treating arthritis.
Have You Considered “Paying Your Portion”?
Are you aware that there is a price on your Presbyterian “head?” It’s true! The expenses of operating our Presbyterian denomination (Presbytery, Synod and the General Assembly) will cost every congregation in our Presbytery $40.00 per “head” (each member). The $40.00 is distributed as follows: $25.76 to our Presbytery, $10.84 to General Assembly and $3.40 to our Synod.
Per capita is a fundamental way in which the nearly 9,000 congregations and governing bodies of the PCUSA are connected and allows its members to participate in the work of the wider church. It is the responsible way of sharing costs that equitably belong to the whole Presbyterian community. Please consider paying your per capita apportionment on top of your pledge amount. Simply note “per capita” on the memo line of your check or pew envelope. Thank you for considering this request.