Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Kenmore

Holy Eucharist, Rite II. In-person only.
Service in the main building. Spoken only (no music). Masks available, if wanted.

Holy Eucharist, Rite II. In-person and on-line at redeemer-kenmore.org.
Service in the main building. Music. Masks available, if wanted.

Come get your ashes on Ash Wednesday and start Lent with a fresh, reflective vibe!

Distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday
Join us in person for the meaningful tradition of having your forehead marked ashes this Ash Wednesday. It's a quiet moment to reflect, reset, and prepare for the Lenten season ahead. Whether you've done this for a longtime participant or new to the practice, everyone is welcome to take part in the distribution of ashes.

Come as you are and share in this simple but powerful ritual together.

All are welcome to participate fully at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Kenmore, Washington.
✅All races.
✅All religions.
✅All countries of origin.
✅All sexual orientations, including LGBTQ+.
✅All genders.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

The Liturgy of the Palms opens the service, hopefully outside (weather permitting). It includes a reading of one of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. People hold branches in their hands during the procession into the church building while singing.

After the triumphal entry, the service changes focus abruptly to the solemnity of the Passion of Jesus and death on the Cross.

The Eucharist follows the Passion, where Jesus returns to us in the Bread and Wine. We are invited to a foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet when Jesus returns again.

In the New Testament account of Holy Week, after Palm Sunday, the Sanhedrin gathered and plotted to kill Jesus before the feast of the Passover. On the Wednesday before his death, Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the Leper. As he sat at the supper table with his disciples, a woman named Mary anointed Jesus’ head and feet with a costly oil. The disciples were indignant, asking why the oil was not instead sold and the money given to the people lacking resources. Judas Iscariot wanted to keep the money for himself. After dinner, Judas went to the Sanhedrin and offered to deliver Jesus to them in exchange for money. From this moment on, Judas sought an opportunity to betray Jesus.

In reference to Judas Iscariot’s intent to betray Jesus, the church sometimes calls Wednesday in Holy Week as “Spy Wednesday.” The word spy, as used here, means “ambush, ambuscade, snare.” Additionally, among the disciples, Judas clandestinely was a spy and Wednesday was the day he chose to betray Jesus.

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday in Holy Week. It is part of the Triduum, or three holy days before Easter. The name comes from the Latin mandatum novum, “new commandment,” from John 13:34.

People at Church of the Redeemer will be washing feet this evening. You do not have to have your feet washed. It is entirely optional. If you do want to participate, wear shoes and stockings that are easily removeable.

Maundy Thursday celebrations commemorate the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus “on the night he was betrayed.” Following the service, the altar is stripped and all decorative furnishings are removed from the church for Good Friday.

There will also be an Gethsemane Vigil "in the garden" following the removal of all decorative furnishings. Jesus asked the disciples to watch with him for one hour while he prayed in the garden. Can you watch for an hour?

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Day, on which the church commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. It is a day of fasting and special acts of discipline and self-denial.

The liturgy of the day includes John’s account of the Passion gospel, a solemn form of intercession known as the solemn collects (dating from ancient Rome), and optional devotions before the cross (commonly known as the veneration of the cross).

The liturgy of the Easter Vigil is the first and primary celebration of Easter.

The service begins in darkness. It consists of four parts:

❧ The Service of Light.
❧ The Service of Lessons.
❧ Christian Initiation or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows.
❧ The Eucharist.