Join us for Holy Week and Easter 2023

Join us for Holy Week and Easter 2023! We have multiple events happening next week, so feel free to join as many as you are able – everyone is welcome!
Apr 2, 2023, Palm Sunday
9:45 am English Service
11:00 am German Service
Laughter and tears often go hand in hand. We celebrate the life of Jesus, which inspired so many, before we enter Holy Week to reflect on his journey to the cross.

Apr 6, 2023, Maundy Thursday
7:00 pm Dinner Church
Our community outreach program has a special theme! Enjoy a simple dinner together with our Mimico-by-the-lake friends and neighbours as we learn about memorable meals like the Last Supper and the story of stone soup. We also invite you to prepare fresh vegetables to take home with other ingredients to make your own soup.

Apr 7, 2023, Good Friday
9:45 am English Service
11:00 am German Service
Join us for a traditional service with Holy Communion and the Church Choir, as we remember Jesus’ death on the cross, grieve the pain in this world and get nourished on our own journey to reconciliation.

Apr 9, 2023, Easter Sunday
6:15 am Sunrise Service by the lake at Etobicoke Point, Humber Bay Park West, 2225 Lake Shore Blvd W. As we light the Easter candle by the water in the early morning, we receive the glorious news of Jesus’ resurrection. After the Sunrise Service, please join us for a yummy breakfast at church! Ready-made food contributions are welcome. Contact Jocelyn or the church office to help.

9:30 am German Radio Devotion on AM 530

Easter Sunday 10:00 am English-German Service
If you aren’t an early bird, feel free to attend our bilingual service later in the morning, where we will celebrate the victory of life over death and listen to music from the Church Choir.

**Please note: If you are planning to come to church and are able to offer someone a ride, or need a ride, please contact the church office at [email protected]**

Liturgical Walk and the making of an Easter Garden
Prepared by Miriam Hähnel

As a complement or alternative to worship services in our church, go through stations which take you on a walk outside of your home with family/friends to collect items and reflect on your way to making an Easter garden. Choose one or all of the activities as you see fit. Plan around 45 min for the walk and 15 min for the activity at home.

Here are the needed materials for the stations:
For the walk: about 20-30 cm of string (wool or parcel tape)
For the Easter Garden at home (These things stay at home and are not taken on the walk): Bowl or deep plate, soil, a small flowerpot (e.g. from planting spring flowers), a tea light and matches, cress seeds

1st Station
At home in front of the door: Today we want to remember the life of Jesus. We will prepare for Easter at different stations along our way. We now begin our journey with God’s blessing: We pray: Good God, walk with us on this journey and accompany us with your blessing. Amen.
On the first part of the way, each person collects two flowers.

2nd Station (Palm Sunday)
In broad daylight: The people rejoice. Jesus is coming. They all come together. They decorate the streets and rejoice. Many people put palm branches and clothes on the street. Soon it looks like a beautiful carpet. They wave palm branches and shout, “Hosanna!”. “We have experienced great things with Jesus.” “He speaks so wonderfully.” “He leads us to God.”

• Tell each other: What gives us reason for joy and gratitude today? Put down your flowers and say aloud or silently what you are joyful about and grateful to God for.
• As a sign for the palm branches collect one or more small branches on the next way. See if you can find any cut branches along the way.

Continue your way!

3rd Station (Jesus’ Arrest)
It has become a deep, dark night. Not only outside, but also in our hearts. Even Jesus is not free from fear. He knows what is coming. He can’t stand it. He feels weak. He asks God to spare him this.

He puts the decision in God’s hands. The disciples are also told to pray. After the prayers, Jesus comes back to the disciples. They have fallen asleep. This makes Jesus quite sad.

He is disappointed that they do not stand by him in his difficult hour. Then Jesus is betrayed, captured and taken away.

We too are sometimes afraid. It burdens us. We may bring before God all that frightens us and worries us.

• Can you find some stones where you are? Collect some small stones for the Easter Garden and put them in your bag for later. You can say the a worry or fear out loud or in your thoughts. Later at home you can put them in your Easter Garden.

Meditation on Psalm 27
All: The LORD is my light and my salvation
One: Sometimes I am very afraid. I am all alone. Who is there to comfort me? Sometimes I am very sad often I don’t even know why. Who is there to take me in his arms?
All: The LORD is my light and my salvation
One: Sometimes I feel that no one likes me. Often, I do not like myself. Who is there who wants to understand me? Sometimes I am a coward. I don’t dare to speak up. I lack the courage to do the right thing. Who is there to help me?
All: The LORD is my light and my salvation
One: God is there for me. He loves me. Amen.

Continue your way!

4th Station (Interrogation)
Jesus is bound. A crown of thorns is put on him and a purple cloak is put on him. They shout, “Long live the King of the Jews!” They beat him on the head with a stick and spit on him. Jesus stands before Pilate. He finds no guilt. But the crowd is loud: “Crucify him.” Louder and louder they grow. That is too much. You are too loud. Away with him. Crucify him.

• How do we treat each other? Do we also sometimes hurt each other or insult someone else? In silence, we think about this for a moment. If you like, exchange your thoughts with each other on the next stretch of the way.

Continue your way!

5th Station (Crucifixion)
In the daytime it becomes night: Look for two branches and tie a cross of about 20 – 30 cm with the twine you took with you. When Jesus arrives at Mount Golgotha, his clothes are torn off. The people stand there and watch. He is nailed to the cross.

Above it a sign, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” They laugh. Suddenly it goes dark. In the middle of the day! Jesus cries out, “Father, I commit my life into your hands!” With these words he dies.

We pray together the prayer that Jesus gave us:
Our Father in heaven Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Now silently make your way back. If you like, introduce your silence with a song and end your silence with a song at the next station. The next station is the last one before your home.

6th Station (Burial of Jesus)
Friends lay him in a rock tomb and close the entrance with a large stone. Now it can be Sabbath. Rest returns. We know that with the death of Jesus not everything is over. The cross is for us not only a sign of sorrow and suffering, but also a sign of joy and hope, because Jesus is in our midst.

As a sign that Jesus died and was buried, collect a large flat stone on the next stretch of the road.

Continue your journey.

7th Station (Easter Hope)
At home, preferably outside. We remember our way again and now take the prepared bowl or deep plate, the earth, the flower pot, the tea light, the cress seeds, the collected twig/ branches, the collected stones and the flat stone, the created wooden cross

• As a sign for the way Jesus went with his friends and for the many experienced stories on this way, fill earth into your vessel.
• As a sign of the palm branches, put your little branches in the Easter garden.
• As a sign that we can bring our fear before God and that God hears all these worries and fears, put some small stones in the Easter garden.
• As a sign that Jesus died on the cross for us, we put the tied wooden cross in the Easter garden.
• As a sign that Jesus died and was buried, close the tomb in the Easter Garden with a large stone. Hold a moment of silence.

When this seed is placed in the earth, it decays. It dies. But when we water the earth, in time a fresh seedling grows out of the shell of the old, decayed seed. A fresh, young plant sprouts up from the earth. Jesus once said, “Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain.” But when it falls into the earth and dies, new things come forth, a plant. Jesus dies and brings forth new life. We believe that life continues after death. These seeds remind us of that.

• As a sign, we scatter seeds on the soil in the Easter garden. Tend and water your Easter garden regularly.

We pray: Jesus, our Lord, thank you for dying for us so that we might live. You are with us no matter how we feel. For this we give you thanks. Amen.

• As a sign of our hope, we place a candle in our Easter garden. We will light it in the Easter morning service in the church!

Blessing with movements: One: God, you are inside. Cross your arms in front of your chest. All: God, you are inside. Cross your arms in front of your chest. One: and outside. Stretch your arms to the side. All: and outside. Stretch your arms to the side. One: and around me. Turn once. All: and around me.. Turn once. One: You give my legs a firm stance. Tread firmly! All: You give my legs a firm stance. Tread firmly!
One: Your blessings keep me safe in your hand. Amen. Hold the hands of your neighbours. A: Your blessing keeps me safe in your hand. Amen. Hold the hands of your neighbours.