God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Collect for Easter Day
Holy Week is a momentous and moving week in the life of the Church. We invite you to join us on the way to the cross and the empty tomb. As we set out to follow Jesus through these life-changing days, our pilgrimage begins on Palm Sunday (April 13th) with Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday - Sunday April 13th
Come and welcome Jesus - our Servant King - into Jerusalem and ponder how the cries of welcome turn into shouts of 'Crucify!' within days. Receive a palm cross to carry through Holy Week and on to Easter Morn.
Overstone - 10am Holy Communion with distribution of palm crosses
Mears Ashby - 6pm Stainer's Crucifixion with choirs from across Wellingborough Deanery
Monday to Wednesday in Holy Week
On each evening of Holy Week, in the lead up to Good Friday, we have an evening service to help us reflect on the week's events.
Monday - 7pm Compline (Night Prayer) at Hardwick
Tuesday - 7pm Compline (Night Prayer) at Mears Ashby
Wednesday - 7pm Stations of the Cross at Sywell
Compline is a simple yet beautiful service of reading, prayer and reflection. It lasts less than 30 minutes.
Stations of the Cross is where we reflect on the journey that Jesus will take on Good Friday to the cross. Each stage of our journey is marked with a station (an image). At each of the stations, there will be a short reading and reflection, prayer and time of silence. We will also have music and a hymn.
Maundy Thursday
Our Maundy Thursday Communion begins in the Upper Room with Jesus washing his disciples' feet before giving a meal to remember him (bread and wine), and ends with his going out into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray as he awaits his capture. We pause in silence before going home.
Thursday - 7pm Maundy Thursday Communion at Sywell
Good Friday
On this most moving of days, we ponder the death of Jesus on the Cross and how he will leave his tomb empty on the third day.
In the morning, we offer a space for family and children to explore Holy Week and Easter at our Messy Easter gathering. Come and enjoy our craft and prayer activities, listen to the Easter Story and join in our Easter Egg Hunt, and tuck into our Easter-themed snacks. Each child will receive a goody bag.
Good Friday - 10am Messy Easter at Overstone
In the afternoon, we enter into the solemnity of Good Friday as we spend an hour at the foot of the cross. Our service will include readings and reflections, prayers and Good Friday hymns.
Good Friday - 12.30pm Soup Lunch at Hardwick
Good Friday - 2pm An Hour before the Cross at Hardwick
We leave the service in silence. Waiting, we prepare at home for the joyful surprise of Easter Day.
Easter Day
We invite you to come and celebrate Easter in church. Alleluia! Christ is risen.
8am - Easter Communion at Hardwick
10am - Easter Communion at Mears Ashby
followed by Easter Egg Hunt
10am - Easter Communion at Sywell
If you can't make it to church, why not celebrate at home with our Easter Day Prayers and Reflections. You'll find a copy - HERE.
Whatever you have planned for Holy Week and Easter, enjoy! May God bless your celebrations.
God bless,
Revd Katrina