Christ the King Episcopal Church
Lakeland, Florida
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
These are our regular services and times for worship and faith formation.
They are always subject to change and others are added frequently.
At Christ the King, we keep the ancient tradition of an intense week of prayer and worship in the days leading up to Easter, the feast of Christ’s Resurrection. Our services are patterned on the observances of the church in Jerusalem in its early days.
These services mean to take you into the core of Christian faith, to the upper room, Cross, and the empty tomb. Spread across Holy Week, they ask for your sustained attention to Christ and his saving work in those places. They ask the question of the old spiritual, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” Being there can make a great difference to your spiritual life, in how you experience and receive the Gospel of Christ.
Palm Sunday * March 29
10:00 am, Holy Eucharist with the Procession of Palms
Palm Sunday is the Sunday of the Passion, a day that provides a broad overview of Holy Week in its quick transition from the Lord’s triumphal entry to his condemnation.
Monday & Tuesday in Holy Week * March 30-31
7:00 pm, Stations of the Cross followed by Holy Eucharist
Services for Monday and Tuesday in Holy Week will begin with the remembrance known as the Stations of the Cross, in which we recall the final day of Jesus' life, his death, and burial. Across those days, the tensions in the Scriptures rises, as Jesus’s conflict with the religious authorities intensifies.
Wednesday in Holy Week * April 1
6:00 pm, Evening Prayer followed by Lenten Study
Wednesday in Holy Week will begin with Evening Prayer according the Book of Common Prayer and conclude with the final discussion of our Lenten study: Chruch Meets World.
Maundy Thursday * April 2
7:00 pm, The Celebration of the Lord's Supper with Washing of the Feet
We gather on Thursday at 7 PM in the church, for a fuller service in observation of Maundy Thursday. A commemoration of the Last Supper, this service includes the washing of feet, the stripping of the altar, and a thankful remembrance of Christ’s gift of Holy Communion to us, all legacies of the final night he shared with his disciples.
Good Friday * April 3
12:00 noon & 7 pm, The Reading of the Passion with Veneration of the Cross
Good Friday’s 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM services takes place in a bare church and include the reading of the Passion from the gospel according to John. There will also be the veneration of the Cross, a sermon on the last words, and prayers for the Church and world -- all meant to take us into the wonder of the saving death of Jesus Christ.
3:00 pm, Tenebrae
Good's Friday's Tenebrae (meaning "shadows") at 3:00 recalls the sealing of Jesus in the tomb, and is commemorated with prayers and silent meditation.
Holy Saturday, April 4
12:00 noon, Noonday Prayer (Facebook only)
On Holy Saturday, Jesus "rested" in the tomb. We pray Noonday Prayer online.
8:00 pm, The Great Vigil
The Great Vigil is the first Eucharist of Easter. After the long, painful journey to the cross, we celebrate the victory of Christ over death in the wonder of the resurrection.
Easter Day * April 5
10 am, The First Sunday of Easter
The Feast of the Resurrection is celebrated! We actually begin at 9:00 am with a children's "Egg Hunt" and coffee fellowship, followed by a glorious service of Holy Eucharist.