Calvary’s Holy Week and Easter services will be offered in-person as well as live-streamed on Calvary’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, and website.
Calvary’s Holy Week and Easter services will be offered in-person as well as live-streamed on Calvary’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, and website.
Holy Week begins with the remembrance of Jesus’s humble yet triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Our service begins with the Liturgy of the Palms and includes the reading of the Passion Gospel. The service closes in silence as we walk together into Holy Week.
Calvary’s labyrinth will be available in the Great Hall for private walks and meditations. Labyrinths have been spiritual symbols of pilgrimage for Christians for centuries. A pilgrimage is often regarded as a journey to a holy place. A labyrinth journey also gives us a place to remember, recognize, and welcome God’s holy presence at the center of our lives. If your group would like to schedule a facilitated walk, contact Lynda Gayle Deacon.
On the night before he died, Jesus broke bread with his friends and gave us his final mandate: to love another. Our service includes Holy Eucharist and the stripping of the altar. We end in the darkness, prepared for a long night waiting in Gethsemane.
New this year: Calvary families and friends are invited to gather for a simple Agape Meal of soup, bread, and salad in the Great Hall at 5:45. This meal will include special blessings over the meal and an opportunity to practice the ritual of foot washing, as we remember the Last Supper Jesus shared with his friends. This gathering will conclude around 6:30, and then we will offer Eucharist in the church at 7:00, concluding with the Stripping of the Altar. Worshipers are welcome to join either or both Agape Meal and Maundy Thursday Eucharist.
Children ages 3 through second grade are invited to follow the cross during the Sequence Hymn at the 7 p.m. service to a special Children’s Chapel with Holy Eucharist in the Great Hall. Parents may pick up their children in the Great Hall at the end of the service.
Calvary youth in grades 6-12 are invited to a Maundy Thursday Lock-in on April 14. Our lock-in will begin with the Agape Meal and foot washing and will end after our Good Friday noon service the next day. Lock-ins at Calvary are full of prayer, fellowship, and games that help our youth community learn more about themselves, each other, and their faith. More details and registration can be found here: https://forms.gle/vZoDDBUHgtrjSBco7.
Please contact Gabbie Munn (gmunn@calvarymemphis.org) with questions!
Good Friday marks the death of Jesus on the cross. This solemn service includes the story of Christ’s passion and times of silence and intercession. The Boys and Girls Choir will offer musical leadership at 12 p.m., and the Gospel will be chanted at 7 p.m. Calvary Church will remain open for prayers until 3 p.m.
Way of the Cross: After the mid-day Good Friday liturgy, at approximately 12:45 p.m., gather at the Calvary altar to begin praying the Way of the Cross which will continue on a walk through our downtown neighborhood. If you choose to join the walk, dress accordingly, especially with regard to footwear, as the walk will be 2-3 miles, and will take approximately 2 hours.
Family way of the Cross: After the service on Good Friday starting at 1 p.m., families of all ages are welcome to join in on a way of the cross specifically designed for families with youth and young children. This activity will take place within Calvary, and we will make a journey to reflect on Christ’s journey with the cross and ponder on questions pertaining to our own lives. Please meet at Calvary park promptly after the service
This Family Way of the cross activity is open to families of all ages, parents included, and should take about an hour and fifteen minutes. The nursery will be open and available for this time as well.
Join us for The Great Vigil of Easter. This service marks the movement from darkness to light as we celebrate the hope given us by Christ’s empty tomb. We gather to light the New Fire, hear readings chronicling God’s saving deeds in history, and celebrate the first Eucharist of Easter. Bring bells or other noisemakers to announce the coming of the light, and stay afterward for a Great Paschal Party.
Easter morning celebrates the risen Christ with songs and shouts of Alleluia! Celebrate the joy of new life at 7:30 a.m., or at 9 & 11 a.m. with brass, timpani, choir, and children’s chapel.
Easter Egg Hunt: Process over to Court Square Park with us after the 9 a.m. Easter Service, or meet us there for an Easter Egg hunt starting at 10:30 a.m. sharp on Easter Sunday. We will be back at Calvary in time for the 11 a.m. service.