Remembering his message
Alex Murashko
From tent revival-type gatherings to services steeped in ancient
tradition, local churches are offering Easter celebrations almost as
diverse as the many Christian denominations around the world.
While Sunday is the biggest celebration of Holy Week, several churches
have commemorated other events leading to Christ’s death and resurrection
by performing “washing of the feet” and planned Last Supper ceremonies.
Some churches are not as specific, but still extend the holiday and
reflect how Easter Sunday will be observed.
Churches such as Rock Harbor, a nondenominational Christian church,
are packaging the weekend as a chance to garner community involvement.
The church, which normally meets at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, has
placed a tent with seating for 1,500 at the Orange County Fairgrounds.
Billed as Resurrection Weekend, activities on Saturday will include the
showing of “The Jesus Film” at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and a light worship in
between.
Rock Harbor spokeswoman Stacy Scott says today will be a reflective
day with subdued music and the “huge celebration” comes Sunday. Like many
churches, Easter is looked at as a chance for outreach.
“We are offering an opportunity for people to come to experience the
whole weekend,” Scott said. “[Easter] is one opportunity we have as a
church to invite the surrounding community to be able to hear the message
of Jesus Christ with a group of people that desire to journey with others
looking for answers.”
At St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in Costa Mesa, in a more
traditional setting, ceremonies on Thursday included a Mass in the
morning and services at 6:30 p.m. to midnight that reflect the suffering
and betrayal of Jesus as recorded in the Bible.
The Apostolic church’s roots are based on a 1st century visit by two
disciples to the region that became Armenia. Sunday’s divine liturgy
service will include a Blessings of the Four Corners of the Earth
ceremony and the release of white doves.
St. Mary Pastor Moushegh Tashjian said services are delivered in
Armenian and English and include chanting in the native language. The
Four Corners ceremony, held in the church’s courtyard, will feature
Tashjian facing and pausing in the directions of east, west, south and
north while the Armenian choir chants and guests pray.
Tashjian expects about 800 people to attend on Sunday to join a
congregation that he says “feels very close to the brothers and sisters
in Armenia.”
Another church with strong cultural ties outside the U.S. is the
Orange Coast Free Methodist Church. With a congregation of primarily
Japanese descent, Pastor Shin Asami says he plans to reflect the
Methodist evangelical style message at a picnic today as well as on
Sunday at the church on Airport Loop Drive.
While regular weekly services include children’s Bible studies
separate from the adults, Asami plans to include the entire family at
events today and Sunday. The picnic and sermon today will be held at
Mason Regional Park in Irvine.
“The sermon past Sunday was more on the Holy Week and it set the
tone,” Asami said. “Coming into Saturday, it will be more of a message of
hope.”
On Sunday, Asami’s church will have a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. and
a more elaborate, traditional service at 10:30 a.m. The second service
will include children performing with hand bells and worship songs by the
choir sung in Japanese. Also, children will hold letters spelling out
“RISEN” as the pastor gives his message.
Asami is new to the Methodist faith and said he is still learning
about its traditions.
“We are generally free to interpret how we worship,” he said. “The
central message is that we can come to know God through Christ and his
death and resurrection.”
St. Mark Presbyterian in Newport Beach will conclude its Sunday Easter
service with trumpets blaring and the singing of Handel’s “Messiah.”
Pastor Gary Collins said Sunday will be a “very celebrative day” with
special music.
“Our belief is that God acts and we respond,” Collins said. “And our
response is one of gratitude and praise.”
Other than the church being decorated with Easter lilies, Our Lady of
Mount Carmel Pastor Daniel J. Murray said his congregation will
participate in a Mass similar to Catholic services throughout the year.
“Every Sunday is kind of an Easter Sunday,” Murray said. “We don’t do
anything different other than [the service] is the Mass of Easter.”
Members at St. Matthew’s Church, a traditional Episcopal church, will
follow the denominations belief that the three days leading to Easter
Sunday are the most sacred days of the year.
Pastor Stephen C. Scarlett said services on Maundy Thursday, Good
Friday and Easter eve, which includes an Easter vigil service, are meant
to focus on the events leading to Christ’s resurrection.
“We have a very traditional set of services that culminate in the
three days at the end of lent,” Scarlett said.
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