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.