Holy Week Schedule
You Are Welcome
Whether you are a member of Good Shepherd or not, whether you are an Episcopalian or not, whether you are a Christian or not, all are welcome to these beautiful and sacred offerings as we commemorate the last week of Jesus’ life before his death and glorious resurrection. You can find more information on this page. We hope to see you here!
Palm Sunday, April 2
8:00 AM Rite I Liturgy of the Palms & Holy Eucharist
10:00 AM Rite II Liturgy of the Palms & Holy Eucharist
This service begins outside in the courtyard. Families with children are asked to come 15 minutes early to prepare for the procession under the palms into church.
Maundy Thursday, April 6
7:00 PM Maundy Thursday Liturgy and Holy Eucharist
Maundy Thursday Liturgy and Holy Eucharist. This service commemorates Jesus' last supper with the disciples and those who would like to participate in a powerful foot-washing ritual. The service ends with stripping of the altar and leaving the church in silent darkness.
9:00 PM All Night Vigil begins
Can you stay awake one hour with Christ? Each year on Maundy Thursday we recall Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene, praying in the hours before he was betrayed, tried, and crucified.
Participants can sign up in the Narthex or call the office for a one-hour slot beginning at 9 PM on April 6 and ending at 9 AM on April 7, Good Friday. A minimum of two people will be needed for each hour of the night. 561-746-4674
Good Friday, April 7
9:00 AM Vigil concludes
12:00 PM Stations of the Cross At noon we will gather to pray the Stations of the Cross, an ancient tradition going back to the early Church in Jerusalem with Good’s Shepherd beautiful art pieces by renowned artist Dorothy Masom. The church will be open for the rest of the afternoon for those that would like to come at another time.
6:00 PM Youth-led Stations of the Cross with original artwork in the courtyard at 6:00pm.
7:00 PM Good Friday Taizé Service On the evening of Good Friday, we gather again for a holy and intimate candle light Good Friday service with simple Taizé songs and the veneration of the cross. Taizé is a form a Christian prayer originating from the ecumenical Christian community of Taizé in France.
Saturday, April 8
8:00 PM The Great Easter Vigil This first service of Easter begins in the prayer labyrinth outside with a fire where the new flame is lit and then processed into the church where we will hear the whole salvation story in selected passages of Scripture from both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. The first half of the service is in the dark until the great proclamation of Easter when the lights come on with shouts of joy and bells ring out!
Easter
Services
6:30 AM Sunrise Service in the Outdoor Chapel
Join us in the outdoor chapel behind the Parish Hall for a service that moves from dark to light as the sun rises and nature awakens on Easter morning.
8:00 AM Easter Eucharist
Festive Holy Eucharist for Easter with music and full choir in the church.
10:00 AM Easter Eucharist
Festive Holy Eucharist for Easter with music and full choir in the church. Flowering of the cross (bring fresh flowers).
Children's Easter Egg Hunt
11:30 AM Children's Egg Hunt begins. Gather in the Parish Hall
Tots through fifth grade are invited to participate in a Easter egg hunt after church. Bring your basket and proceed to the Parish Hall where we will start.
Flowering of the Cross
During the 10:00 AM service we will place fresh flowers on a barren wooden cross as a symbol of rebirth. Bring fresh flowers to the service and all children are invited forward to help bring the cross to life.
Lenten Services and Activities
Shrove Tuesday, February 21
5:45 PM Pancake Supper, Talent Show, and Trivia Night! It's our final celebration before Lent and we encourage everyone to attend! Donations benefit the Youth Group on their mission trip this summer.
7:00 PM Burning of the Palms. Liturgy and burning of blessed palms from Palm Sunday. Ashes are used on at services on Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday, February 22
Disposition of Ashes at four services throughout the day.
6:30 AM
8:30 AM
10:00 AM
7:00 PM
40 Days of Gratitude
You are invited to journal during Lent using the prompts for each day. You may also take photos that capture your daily reflections. Remember, God has given us many blessings for which to be grateful.
Morning Prayer Online, Weekdays
9:00 AM Monday - Friday on Zoom.
Link is available on the Prayer page. Bulletin is also available.
Lenten Sermon Series
Spiritual Practices for Lent and Beyond
Sundays at 8:00 and 10:00 AM
Fr. Derek offers opportunities to engage in Spiritual practices that spring from the Sunday lessons each week of lent. Click the button below to see the series to date.
Lenten Bible Study
The Difficult Words of Jesus
Wednesdays during Lent, at 11:00 AM in the Parish Hall.
The words of Jesus have been a source of comfort, support, and instruction to Christians for centuries. But what do we do with the difficult words of Jesus? The ones that are hard to make sense of? The ones that feel contrary to his message of love? Join us during Lent for a discussion on the difficult words of Jesus, guided by Fr. Derek and with videos from Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School.
Theological Book Study
The Changing Face of God
Thursdays during Lent, at 4:00 PM in the library.
A collection of essays by contemporary theologians including Marcus Borg, Karen Armstrong, and James Cone. We will meet for five Thursdays in March.
Family Lenten Soup Suppers
Wednesdays in March from 6:00 - 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall
Lenten Soup Suppers are back! Join us for delicious, simple meals and community reflections on gratitude. Something for everyone:
Adults will share stories of gratitude and discuss prayers of thanksgiving in the Book of Common Prayer
Children will spend time playing together and talking about gratitude
Youth will work on a Stations of the Cross project.
Please let us know you're coming so we can prepare!
FREE
Lenten Service Project
Throughout Lent
This year our annual Lenten project is to help the congregation of St. Raphael in the Diocese of Southwest Florida. In September, Hurricane Ian ravaged he southwest coast of Florida leaving this parish with nothing. As they build back, Good Shepherd would like to help them by raising $15,000 toward building contents.
Fortunately, the church was solidly constructed of concrete block in 1953. The walls of the church and the two adjoining buildings are still standing. But everything inside the buildings was lost, and they have been stripped to the studs.
For our Lenten project this year, we have set a goal of $15,000 to help our brothers and sisters in Ft. Myers Beach recover and repair their beloved church. Here’s how you can help:
- $100 – will purchase 4 new prayer books
- $250 – will purchase 10 new hymnals
- $500 – will purchase robes for acolytes and servers
- $1,000 – will purchase a computer and peripherals for the church office
To donate please visit our secure giving page at the link below or send a check in any amount to Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 400 Seabrook Road, Tequesta, FL 33469.
Select LENTEN OUTREACH PROJECT from the drop-down menu.
Food Packing For Haiti
Saturday, March 11 -- DONE!! THANKS EVERYONE! We did it!
Visit the Outreach Page for more information.
Lenten Sermon Series: Spiritual Practices
Weekly throughout Lent
THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT
Spiritual Practice: The Welcoming PrayerScripture: Matthew 4:1-11Sermon text and video (and poem): https://derekmichaellarson.com/homilies/the-welcoming-prayer/
Directions:
Step 1: Notice. Notice when the uncomfortable feelings rise up in you. Notice the temptation. Notice the doubting of your own belovedness. You may need to sit down and take a deep breath to do that, but notice it.
Step 2: Welcome it. Rather than fighting it or fleeing from it, welcome it. Welcoming doesn’t mean giving into it. It doesn’t mean letting it have rule over you. It just means being gently present to it. And in welcoming it you take away it’s power over you. You can literally say, “Welcome anxiety.” “Welcome anger.” “Welcome selfishness.” Imagine yourself sitting at the table with it. Not running all over the house, simply sitting at the table.
Step 3: Let it go. You can say something like, “I see you and it’s time to go. I let go of my anxiety. I let go of my anger. I let go of my selfishness.”
THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT
Spiritual Practice: The CrucifixScripture: John 3:1-17Sermon text and video: https://derekmichaellarson.com/homilies/the-crucifix/
Directions:
Step 1: Name your experience of suffering. What is it your struggling with? Is it an illness? Anxiety? Addiction? Worry for your children? Fear of something? What do you suffer from? Name it.
Step 2: Gaze upon the crucified Christ and see there your own suffering. Look upon him and say the words, “Christ is suffering from Parkinson’s.” “Christ is suffering from addiction.” “Christ is suffering from anxiety.”
Step 3: Receive the gift of God’s Son. Say the words, “God so loved me, God gave Christ to know my experience of addiction.” “God so loved me, God gave Christ to know my worry for my children.” “God so loved me, God gave Christ to know my experience of cancer.”
Step 4: Give to God your suffering. Say the words, “I give my grief to God.” “I give my worry to God.” “I give my fear to God.” “Receive my suffering as a gift of myself to you.”
THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT
Spiritual Practice: The Beloved PrayerScripture: John 4:5-42Sermon text and video: https://derekmichaellarson.com/homilies/the-beloved-prayer/
Directions:
Step 1: Sit quietly and comfortably for 10 minutes repeating the phrase “Jesus, you are the beloved” as much as you’d like. Draw your attention to the presence of Christ as the beloved, the one sent by God as a Divine manifestation of love in the world.
Step 2: Sit quietly and comfortably for another 10 minutes repeating the phrase “Jesus, I am the beloved” as much as you’d like. Draw your attention to your own inherent worthiness of love as God’s beloved child. Feel and experience God’s love for you wash over you.
Step 3: Sit quietly and comfortably for a final 10 minutes repeating the phrase “Jesus, we all are the beloved” as much as you’d like. Draw you attention to those in your life. Allow faces from your past and present to come to mind and see them as beloved. See God’s love for them and share your love for them.