The Church Council has decided to end the practice of holding one automatically on the first Sunday of each month. Instead, potlucks will be scheduled around special occasions. They will be announced ahead of time and people will be asked to sign up to bring various foods and beverages. The next special occasion will probably be a reception to welcome new members.

HIGHLIGHTS OF HOLY WEEK

Holy Week begins March 28 with Palm Sunday. We’ll begin our celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in the courtyard with a traditional procession with palms.

On Maundy Thursday, April 1, we will gather in the social hall for a simple version of the Seder, the Passover meal which Jesus shared with his disciples before being arrested. The potluck meal will feature traditional Seder food such as unleavened bread, olives and hard-boiled eggs. Afterward, we will gather in the sanctuary for the Service of Tenebrae, also called the Service of Shadows, as we travel together the path of Jesus’ Passion. Passion comes from the Latin word passio, which means suffering. We will recount the events of the Last Supper, Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, the trial before Pontius Pilate and Jesus’ route to Golgotha, the “place of a skull,” where he was crucified.

We will join other congregations for the Good Friday service, 7: 30 p.m. at First Christian Church, 36600 Niles Boulevard in Fremont.

On Easter Sunday, we will join in celebration of the Resurrection at 10:30 a.m. Victoria Barnes will sing a solo from the Messiah, which George Frederick Handel originally wrote for Easter, although most Americans include it among their Christmas traditions. Sunday School will be provided for young children; teenagers will be given the opportunity to help hide the Easter eggs at that time. At noon, our annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held at Sunol Glen School. The entire community is invited to the Easter Egg Hunt; feel free to invite your friends and neighbors to bring their children.

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