Holy Saturday
April 19, 2025
Services on Holy Saturday began as early as the fourth century with the practice of holding vigil the night before Easter morning, often extending through the night and ending at dawn. Today, a Holy Saturday service (or a “Easter Vigil”) is often held sometime after dark on Saturday and before dawn on Sunday, during the night that Jesus rose from the dead. Often viewed as the first service of the Easter season, it is a kind of “transition” service—remembering the moment of Christ passing from death to life. The service begins with the subdued tone of Good Friday and ends with the rejoicing of Easter. It is our kickstart to the Easter festivities to come the next day.
We will follow a number of great traditions connected to this night. We will start outside of the hall around a bonfire, relight the extinguished Christ candle, and process into the building together while we sing. Lights will still be dim from the service the night before. We will hear the story of God’s salvation in the Old testament with a series of readings that foreshadow the resurrection. Finally, when we read about the resurrection itself, we will celebrate Christ passing into life with a great cheer. This is where the noisemakers come in. Many churches do something similar to this to mark the moment of passing from life to death in a dramatic and celebratory way. The idea is to raise a joyful shout, complete with anything that makes noise. Feel free to bring noise makers or instruments or even hit pots and pans. This will be a joyful, celebratory moment if we join in heartily. It should be fun for the kids too. This shift from death to life will be further emphasized by turning on lights and setting the communion table for Easter Sunday.
9333 Santa Barbara Rd, Atascadero, CA 93422
7pm
