Spending Easter in State College?
You are invited to the Vigil of Easter
Saturday, April 7th at 7:30 pm
Trinity Lutheran Church 2221 North Oak Lane
Come to celebrate our release from sin and death into the light of Christ, our resurrected and risen Lord!
What is the Vigil of Easter?
To answer this question, we might first ask what is a vigil? Perhaps you have heard of staying with someone who is sick or dying, or with one who has recently died, until they are commended into the hands of God. Vigil comes from the Latin vigilia, which means wakefulness. During a vigil we keep watch on behalf of someone in dire need and accompany them on their journey.
With this in mind the early Christian church gathered to observe the Vigil of Easter at sunset, the beginning of the day in their Jewish heritage, before the great Resurrection dawn, when Jesus’ tomb was found to be empty. For many contemporary Protestant Christians this Vigil has been replaced by sunrise services at the beginning of our day. However, the evening Vigil remains a powerful worship experience that uses imagery and movement to celebrate the world’s journey from the darkness of death into the light of Christ’s resurrection.
Imagine yourself as one keeping vigil with Jesus, who has been placed in the tomb. We gather by candlelight, in dim light, to hear the stories of God’s faithfulness to Israel. We are reminded of our place in this story in the celebration of the sacrament of Baptism. We then recall that somehow in the night, in the mystery of God, Christ who once was dead is now risen, and we move to a bright place of celebration, awakening our Alleluias that slept through Lent, and together we share the first Communion meal of the Easter season. This is the Vigil of Easter.