The author of this piece concerning the diary of St Andrew's parish Church has been overseas for an extended time but is now happily back in harness.
Last Sunday, 13th April, was Palm Sunday which marked the start of Holy Week, the final week of Lent which will culminate this week with the celebrations of Easter Day.
Much has been going on, particularly with the 7:30pm Compline services during this week, attended each time by Richard, Bishop of Bedford, who has delivered an address on every occasion.
The Palm Sunday parish Eucharist at 10am began with the Liturgy of Palms in the Market Square beforehand. The vicar, crucifer, choir and worshippers attending then processed to church.
Palms were blessed and as is traditional, the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke's Gospel, was read out to the church family by a sizable group at the chancel entrance. This
remarkable account covers the drama from just before the Jewish Festival of Unleavened Bread when Christ is brought before Pilot to the laying of his body in the tomb, provided by Joseph of Arimathea.
Later, there was the Sunday @ 6 service for Palm Sunday.
On Thursday, 17th, the 7:30pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist took place which included the Foot Washing and after the service, in the still silence of night, the start of the Watch took place. In pre-Reformation times, this was when the Watch over a specially constructed Holy Sepulchre took place in many a parish church. Today, being Good Friday, there will take place the Walk of Witness, starting at the Dan Albone car park.
At 11am, Good Friday worship takes place on our Market Square. Then, at 1:30pm, St John's Passion, the Good Friday Liturgy, will be read in the church. On Saturday, 19th, Easter Eve, between 10am to 12 noon, there will be Coffee Shop in the Chapter House which will include Craft and Chat. For anyone who is currently in the midst of making a useful item or perhaps a piece of weaving or embroidery, why not bring it along and perhaps you can swap notes about how it's going and or just have a natter over a cuppa whilst pressing on with your project!
At 8pm, there will be the Paschal Ceremony.
On Easter Day, 20th April, at 8am, there will be Said Communion, Order Two, the more traditional service based more on the Book of Common Prayer, a nice reflective and prayerful way to begin the Sunday.
At 10am, Festival Eucharist will occur. On Easter Monday, after a Chapter House breakfast, a coach leaves ultimately for the heart of our diocese, St Albans Abbey Church. This will in all probability be pre-booked. Some will be offloaded at Harpenden for a gentler 5 mile walk to our destination where a picnic awaits and finally, the 2:30pm procession into the cathedral. for the Easter Monday Pilgrim Service. No doubt, a much hardier walk will be demonstrated by some intrepid individuals, also on the day.
At this point, information for future events can be printed next week, except to mention that on 11th May, it's the APCM.