Easter Services 2024

Below is a description of all the services that we have planned for helping people reflect on the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection. We hope that you will use this information to be able to attend many of the services, and to be able to invite your friends to attend with you. If you are unsure of where the different locations are, see the note at the end of the email.

This time leading up to Easter can be a useful and powerful time in the cycle of our year. You might find it valuable to use this worksheet: "Some Ways to Get Ready for Easter" (PDF). If you'd like to watch the talk that goes with it, you can find that here: "Anticipating Easter".

You also might like to subscribe to receive free daily Easter readings and might like to join an online group to discuss the Easter readings.

 Jump to…

Sunday, March 17th

Young Children's Marionette Service (9:30am - Council Chamber)
This service will feature a simple depiction of the Easter story, using marionettes. It will be in the Council Chamber (the room above where Young Children's Service normally takes place). The whole service will be 15-20 minutes long. The Rev. John Odhner will lead this service.

Family Service (9:30am - Nave)
This will be a regular Family Service in the nave, with a topic looking towards Easter. The Rev. Coleman Glenn will lead this service. The choristers will be singing at this service.

Informal Family Marionette Service (10:15am - Council Chamber)
This service will also feature a simple depiction of the Easter story, using marionettes. It will be in the Council Chamber (the room above where Young Children's Service normally takes place). This service will be longer than the Young Children's Marionette Service and will include more discussion of the story after the marionette portion. The Rev. John Odhner will lead this service.

Adult Service (11:00am - Nave)
This will be a regular Adult Service in the nave, with a topic looking towards Easter. The Rev. Coleman Glenn will lead this service. The adult choir will be singing at this service.

Sunday, March 24th

Palm Sunday Family Festival Services (9:30 & 11am - Nave)
We're trying something new for Palm Sunday this year. We will have two identical services, both in the nave. There will be one talk for the whole family. At the end of the service, people will be invited to pick up palm branches on their way out of the building to then form a crowd outside and an actor playing the Lord will come past with a live donkey, while people sing and cheer. The Rev. Malcolm Smith will lead this service. The preludes and postludes will include music played on brass.

For these services, people can enter through any of the usual doors. At the end of the services, people will exit the Cathedral through the back west door or either of the left doors (to the Social Hall and Cloister) to get outside, collect a palm from tables outside, and find a place for the procession and singing. The procession will be in the square area of grass between the Cathedral and the parking lot). An actor playing the Lord will come past with a live donkey, while people sing "King of Kings" and cheer. Please keep your coats with you during the service so that we can all get outside for the procession efficiently.

After both of these services there will be some simple refreshments. If you would like to help with refreshments, greeting, or palm distribution, please contact LynnEllen King (lynnellen.king@brynathynchurch).

Palm Sunday Zoom Discussion (11:30am - Zoom)
There will be an online small-group discussion of the Palm Sunday service, hosted by the team that regularly meets on Sundays to discuss the Informal Family Service. These meetings usually last 60-75 minutes. All are welcome. Join the meeting.

Thursday, March 28th

Maundy Thursday Holy Supper (7:00pm - Nave)
This will be a reflective Holy Supper service with readings and a talk on the significance of the Last Supper and an opportunity to take Holy Supper. The Rev. Derek Elphick will lead this service.  Read the worship program.

Informal Maundy Thursday Holy Supper (7:00pm - Undercroft)
This will be a less formal opportunity to reflect on and take Holy Supper. The majority of the service will happen sitting at a big table together. This service will not be livestreamed to allow those who attend to fully focus on the in-person experience. The Rev. Jeff Smith will lead this service.

After both of these services there will be an opportunity for the attendees of both services to share some simple refreshments in the social hall of the cathedral. If you would like to help with refreshments, please contact LynnEllen King (lynnellen.king@brynathynchurch).
Note: Wheat and gluten-free bread and wine and grape juice will be available.

Online Small Group About Holy Supper (7:30pm - Zoom)
The Rev. John Odhner co-leads a weekly Thursday evening Zoom group at 7:30pm. People are invited to join them any week, but there is also a particular invitation to join this group for an interactive online discussion of Holy Supper and then an opportunity to take Holy Supper together. Join the meeting. The meeting generally lasts two hours, but you are welcome to join for any portion of that time.

Friday, March 29th

Good Friday Choral Vespers (7:30pm - Nave)
The Festival Chorus accompanied by a string quartet will present selections from Part II of Handel's “Messiah” interspersed with the Rev. Malcolm Smith reading the Passion portion of the Gospel of Mark and some selections from the teachings for the New Church. Organ preludes begin at 7:10pm. Email Graham Bier to find out more (graham.bier@brynathynchurch.org).

Download the Readings & Listening Notes Pamphlet (PDF)

Sunday, March 31st

Easter Family Festival Services (9:30 & 11 am - Nave)
On Easter Sunday we will offer two identical services, both in the nave. There will be one talk for the whole family. The doors to the nave will open 20 minutes before the start of the service for people to come in and view scenes depicting parts of the Easter story before the service begins. Everyone will enter the services, coming through the door by the front desk and walking through the Social Hall (i.e. not through the cloister, west, or south doors into the Nave). The Easter scenes will be indoors this year because Easter is so early this year.

To celebrate the Lord’s resurrection, the congregation is invited to bring an offering of flowers or potted plants at the beginning of either service. These offerings will be distributed to church members who have suffered a recent loss or challenging time. Bryn Athyn Church ministers will deliver the flowers on Easter Monday.

We could use some friendly greeters for these services. If you would like to help with a greeting for either or both of these services, please contact Nina Dewees (nina.dewees@brynathynchurch.org).

*NO Informal Family or Young Children's Service on Easter Sunday.

Live stream the Easter services.

Easter Zoom Discussion (11:30 am - Zoom)
There will be an online small-group discussion of the Easter service, hosted by the team that regularly meets on Sundays to discuss the Informal Family Service. All are welcome. These meetings usually last 60-75 minutes. Join the meeting.

Where are the Nave, Undercroft, Council Chamber, and Social Hall?

You can just come to the cathedral and someone will help you figure out where to go. And you also might find this picture helpful: