Traditionally, services have been held on Easter Eve, the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday. Theses services don’t have the same focus as Good Friday. The emphasis is on waiting, which are often called Vigils. Some of us may have waited by the bedside of a sick family member, perhaps a child or parent, and we’ve refused to go home, we’ve ‘kept a vigil,’ which means both waiting and watching. We’re not prepared to give up hope and we look for any sign that the person will get better.
The Easter Vigil is the same sort of thing. We enter into a spirit of waiting and watching, longing for the resurrection of Jesus.
St Luke’s is encouraged to join in with some national initiatives.
Rumours of Hope
Through Saturday night and on into Sunday morning you can stay up and join in with a series of acts of worship. Some people nap between each act, setting an alarm to wake for each act of worship. They start off well space out, but by the end the different acts come quite quickly. It is expected that Rolf will be featuring during the 3.45am slot on Hosea.
You can read about this national initiative here. Follow the event on Facebook, or go to the website.
Rumours of Hope 2020: A Vigil for Our Times—DRAFT PROGRAMME
8pm Mission Community of St Frideswide
9pm Deut 26:1-11 ‘wandering Aramaean’
10pm Ruth 1 (Ruth’s commitment to Naomi)
11pm Gen 3 (Fall)
12pm Psalm of lament
12.45pm Exodus
1.30am Job 19 ‘I know that my redeemer liveth’
2.15am 1 Samuel 1-2 excerpts (Hannah and Samuel);
3am Nehemiah
3.45am Hosea (foolishness)
4.15am 1 Kings 18:22-39 (Elijah and the fire)
4.45am Looking forward
5.15am Reflection
FINISH @ dawn Canterbury Service of Light at dawn
rumours_of_hope_programme-inviteUp All Night
Another online vigil is available called Up All Night.
Morna Simpson, a friend of Rolf’s from vicar college, is hosting Up All Night.
