A Joyful Noise April 2025
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Senior Warden Message
Tom Young, Senior Warden
Tom Young
Holy Week, Close Up
The holiest week of the year - Palm Sunday through Easter - is packed with meaning and special days. To some, this is old stuff; but to others, the meaning is not so well known. I, for one, am still learning! So let’s do a close-up of each day:
Sunday - Palm Sunday
Commemorates the day Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time. Not in a king’s glory with impressive horses but as a humble servant riding on a donkey. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. (Psalm 118:26, Matthew 21:9)
Monday - Laying Down Stones
People take a small stone or pebble and lay it down to represent burdens or worries they are carrying. This act is done as a way to release those burdens, and also to reflect on the crucifixion and death of Jesus. This is followed by a prayer or reflection whereby individuals lift their hearts to God to seek strength and forgiveness. At Christ Church we also hold up women of the Bible. A very meaningful service worth attending.
Tuesday - Stations of the Cross
The Stations make up a 14-step devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth as a man, focusing on specific events of His passion, from condemnation to burial.
Wednesday - Tenebrae
Tenebrae (from the Latin for 'darkness') is a solemn service characterized by a gradual extinguishing of light, and a loud noise (e.g., slamming books or stomping on the floor) at the end of the service. The darkened sanctuary symbolizes the darkness that enveloped the world, and the loud noise symbolizes the earthquake; both of which occurred during Christ's death. The Tenebrae service is a powerful tool for reflecting on the suffering and death of Christ, and for identifying with the darkness and loss felt by his followers. It is a somber prelude to the joy of Easter, reminding participants of the price that was paid for their salvation.
Thursday - Maundy Thursday
"Maundy," from the Latin "mandatum," meaning "mandate” or command." Commemorates Jesus' celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples and the washing of their feet, which emphasized humility, service, and the new commandment to love one another. Christ Church joins Jesus and his disciples across time, in an Agape meal in the sanctuary with Holy Eucharist, followed by optional foot washing.
Friday - Good Friday
Also known as Black Friday, Holy Friday, and Great Friday. It is a solemn day of mourning and reflection, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. Why “Good” Friday? While the event is tragic, some believe the term "Good Friday" signifies the positive outcome of Jesus' sacrifice, leading to the possibility of salvation and reconciliation with God.
Saturday - Easter Vigil
Held on Holy Saturday evening, the Vigil is a pivotal liturgy marking the first official celebration of Christ's resurrection. It typically begins in darkness, with a fire lit outside the church, and from that fire, the Easter candle (representing Christ) is lit and carried into the church, symbolizing the light of Christ conquering darkness. A deacon chants the "Easter Proclamation," also called the Exsultet, a hymn that celebrates the mysteries of the night and the victory of Christ. Sometimes Catechumens (those preparing for baptism) are baptized, and those already baptized renew their baptismal vows. The Vigil concludes with the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where the faithful receive communion, marking the joyous celebration of Christ's resurrection.
Sunday - Easter Sunday
We’ve all heard of Jesus's resurrection. This day commemorates that miraculous, world-changing, history-pivotal event. After Jesus was crucified on Friday, his body was taken down from the cross and buried in a sepulcher (cave tomb), given by Joseph of Arimathea (BTW Joseph is mentioned in all 4 gospels). The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers and enclosed by an enormous stone over the entrance. On Sunday, Mary Magdalene and some of Jesus's disciples visited the tomb . . . and what did they see? Read all about it (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-18). Or come to church on April 20!
Peace be with you during this Easter Season and always!
Meet Our New People’s Warden
Margaret Whatley
At the March Bishop’s Committee meeting, Margaret Whatley was elected to serve as Christ Church’s People’s Warden in 2025.
Hello to you all,
I want to introduce myself as your new People's Warden. My name is Margaret Whatley. I have been attending Christ Episcopal Church off and on for 47 years, although I have only been a church member for the last 15 years. I hope you will bear with me as I figure out how best to serve you. As I understand it, I am the liaison between you the congregation, the Bishop's Committee, and the Clergy.
So please, if you have any concerns or ideas for the church family, feel free to call on me. I am involved in the community and have been many years with schools, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, the diversion program, the library, and Little League. My information is in the church directory and I look forward to helping wherever I can.
Thank you,
Margaret Whatley
Lenten Evening Prayer
Jim Minton
Wednesdays, April 2 & April 9
6pm
Christ Church Sanctuary
Prayer services will be led by our new Worship Leaders.
Todd Fifield will lead the service on April 2.
Jim Minton will lead the service on April 9.
All are welcome.
Faith Formation Series with Reverend Courtney
The Rev.
Courtney
Jones
I Will with God’s Help
Our Lenten faith formation series with Rev. Courtney concludes on Sunday, April 6.
Class meets at 12:15 pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room
April 6
Seek and Serve and Striving for Justice
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?- What does it mean to seek and serve Christ? Who is my neighbor? A toolkit for becoming better neighbors. We will also be reflecting on our Christian commitment to justice, and what that might look like in our place and time.
For more information, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/iwillwithgodshelp/home
Pastoral or Confession Appointments
I’ll be available during Lent to meet with folks for pastoral or confession appointments. You can secure an appointment by going to my pastoral calendar and booking the time or emailing me at therevecj@gmail.com.
—Rev. Courtney
Lenten Faith Formation: Episco-Questions
The Rev. Diane
Ramerman
“Let All Things Be Done for Building Up”
Wednesday, April 9
4:30—5:15 pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room
Host: The Rev. Diane Ramerman
Come ask your questions about TCM, how to get involved, the history of our congregation, or really any manner of things related to our ministry!
An Invitation to Creamy’s Birthday Party
Creamy
Wilkins-Manning
You are invited to celebrate Creamy Wilkins-Manning on her 90th Birthday!
Creamy’s family is hosting a Birthday Party for her:
Wednesday, April 16
5:30 - 8:30 pm
Anacortes Senior Center Great Room
1701 22nd Street, Anacortes
Please RSVP to Martha Walls, 360-503-4743.
Palm Sunday Birthday Party
Christ Church will also celebrate Creamy’s Birthday at our Palm Sunday Coffee Hour. All are welcome.
Holy Week, Easter Vigil, & Easter Day Services
The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday
Sunday, April 13
10:30 am
Eucharist
Please meet in the Parish Hall Gathering Room.
We will process to the church following the Blessing of the Palms.
Presider & Homilist: The Rev. Keith Axberg
Listening to the Voices of Women in the Bible & Laying Down the Stones
Monday, April 14
6pm
In the first part of our service we will listen to the voices of women in the Bible, women who were often silenced, ignored, or undervalued.
In the second part of the service we will focus on laying down the stones that weigh us down with feelings of unworthiness, guilt, or despair and we will pick up new stones of strength, hope, and healing.
Presider: Shirley Barrett
The Way of the Cross
Tuesday, April 15
Noon
You are invited to make your way through the stations posted in the church, as the assembled group offers the prayers provided at each station.
Presider: The Rev. Eric Johnson
Tenebrae
Wednesday, April 16
6pm
Our Tenebrae service symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.
Presider: The Rev. Diane Ramerman
Maundy Thursday
Thursday, April 17
6 pm
Agape Meal & Holy Eucharist in the Sanctuary, followed by optional Foot Washing and Stripping of the Altar.
Please sign up on the sheet in the parish hall.
Presider: The Rev. Cristi Chapman
Homilist: The Rev. Vicki Johnson
Good Friday
Friday, April 18
Noon
Service of Solemn Collects & Anthems
The offering at this service is designated for the Diocese of Jerusalem.
Presiders: The Rev. Cristi Chapman & The Rev. Eric Johnson
Homilist: The Rev. Eric Johnson
The Great Vigil of Easter
Saturday, April 19
8pm
Holy Eucharist & Holy Baptism
We will begin on the church lawn with the Blessing of the New Fire, then proceed to the Sanctuary.
Presider: The Rev. Courtney Jones
Homilist: Emily Sander
The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Sunday
Sunday, April 20
10:30 am
Holy Eucharist
Presider & Homilist: The Rev. Courtney Jones
A festive Coffee Hour & Easter Egg Hunt will follow the service.
What Can We Do to Help in the Holy Land?
Maggie Collinge
Maggie
Collinge
The following list, compiled by the Diocesan Bishop’s Committee for Peace and Justice in the Holy Land, provides suggestions for understanding what is happening in the Holy Land and ways that you can help. Please see if any of the opportunities are of interest to you. Thank you for considering what you might do.
Sign on to Episcopal Bishop’s Committee mailing list for current information and events
Check out our website www.holylandjustice.org
Preach and Pray for a just peace and equal rights for all in your “Prayers of the People”
Support humanitarian efforts to provide food, medical supplies and other basic necessities of displaced victims of war (American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem) https://afedj.org/give/overview/)
Organize a core group who can keep you up to date on current news and diocesan activities
Invite us to visit your church—forum, speakers, workshop or series
Watch for the St. Mark’s Mideast Focus film series, special seminars or online webinars
Organize a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (we can help with this)
Create a book club or study group for the American Friends “Bearing Witness” https://afedj.org/bearingwitness/overview/; “Steadfast Hope” or “Zionism Unsettled” developed by the Presbyterian Justice Network https://thepjn.org/about; or the NEME learning resources of Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East https://www.neme.network/resources
Develop a companionship with a Christian parish, school or health care ministry in Palestine or Israel. We can help connect you
Consider creating pen pals (an activity for youth as well as adults)
Network with other churches and denominations for joint action
Sign up for action alerts from Episcopal Peace Fellowship/Palestine Israel Network; Episcopal Office of Governmental Relations; Churches for Midde East Peace; Friends of Sabeel North America; Kairos Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East. Respond often.
Communicate with your elected representatives—phone calls best
Discuss the issues with your family, friends and neighbors
Attend a meeting of the BC (in person or Zoom)
Bishop’s Committee for Peace and Justice in the Holy Land bishopscommittee@gmail.com
Youth Group
Youth Group will meet on Thursday, April 17, to join in the 6pm Maundy Thursday Agape Dinner and Eucharist and to prepare for the children’s Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Day.
On Easter Sunday, April 20, we will meet at 10:30 am to present a Godly Play story and hide the Easter eggs!
On Wednesday, April 30, we will resume our usual schedule, beginning with a 6pm dinner in the Parish Hall Gathering Room.
All youth in Middle School & High School are welcome.
Youth Group Leaders are Melissa Simonsen, Mark Perschbacher, and The Rev. Courtney Jones.
April Designated Plate Offering
Our designated plate offering will take place this month on the fourth Sunday of the month, April 27. The plate offering is designated for the Foundation for Academic Endeavors.
The mission of the Foundation for Academic Endeavors is to collectively break down barriers to educational achievement for diverse students, educators, and families. Working with families with students in kindergarten through college, FAE offers a variety of programs to help prepare parents and students for the future.
FAE’s Summer programs are an opportunity for fun, culturally uplifting, and academically challenging summer learning for under-resourced pre-k through high school students and families in our Skagit Valley communities. FAE’s College Fellow program provides college students from the Latinx community studying education the opportunity to plan and co-teach alongside experienced professional teachers, allowing them to gain guided experience as they prepare for a teaching degree or certificate.
Learn more at Foundation for Academic Endeavors.
Donations by check should be made to Christ Church with Foundation for Academic Endeavors in the memo line. Thank you!
Bishop’s Committee Meeting
*Updated*
The Bishop’s Committee will meet on Thursday, April 24.
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room & Zoom.
All are welcome to attend.
Amnesty International Appeal
The Rev. Eric Johnson
Maria Ponomarenko
This month’s appeal for the release of prisoners of conscience is on behalf of Maria Ponomarenko, an unjustly imprisoned Russian journalist and anti-war activist, who is at serious risk of further harm. Ms. Ponomarenko, a journalist with online media RusNews, was sentenced on February 15, 2023 to six years’ imprisonment for a social media post condemning the Russian strike on the drama theater in Mariupol, where hundreds of civilians were reportedly sheltering.
She is serving her sentence in penal colony IK-6 in Shipunovo in southern Siberia, where she has faced ill-treatment, including multiple placements in a disciplinary cell, solitary confinement and denial of adequate healthcare.
We will have a petition available to sign addressed to Russian authorities on her behalf, urgently requesting that she be granted access to an independent medical expert and to an independent human rights expert to assess her conditions and treatment in detention.
Red Door Thrift Shop
Christ Church’s Red Door Thrift Shop is located at 1019 Seventh Street in Anacortes.
360-293-8027, Red Door Thrift Shop
Red Door Shopping Hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am – 3pm
Red Door Donation Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 10am – 1pm
Profits generated at the Red Door Thrift Shop fund Christ Church’s Community Support program.
Shoppers, Volunteers, & Donations are always welcome!
Celebrations!!!
Happy Birthday Wishes to…
…Margo Huth on April 19
……MJ Barrett on April 29
Please send the month & date of your birthday, baptismal date, anniversary, and/or other special occasions so we can help you celebrate your blessings in the Joyful Noise.
Sunday Services
Please check your Weekly Update for each week’s Servers & Hymns.
YEAR C
6 April 2025
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Reverend Courtney Jones
Readings:
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
13 April 2025
The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday
9:15 am Chandler’s Square Holy Eucharist
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
Presider: The Rev. Keith Axberg
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Reverend Keith Axberg
Readings
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 22:14 - 23:56
20 April 2025
The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Sunday
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
Presider: The Rev. Courtney Jones
Readings:
Acts 10:34-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
John 20:1-18
27 April 2025
The Second Sunday of Easter
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
10:30 am Christ Church Morning Prayer
Christ Church Sanctuary
Readings:
Acts 5:27-32
Psalm 118:14-29
Revelation 1:4-8
John 20:19-31