Lent & Easter 2023

We do not know how to pray, but the Spirit itself prays within us.
- Romans 8:26

Wednesday Lenten Study: Growing in the Wilderness

Wednesdays at 7pm, via Zoom.

This is your invitation to keep a Holy Lent and to grow in your faith. God does amazing things in the wilderness, even when the wilderness stretches on for a while! These are all wilderness stories that remind us of what God can teach there, and that good things come out of wilderness times.

Growing in the Wilderness is a 5-part video series which we will watch together on Wednesday evenings following Evening Prayer. After each short video we will discuss the topic of the week in relation to different parts of scripture and our own experiences.

We encourage you to be an active participant in growing closer to God and in faith during this Holy Lent!

March 1, Week 1: CLEARER GROWING IN CLARITY
March 8, Week 2: ORDER GROWING IN PRIORITIES
March 15, Week 3: INTIMATE GROWING IN RELATIONSHIP
March 22, Week 4: APPRECIATION GROWING IN COMPASSION
March 29, Week 5: CONVICTION GROWING IN CONFIDENCE

Importance attendance information. Please click HERE to register on Zoom. You will then be sent a link for the meetings.

CANCELLED: Sunday Lenten Program: Reading Wisdom from the Wider World

Due to some unforeseen changes in Deacon Paul Impey's life and ministry, we are cancelling the Sunday Lent Program he was leading: Reading the Wisdom of the Wider World.

If at any time in the future he is able to be with us again we will ask him to lead us in completing this conversation.

LENT SCHEDULE

Shrove Tuesday, February 21
6:00-8:00p.m. St. Paul's Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Feed and Races, in-person only
In the Parish Hall (116 Montecito, St. Paul's House, next door to the church)
We'll serve a traditional Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner with bacon, vegan sausage, coffee & juice and all the pancakes you can eat! There is always a gluten free pancake option.

Then get ready for the competitive and really fun pancake races! Will last year's winners defend their titles? Join us to find out!
Cost: Suggested donation of $1.00 for kids, $3.00 for adults.

Ash Wednesday, February 22
12:10p.m. Ash Wednesday Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
Ash Wednesday Holy Eucharist, with imposition of ashes and Eucharist, marking the beginning of Lent.
ASHES TO GO will follow the service.

7:00p.m. Ash Wednesday Choral Eucharist, in-person & streamed
Ash Wednesday Choral Eucharist, with imposition of ashes and Eucharist, marking the beginning of Lent.
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
ASHES TO GO will follow the service.

Thursdays, February 23 through March 30
12:10 p.m. Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the Chapel.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

Fridays, February 24 through March 31
12:10 p.m. Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the Chapel.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

6:00 p.m. Friday Night Walk, in-person only
Stop Gun Violence an in our neighborhoods! Meeting locations and program details are on this flyer and in the article elsewhere on this page.

6:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross, in-person & streamed
In the Church.
More information and details are HERE
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

Sundays, February 26 through March 26
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
Rite I, Book of Common Prayer.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

10:00 a.m. Choral Eucharist, in-person & streamed
Rite I, Book of Common Prayer.
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

10:00 a.m. Children's Programs, in-person
Mustard Seeds for younger children. In the Bride's Room.
Faith Quest for ages 12 and under. with a new Diocesan-supported curriculum. Ask an usher for location.

CANCELLED: Lenten Program: Reading Wisdom from the Wider World

March 5 only: 4:00 p.m. Evensong, in-person & streamed
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

Feb 26 and March 26 only: 8:00 p.m. Compline, in-person & streamed
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

Mondays, February 27 through April 3
12:10 p.m. Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the Chapel.
Rite I, The Book of Common Prayer.

7:00 p.m. Lent Night Prayer, in-person only
In the Church.
Join us each Monday through Lent for lay-led Night Prayer from the New Zealand Prayer Book and the music on this Spotify playlist.
Pamela Kruse-Buckingham, facilitator.
See more details on this page.

Every Tuesday, February 27 through March 28 (no service on April 3)
12:10 p.m. Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the Chapel.
Rite I, The Book of Common Prayer.

Every Wednesday, February 28 through March 28
12:10 p.m. Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the Chapel.
Rite I, The Book of Common Prayer.

7:00 p.m. Evening Prayer & Lenten Series: Growing in the Wilderness, via Zoom
Evening Prayer followed by the Program. See full description, above.
Please click HERE to register on Zoom. You will then be sent a link for the meetings.

Palm Sunday
and Holy Week

PALM SUNDAY - APRIL 2

Brick church congregation outside on the street processing toward the entry

8:00 a.m. Palm Sunday Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the Church.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

10:00 a.m. Palm Sunday Choral Eucharist, in-person & streamed
Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday. With procession of the Palms and reading of the Passion Gospel.
Gather on the Veterans Green, across the street. With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

4:00 p.m. Evensong, in-person & streamed
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

HOLY MONDAY APRIL 3
12:10 p.m. Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the Chapel.
Rite I, The Book of Common Prayer.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

7:00 p.m. Lent Night Prayer, in-person only
In the Church.
See more details on this page.

HOLY TUESDAY APRIL 4

No services today. All clergy will be at Grace Cathedral.

HOLY WEDNESDAY APRIL 5

Ritual candle stand inside a darkened church

7:00 p.m. The Service of Tenebrae, in-person & streamed
In the Church. Chants, hymns, readings, and the gradual extinguishing of candles to complete darkness.
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

MAUNDY THURSDAY APRIL 6

7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday Liturgy, in-person & streamed
In the Church.
Commemorate the Last Supper.
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

40 Days of Gratitude: A Lenten Practice for the Really Busy

This Lent, the Stewardship Committee invites you to develop your gratitude practice by noticing and giving thanks for the small things in your daily life. Practicing gratitude offers a number of physical, mental and spiritual benefits.

Getting started

Take notice of some small thing in your daily life and offer a prayer of thanksgiving. If you aren’t sure where to start, you can use this calendar of suggestions for each day in Lent. Offering a prayer of thanksgiving takes just a few minutes of your day. The practice of noticing and giving thanks is transformative.

You may be inspired to take your gratitude practice to the next level. For example, you might document your reflections either through a written, illustrated, or photographic journal. You can post them to our Facebook group page if you like!

Gratitude is a natural precursor to generosity. Your practice might lead you an act of generosity to create a blessing for someone else.

We hope that you will join us!

Read more about the benefits of gratitude at https://unitedthankoffering.com/whygratitude/

Mondays, 7:00 p.m., Lent Night Prayer

In the Church.
February 27, March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3, 2023

Pamela Kruse-Buckingham, facilitator with music by U2, David Gray, Natalie Merchant, Aaron Neville, Arcade Fire, Florence & The Machine, Iron & Wine/Calexico, Green Day, Carbon Leaf, Fleetwood Mac, Maggie Rogers, Vienna Teng, Dave Matthews Band & L’Anarchiste And a Liturgy adapted from A New Zealand Prayer Book.

Join us in the Church each Monday at 7pm through Lent for Lay Led Night Prayer from the A Zealand Prayer Book and the music on this Spotify playlist.

This Lent, let's pray and seek the Light of God together through this amazing liturgy and music. For a peek at the worship bulletin, click HERE.

Questions? Reach out to Pam at pamela.kruse.buckingham@gmail.com

Night Walks
Fridays 6:00 p.m.
Feb 24, March 10, 17, 24, 31

Stop the gun violence! Far too many people in our community have died before their time. Far too many people are wasting their lives in prison. Oakland Ceasefire is a movement to stop the killings without sending more people to jail. We are uniting to build a culture of peace and healing. We are walking our neighborhoods to carry this message: We love you and we want you to be alive and free!

Meet at the following locations:
Feb 24 – St. Patrick’s, 1023 Peralta St.
March 10 – St. Columba, 6401 San Pablo Avenue
March 17 – At Thy Word, 8915 International Blvd
March 24 – St. Elizabeth, 1500 34th Ave
March 31 – St. Benedict’s, 2245 82nd Avenue
NOTE: No Night Walk on March 3 or April 7 (first Fridays).

Organizers: Faith in Action East Bay

Circle of Peace
7:00 p.m. Holy Saturday, April 8

April 8 is Holy Saturday, the day between Good Friday & Easter. On that day we honor the day that Our Savior lay in the tomb. This is the perfect day for the church to stand in meditative prayer for peace, so we will be joining various Oakland gun violence prevention organizations in a Circle of Peace around Lake Merritt at 7PM April 8.

The candle-lit silent meditation begins at 7, we will meet at St. Paul’s Church at 6:30 to walk to the lake together.

This is just a 30 minute meditation, so we will return to the church in time for the 8PM beginning of the Easter Vigil. All are invited to attend the Vigil service!

After the 10am service on Sundays during Lent, Paula and other members of the Social Justice Committee will be signing up people who would like to attend. Contact paula.hawthorn@gmail.com for details.

Grass with paving in a labyrinth pattern

During Lent, take a walk in St. Paul's natural garden Labyrinth in the Southwest Courtyard.

Resources for individual Lenten devotions
(With thanks to Rev. Anne Jensen and to Sharon Pilmer

Forward Day by Day, printed version, is available in the narthex. You can also have it sent to you through your email daily. orders@forwardmovement.org

Living Compass: Many people appreciated using this source for Advent. For daily readings in Lent go to https://www.livingcompass.org/lent and scroll down to the online option.

Take the 40 Acts of Generosity Challenge: https://40acts.org.uk

I am not long for this world. I am passing through, holding on to nothing, grateful for everything.
- Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, Meditations for Lent

Open Thy fount, eternal Dove,
And overflow this heart of mine,
Enlarging as it fills with Thee,
Till in one blaze of charity
Care and remorse are lost, like motes in light divine.
- John Keble (1792-1866)

Let our journey be a perpetual one. Let us die to the world daily.
Let us say with the apostle, “I die every day.”
- 1 Cor 15:31

GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 7

Large wooden cross lying on its side in front of a church altar

12:00 Noon-3:00 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy, in-person & streamed
In the Church.
Traditional Good Friday three hour service with the Passion Gospel and Veneration of the Cross. Meditations on the seven last words of Jesus.
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

3:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross, in-person & streamed
A devotion to the Passion of Christ, recalling a series of events at the end of Jesus' life from his condemnation to his burial.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

HOLY SATURDAY APRIL 8

Choir carrying lit candles processing up the aisle in a dark church

7:00-7:30 p.m. Circle of Peace at Lake Merritt, in-person only
Meet at the Church. More details are in the article on this page.

8:00 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter, in-person & streamed
In the Church.
The Great Vigil of Easter, with kindling of New Fire, Exultet, Baptisms, and the first Mass of Easter.
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

SUNDAY APRIL 9

CHRIST IS RISEN! Join the Celebration!

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the Church. Rite II, BCP.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

10:00 a.m. Festival Choral Eucharist, in-person & streamed
In the church. Rite II, BCP.
With St. Paul's Choir. Ben Bachmann, Director of Music.
Watch the stream on our Facebook Group page HERE

10:00 a.m. Children's Programs, in-person only
Bring your children for Easter! All programs for children programs will be available today. Mustard Seeds for younger children: in the Bride's Room.
Faith Quest for ages 12 and under. with a new Diocesan-supported curriculum: ask an usher for location.

Children's Easter Egg Hunt and catered Easter brunch will follow the service.