The Easter Vigil

Vigil Promo Website

Vigil Details

Location: All Souls Unitarian Church, 1500 Harvard St. NW

Time: 8:00 p.m., Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Easter Vigil Overview

Join us for a time of contemplation, celebration, artistic beauty and joyous remembrance, as we gather with the Church of the Advent and the Church of the Ascension for our annual Easter Vigil!

The Easter Vigil is an ancient Christian tradition celebrated on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Our service begins in darkness, remembering the brokenness both of our world and the body of Christ in the tomb. We recount through Scripture and the arts the story of our world through the Old Testament. Then, light breaks into the darkness, as we celebrate the risen Christ, who has overcome death and sin, and extends His grace to the world. The night culminates with the Eucharist, and an extended time of praise and worship. Bring your bells, keys, or anything else that makes noise!

The service lasts about 3 hours, and is followed by a reception. Childcare will not be provided.

Understanding the Vigil

Since the early church, keeping vigil the night before Easter Sunday has historically been a potent way for Christians to inhabit salvation’s holy history, the heart of which is Christ’s resurrection.

Sundown on Holy Saturday is our cue to gather in darkness. We begin by dwelling together in darkness symbolizing all darkness–the darkness of our world and the darkness of our hearts. Left alone, we are devoid of the light of life.

The reading of scripture lessons provides a panoramic view of what God has done for humanity, summarizing the faith into which all Christians are baptized. God created and pursued creation in it’s foolishness. He called us to faithfulness & life through the prophets. When we still chose death, God, in Jesus Christ became flesh and dwelt among us. The author of life bore death for us. The length of the vigil service compounds anticipation for the joy that is to come.

Light breaks into darkness. God raised Jesus from the dead, and in so doing, opened the door from death to life for all of creation. The paschal candle, symbolizing Christ, who is the light of the world, is carried through the church and progressively passed to the whole congregation. We return to be astonished at finding the tomb empty. We’ve been renewed by the word and given new life. The Exsultet & great Alleluia coincide with the symbolic dawn of Easter Sunday. The first use of the word Alleluia since the beginning of Lent proclaims Christ’s infinite victory over sin & death.

Historically, the vigil was largely focused on celebrating the entry of new believers into the family of God. Seekers would have spent the previous months learning from and living alongside their local church, and would be formally welcomed into the body of Christ on this night through Baptism. Although no baptisms will take place at our service tonight, we will re-affirm our baptismal vows together, and prepare for baptisms tomorrow.

Life in Christ implies celebration and feasting around a common table. Every preparation, all the anticipation and power of this night’s rituals and customs climax in Eucharist where believers are reunited with Christ through bread & wine at his table. We anticipate the marriage of heaven and earth when “people will come from east and west, and from north and south and recline at a table in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29).

Using words, fire, movement, music, and bread, the worshipping community becomes the pilgrim people of God, entering through His invitation into marvelous light. Together,we trace and abide in most ancient movement, from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light.

The vigil climaxes in a joyous celebration of the feast of the people of God. The risen Lord invites all to participate in the new life he brings by sharing the feast which he has prepared. We thus look forward to the great Messianic feast of the kingdom of God when the redeemed from every time and place “will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at the table in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29) The vigil thus celebrates what God has done, is doing and will do. We are sacramentally reunited with our risen Lord. All our preparations, all the power of this night’s rituals and sacraments lead us to celebrate the Eucharist, to “give God thanks and praise.”

Help with the Vigil

Reception and Celebration: We invite you bring a dessert and a beverage (wine is allowed) to share as we celebrate the Resurrection immediately following the service!
Set Up: Day of set-up occurs between 9AM and 7:00PM and we need all the hands we can get to place art work, hang lighting, run sound cables, etc. If you can help with set up email Whitney Porter (Rez) at whitney.r.porter@gmail.com.
Clean Up: We don’t play favorites, but we really love our clean-up crew. 11PM-1:00AM. This team will help clean up the space, pack up art, break down lighting, etc so that the church is ready to go for Easter Sunday. To help, email Whitney Porter at whitney.r.porter@gmail.com.
Processional Dancers: Love to dance? We are looking for dancers (age 10ish and up) to participate in the processional dance during the service, contact Elise Claire (Rez) at elisetclaire@gmail.com.
Pretty Things Creation: If you are interested in helping the aesthetics team with pre-Vigil preparations, which may include sewing, ironing, flower arranging, etc, email Marie Tyler (Rez) at tylerdm1@gmail.com.

 

Leave a Comment