Church of the Messiah

Tag: Liturgy for the Pre-Born

  • Holy Week at Church of the Messiah!

    Holy Week at Church of the Messiah!

    We are about to enter one of the most powerful and moving seasons of the entire Church year and we would love for you to join us.  Holy Week is the week before Jesus’ Resurrection and includes so many incredible events in the life of Our Lord.  This year, Holy Week begins on Sunday, April 2nd, and Church of the Messiah will be having five services throughout the week.

    Holy Week begins with the celebration of Palm Sunday.  This morning we remember Our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem when the crowd received Him with shouts of “Hosanna in the highest!”  Our service begins Sunday morning, April 2nd, at 10 o’clock, and you will not want to be late because we begin in the church courtyard with the Blessing of the Palms and process together into the church remembering how Our Lord entered the Holy City.  The service also includes a special dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel.

    On April 6th, we will observe Holy Thursday and recall the evening Our Lord celebrated the Passover with His Disciples on the night before He was handed over to suffering and death.  Following Our Lord’s instructions, this service includes the powerful foot-washing ceremony in addition to the deeply moving Stripping of the Altar as a symbolic re-enactment of Jesus having everything taken from Him as He was arrested.

    From noon to 3 o’clock on Friday, April 7th, we will commemorate Good Friday.  Church of the Messiah’s Good Friday service is unique and impactful.  The service is built around a series of prayers, reflective worship presentations and meditations on the seven last words of Jesus.  The service also includes a reading of the Passion Gospel, veneration of the Holy Cross, and the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified.  While this service is three hours long, it is structured in such a way to allow for worshippers to enter and exit without disruption, so, please, plan on attending even if you cannot stay for the entire service.

    On Holy Saturday morning, April 8th, starting at 9 o’clock, Church of the Messiah will gather outside of A Woman’s Choice of Jacksonville, one of Jacksonville’s local abortion clinics, to pray the Liturgy for the Pre-Born, a special service which was created as both a service of Last Rites for those children who will die during this holy season and a series of prayers to end abortion in America and the world.

    Having recalled Our Lord’s passion and death, we can triumph in His Resurrection as we celebrate Jesus’ victory over the grave on Easter. We will have an incredible time of praise, special worship offerings and events for the children including an Easter Egg Hunt immediately following the service.  We look forward to celebrating the most incredible moment in the history of the universe with you on Sunday morning, April 9th, beginning at 10 o’clock.

    Each of the services will be live streamed via Facebook Live for those who are unable to attend in person.  Childcare will be provided at all service except Holy Saturday.  Facebook events have been created for each service so that you can easily invite you friends and family to join you at any or all of our services.  Simply click the underlined service to visit the Facebook event and share the event.  We are so excited to celebrate these incredible moment in the life of Christ and these wonderful church services.  We pray that you will worship with us and invite your friends and family to gather and celebrate with us the saving deeds of Jesus Christ Our Lord.

  • Easter and Holy Week at Church of the Messiah

    Easter and Holy Week at Church of the Messiah

    Join with Church of the Messiah as we celebrate the greatest event in all of eternity: the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His triumph of death and the grave!  The entire week leading up to Easter is full of unique and powerful services that help lead us in worship and celebrate the last moments of the Life of Christ prior to His glorious resurrection.  We invite you to join us for all of these incredible occasions.

    Our celebration of Holy Week begins Sunday, April 10th, at 10 o’clock with our Palm Sunday Service.  Palm Sunday commemorates both Our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and His glorious Passion later that week.  You will definitely not want to be late for this service as we will begin outside in the courtyard of the church with the Blessing of the Palm and process into the church together in memory of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into the Holy City.  In addition, we will have a special dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel from member of the congregation.  Palm Sunday is a powerful service and an amazing way to begin Holy Week.

    On Thursday, April 14th, beginning at 7 pm, we will celebrate Holy Thursday.  Holy Thursday remembers the night Jesus ate the Last Supper with His apostles, washed their feet, instituted the Holy Eucharist, and commanded them to “do this in remembrance of me.”  It was also the night on which Jesus was betrayed into the hands of those who would murder Him.  We commemorate all of these events in an incredible evening that really must be experienced.

    On Friday, April 15th, from noon until 3 o’clock, we commemorate Our Lord’s Passion and Death on the Holy Cross at our Good Friday service.  This service includes the reading of the Passion Gospel of St. John, intercessions and prayers, seven meditations on the death of Our Lord from different anointed speakers interspersed with reflective worship pieces from Church of the Messiah’s talented musicians and dancers. Although this service lasts a full three hours, it is structured in such a way that allows one to enter and exit easily without causing a distraction.  If you cannot come for the whole service, but are able to come for a few minutes on your lunch break, please do so.  We promise you will be blessed.

    On Saturday morning, April 16th, we will observe Holy Saturday by praying the Liturgy for the Pre-Born outside A Woman’s Choice of Jacksonville (click HERE for a map).  The Liturgy begins at 9 o’clock and is a combination of Last Rites for those children who will die through abortion as well as a series of prayer to end abortion in America and the world.  On a day when Our Lord’s body was in the tomb and his disciples believed Him to be dead, it is appropriate that we remember all those innocent children who are doomed to die.

    Finally, we celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord and His Triumph over death and the grave on Easter Sunday morning!  Join with Church of the Messiah and invite your friends and family as we celebrate the most important victory in the history of creation.  We will have special events for our children, incredible praise and worship, Holy Communion, an Easter Egg Hunt after the service, and even a few special surprises.  Be sure to join us for our Easter celebration beginning at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning, April 17th.

    With all of our services, we will live stream the services for those who are unable to attend on Church of the Messiah’s Facebook page.  Childcare is provided for those younger than sixth grade at all services except the Holy Saturday Liturgy for the Pre-Born.  We cannot wait for you to join us in celebrating all of the events of Holy Week and, most especially, the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter Sunday.

  • Fr. Terry Gensemer to Visit Church of the Messiah

    Fr. Terry Gensemer to Visit Church of the Messiah

    Fr. Terry Gensemer will be visiting Church of the Messiah during the last weekend in March.  Fr. Gensemer is the International Director of CEC for Life, the Pro-Life outreach ministry of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, and a long-time friend of Church of the Messiah.  In addition to leading CEC for Life, Fr. Gensemer has a long list of credentials including serving as the Pastoral Director for the Society of Centurions, an organization which hosts healing retreats for those who have left the abortion industry, years of parish ministry, and even, most recently, starring in a Pro-Life film.  Fr. Terry and his wife Patti have been married for over 50 years and together have two daughters and seven grandchildren!

    Fr. Gensemer’s visit to Church of the Messiah begins on Saturday morning, February 26th, at 9 o’clock, when he will lead us in praying the Liturgy for the Pre-Born in front of A Woman’s Choice of Jacksonville (Click HERE for a map).   Fr. Gensemer originally compiled the Liturgy for the Pre-Born as a combination of Last Rites for those children who would be dying in abortion and prayers to end abortion in America and the world.  Then, on Sunday morning, Fr. Gensemer will be preaching and celebrating the Holy Eucharist beginning at 10 o’clock.  Both the Liturgy for the Pre-Born and our Sunday morning service will be streamed on Church of the Messiah’s Facebook page.  It is going to be an incredible weekend with an anointed Man of God.  Be sure to make plans to attend and to invite your friends to join us.

  • Abp. Craig Bates and Cn. Terry Gensemer to Lead Liturgy for the Pre-Born

    Abp. Craig Bates and Cn. Terry Gensemer to Lead Liturgy for the Pre-Born

    This Saturday, June 26th, Archbishop Craig Bates and Canon Terry Gensemer will lead the Liturgy for the Pre-Born in front of A Woman’s Choice of Jacksonville.  Abp. Bates is the Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC) and an ardent pro-life advocate who has prayed on the front lines of the culture wars for  decades.  Canon Terry Gensemer is the founder and director of CEC for Life, the pro-life advocacy arm of the Charismatic Epicopal Church, which this year will celebrate its 20th anniversary.  Both men are tremendous advocates for the pre-born and we are blessed to have them lead the Liturgy for the Pre-Born in Jacksonville.  The Liturgy for the Pre-Born is a prayer service that is a combination of last rites for those who are condemned to die in abortion, prayers for repentance, and prayers for the end of the abortion holocaust throughout America and the world.

    We invite you to join with Abp. Bates, Cn. Gensemer and Church of the Messiah this Saturday morning beginning at 9 o’clock.  Through the graciousness of Family for Life  we are able to pray directly across from A Woman’s Choice of Jacksonville (click HERE for a map).  For those who are unable to attend in person, Church of the Messiah will live stream the event on their Facebook page via Facebook Live.  Please join Church of the Messiah and these mighty men of God as we pray for the day that abortion becomes not only illegal but unthinkable!

     

  • March for Life at Church of the Messiah

    This week more than a dozen members of Church of the Messiah will be heading up to Washington, D.C., to join with CEC for Life and participate in the 47th Annual March for Life.  If you cannot make the trek to the frozen north, you can still participate in a series of events planned right here at Church of the Messiah.

    On Thursday night, beginning at 7:00, we will have a night of pro-life intercession and prayer at Church of the Messiah.

    On Friday morning, starting at 9 o’clock, we will participate in a silent prayer vigil at All Women’s Health Center at 1545 Huffingham Road (click HERE for a map.  Please park in the church parking lot or alongside the road.)

    On Saturday morning, starting at 9 o’clock, we will be leading the Liturgy for the Pre-Born in front of All Women’s Health Center.  If you have never attended one of these liturgies, this will be a perfect opportunity to do so.

    For more information on any of these services, please contact Casey Harlow or Fr. Scott Melanson.

    In light of these scheduled event and our many youth who are traveling to Washington this week to participate in the March for Life, we are cancelling both Youth Group and our Adult Bible Study on Wednesday night, January 22nd.  This events will resume as normal on Wednesday, January 29th.