If we surveyed the congregation about favorite holidays, I would be very surprised if Easter ranked very highly. Afterall, Thanksgiving feasts and Memorial Day picnics have the best food, New Years Eve and the Fourth of July have fireworks, Halloween has better candy, and Santa Claus clearly beats the Easter Bunny. However, if we look at the church calendar, there is no more important celebration than Easter. From the very earliest days of the church, Easter has been recognized as the foundation of the Christian faith - because Jesus’ resurrection from the dead proves that the powers of death and sin are no match for the power of God’s healing love. And, because Easter is so important, we want to celebrate it well!

As I’ve been saying on Sundays, this is the point of Lent. This season is not about wallowing in guilt, or even primarily about self-denial. Rather, it is a time of preparation. During Lent we remember our mortality and our fallibility; we take time to recognize the things that are broken in the world and in our hearts. By doing so, we are reminded of our need for redemption. Despite all our technology and learning, we are never able to fully fix what is wrong in the world – or even in our own hearts and bodies. When we recognize this, we are ready to celebrate Jesus’ victory over death – and to embrace the new kind of life that the resurrection makes possible.

This time of preparation reaches its climax in the week leading up to Easter, often known as Holy Week. As many of you know, the services of Holy Week are some of the most beautiful and significant services you could possibly hope to experience. Through Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, we remember the last days of Jesus’ natural life. In doing so, we enter into the great mysteries of the Christian faith: that the author of life endured death on our behalf, and that an experience of torture and horror somehow becomes the source of new life.

I sincerely hope that you will join us on this journey. And, this year, I especially want to invite you to join us on Saturday night, March 30^th, for the Easter Vigil. This is my very favorite service of the year, and it is the first Easter Service. We will gather at sunset, when we will light a fire outside the church as a symbol of the new light revealed in the resurrection. We will next proceed by candlelight into the church, where we get to read some of the of greatest stories in all of Scripture, remembering how God has been at work all throughout history. Then, the real celebration begins with the first announcement of the resurrection – at which the lights come up as we ring bells and bang pots and make a joyful noise. Finally, we renew our baptismal vows and come to the table of our risen Lord to taste and see the goodness of God. Again, it is an incredible service, and I hope you will make every effort to join us for it – and for the celebratory reception afterwards.

Sincere thanks to all who donated items during January and February for our Cradles to Crayons clothing drive! We ended up dropping off 8 bags of clothing and shoes, 5 boxes of books, 4 containers of school and craft supplies and a few personal hygiene items. I know the Cradles to Crayons staff are grateful and the children of Philadelphia will benefit from your generosity. Thank you!

Throughout Lent, we are having a discussion series on Tuesday evening, designed and led in collaboration with Heather Shayne Blakeslee and the team behind Root Quartely Magazine (find out more about the magazine, and about the discussion series, at their website: https://www.rootquarterly.com).

In the first two weeks, we talked about social, political, and personnal grief, considering how we might build bridges in a polarized society and how we can bear grief or help grieving loved ones. Future discussions will engage with topics such as forgiveness, memory, hope in dark places, conscientious objection, and sabbath keeping. The series is free and open to the public, making it a wonderful way to welcome the broader community into our space. The series is designed so that you can drop in or out as your schedule allows, so even if you missed the first couple of sessions it is not too late! Please plan to join us on Tuesdays at 7pm in Riverside Hall, where a light supper will be served at the beginning of each session. 

Join us for a refreshed version of our popular service. Don't worry, it isn't entirely different! Paul Fejko will still be performing on our beautiful Hook & Hastings organ. Keep an eye out for some interesting guest guitarists, a drum circle, poems, and discussions that we hope will inspire you throughout the rest of the week. The program will be led by our sextons, Jim & Paula Minacci, who want to create a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere that everyone will enjoy. 

Service will be held at 6:00pm during lent.

As the old adage says, "Confession is good for the soul." In the Episcopal Church, private confession with a priest is not required of anyone. However, some people find it to be a helpful practice from time to time. If there are parts of your story that weigh on your heart and mind, confession may be an opportunity to open yourself to a fresh experience of God’s grace. Rev. Chris is available for anyone who is interested, and you can learn more about the rite in the Book of Common Prayer, pages 446-452 – The Reconciliation of a Penitent. 

Please contact Rev. Chris at rector@old-swedes.org to schedule.

Would you be interested in brainstorming, discussing, planning and participating in Gloria Dei missions?  

We plan to meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 9:00 on Zoom. 

Any questions, please contact Jill Duink (jillddd@hotmail.com).  

Meeting ID: 897 2826 6283   Passcode: 098374 

Join Zoom Meeting: Click here to join the Zoom.

Thank you to all that made our Valentine's Pancake Brunch a success. All in all, we raised a whopping $625! This enabled us to give a small donation to the Morris Animal Refuge as a thank you for helping out with the church cat, Bill (pictured). We are fortunate to be surrounded by such a wonderful & supportive community.

Peace - 

Paula & Jim Minacci

Rachel Armstrong is facilitating a study group using the book Will You? A Lenten Study of Baptismal Promises Thursdays at 11:00am on Thursdays during Lent. Copies of the book are available for free on a first come, first served basis, and you're welcome to join even if you've missed the first few sessions. 

Meetings are held in person in the Rectory, but we are also happy to have people join by Zoom using the details below.

Zoom: Meeting ID: 869 4114 7722       Passcode: 2y91ds

or

Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Rosalind Remer will detail Drexel University’s plans to make treasures from the famous Atwater Kent Collection accessible to the public … without having a brick-and-mortar museum. She’ll do this Wednesday, March 13, 7 p.m. at Historic Gloria Dei (Old Swedes) Church, 916 S. Swanson Street (Columbus Blvd. and Christian Street) in the Queen Village section of Philadelphia. Admission is $10, which includes a drink ticket for a beverage of your choice (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). Advance registration is highly recommended.

Remer, a senior official at Drexel, will describe what’s in the collection, how each piece from the former Philadelphia History Museum is being evaluated … and also discuss the university’s ambitious plans to loan items to area organizations.

Over 130,00 items involved

Notable pieces among the extraordinary collection’s 130,000 items are: the desk that George Washington used as President while in Philadelphia; a wampum belt reportedly given to William Penn after his treaty with the local Lenape Indians; a drinking glass owned by Benjamin Franklin; a hat worn by President Abraham Lincoln on the way to his first inauguration; and Philly champ Joe Frazier’s boxing gloves.
When money problems forced the 80-year-old history museum to close in 2018, Drexel stepped in at the city’s request.Its mammoth task: to evaluate the collection’s historical value piece-by-piece, and design a way for this extraordinary collection of collections to remain accessible to the public – without opening a brick-and-mortar museum.
Remer will report on Drexel’s plans and progress in providing public access to the collection. In the past, she directed planning efforts for the National Constitution Center and was executive director of the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary; today, she also is chair of the board of managers of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, the nonprofit owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Meet-and-Mingle Reception Afterward

Part of “Great Talks at Gloria Dei,” this program will take place inside the church sanctuary. A Meet-and-Mingle reception with the speaker will follow in nearby Riverside Hall. Attendance there is limited to 75 people. For a modest donation, you can sample delicious gourmet desserts paired with wine, coffee or tea at the reception.

This program is hosted by the Historic Gloria Dei Preservation Corporation. One hundred percent of the funds raised from this event will go toward the preservation of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church and its graveyard.

Thank you again from all the folks from SACC (Snyder Avenue Congregational Church) for supporting their food pantry and for giving Christmas gifts to their wonderful children.

Please enjoy this youtube video below!

Every other Sunday, Rev. Chris Micklewright and Carol Jenkins will be leading an adventure on church grounds for kids of all ages. These adventures, which will include things like climbing the bell tower and exploring the graveyard, are a chance to learn about the life of the church, to have some fun, and to talk about faith. Immediately following the 10:00am Sunday service, kids are invited to grab a snack and gather in Riverside Hall while Rev. Chris gets ready, and we will plan to be back at Riverside Hall before noon. Parents are welcome to come along if that helps your kids feel more comfortable.

There will also be a special meeting of the Adventure Club at noon on Good Friday for anyone who is available. Adults are welcome to join for this kid focused service as we talk about the meaning of Good Friday and of the cross. Following the service, all are invited to help stuff Easter eggs as we prepare for the annual egg hunt on Easter Sunday. 

If you would like to contribute funds for Easter Flowers, there are 3 ways to give:

1. Take one of the Easter Flower envelopes and put it in the offertory basket during Sunday service.

2. Donate online at https://www.old-swedes.org/give and scroll down to "give online now". Be sure to add the names of the loved ones you would like remembered in the memo box.

3. Mail a check with the names of your loved ones to Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church, 916 S. Swanson Street, Philadelphia, PA  19147.

Join us as the Sextons host their ever-popular all-you-can-eat pancake brunch! $10 gets you plenty of pancakes, fruit, pastries, coffee, juice, etc. Cash preferred, Venmo accepted.

Live Irish music & dancing featuring:

Our own Paul Fejko
Shannon McGill Vasile
John Brennan Blues
Rosaleen McGill
Young Sam James
Pie-eyed Preachers
Michael McShane from Cowmuddy
Bevan Dayn from Cardinal Arms

Best deal in town! See you there!

Yes! You can donate Bibles and Workbooks to the ladies in recovery at Mercy Hospice this Lent.

There are donation envelopes on the table at the back of the church, or you can give using our Gloria Dei website.   https://www.old-swedes.org/give   Please enjoy a look at the Recovery Bibles and Workbooks displayed on the back table in church.

On March 17 we will have a special guest from Mercy Hospice speaking at our 10:00 Sunday Service. Marcey gives out our Bibles, organizes Bible studies, and runs other groups and activities for the women. Marcey will say a few words to us during announcements. You can hear for yourself how appreciated you are!

You’ll probably wonder in church this Palm Sunday, why the frontal that you usually see at Lucia/Christmas is on the altar.  We use it then because it’s Swedish but it actually depicts Christ on a donkey entering Jerusalem…exactly what we are commemorating today!

This frontal is a copy of a mural on the wall of a church in the Dalarna region of Sweden.  It was painted in 1818 by Back Erik Andersson (1778-1847), and our frontal is a textile copy made in the 1950’s of that wall mural.

The text says “Of Jesus Christ riding into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey and the people spreading elderberries before (Him) upon the path”.  You may wonder about the elderberries, but elderberries were much more familiar to Swedes as no palm grows in Sweden.  

You will also notice that the depiction of the city of Jerusalem on the left looks more like a town in Sweden.  

Murals like this were done on the walls on many ancient churches because most of the congregants could not read or write and these illustrations using scenes and objects they were used to seeing, got the Bible message across in a very visual way.

We hope you enjoy seeing this little treasure on its “feast day”.  

March 28 - Maundy Thursday
5:00pm Community Meal in Memory of the Last Supper
7:00pm Service with Eucharist

March 29 - Good Friday
12:00pm Family Service and Preparation of Easter Eggs
7:00pm Liturgy with Solemn Collects

March 30 - Holy Saturday
7:30pm Sunset Easter Vigil, with Wine, Cheese & Dessert Reception Following

A word about the Seder Tradtion, from Rev. Chris

Over the past several months, I’ve been blessed to hear from many of you about Gloria Dei’s tradition of holding a Christian Seder during the week leading up to Easter. I know that many of you have deeply appreciated the opportunity to honor and learn about the Jewish traditions for observing Passover, and I’ve loved hearing about how others have been invited into our community through the Seder (to include some Jewish guests, who have expressed gratitude for being welcomed so warmly).

At the same time, I am increasingly aware that many Jewish communities have recently expressed concern about Christians hosting their own Seders. More and more often, I have seen this tradition described as cultural appropriation. Recognizing that Christian churches have a dark history of engaging in antisemitism, it is understandable that many Jewish communities feel pain at the idea of Christians adopting a Jewish tradition. I am confident that Gloria Dei’s Seder tradition was always conducted with the utmost respect, and certainly without any intent to cause harm. But, I also believe it is important for us to listen to the Jewish critiques of Christians holding their own Seders, especially in light of the curret upsurge of antisemitism in connection with the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine,.

It is also worth noting that the Jewish Seder is almost certainly not what Jesus and his disciples celebrated during their last supper together. While they were faithful Jews, and some of the Gospels tell us that they were observing the Passover, recent work by historians tell us that the Seder was developed in the decades and centuries after the time of Jesus (and especially after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 C.E.). There are probably similarities between the early Passover celebrations and the modern Seder, but the Seder is a distinctly Jewish tradition. Further, it is a tradtion that grapples with antisemitism throughout history (not least the all-too-common persecution of Jews by Christians).

In light of both present Jewish concerns and better understanding of our own history, we will not be holding a Christian Seder at Gloria Dei this year. However, we will still gather for a communal meal during Holy Week. At 5pm on Maundy Thursday, you are invited to join us for a Commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. During this meal, we will read the story of the Passover and engage with the traditions recorded in Scripture. We will also have an opportunity to consider the Christian church’s complicity with antisemitism, and to pray for our Jewish siblings and for peace in Israel and Palestine. The usual Maundy Thursday service will be held at 7pm, but I hope that you will also consider participating in this communal meal as a way of entering even more deeply into the observance of Holy Week.

I recognize that this change may be disappointing for some people, and I invite anyone who wants to talk about it further – or to help in planning the communal meal – to reach out to me and set up a meeting time. I am also glad to provide resources for further reading about Jewish critiques of Christian Seders, about the historical work that has been done to better understand the Last Supper, and about the current conflict in Israel and Palestine. In the end, I hope that this will be an evolution - rather than an end - of  this wonderful tradition at Gloria Dei.

Celebrate Easter Sunday with us! Our service begins at 10:00am.

Join us for an egg hunt and communal fellowship immediately following the service. Please bring a dish to share.

One night only! Listen to the masterful sounds of E.J. Simpson, and his tribute to the Broadway hit Jesus Christ Superstar. Doors open at 7:00, show begins at 8:00. Beverages and snacks will be available, as well as some cool vendors selling their wares. Don't miss it!

Click here to buy tickets!

Join the Ministers of Apollo in a unique concert featuring songs, sonatas, keyboard works, and other pieces interspersed with quotations from the Washington family. With these delightful and informative pieces, the Ministers will provide a facsimile of a late 18th century concert in America. The concert will begin at 2:30 with a Q&A to follow at 3:30. Admission is $20 per adult, $15 per student with ID and $5 for children under 12. The price includes a drink ticket for a beverage of your choice (alcoholic – adults only) or non-alcoholic.

Meet-and-Mingle afterward at Riverside Hall
This concert will take place inside the church sanctuary, followed by a reception in nearby Riverside Hall. For a modest donation, you can treat yourself to delicious gourmet desserts there … and pair them with wine, coffee or tea while you chat with the performers.
Ministers of Apollo is hosted by the Historic Gloria Dei Preservation Corporation. Some proceeds from this event will go toward the preservation of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church and its graveyard.

Bring a fellow music-lover and share beautiful music in a spectacular, historic setting.

On Mondays at 9:00am, Christine Pickup will lead a ten minute prayer, following the Morning Devotion service in the Book of Common Prayer. Please join in this simple, devotional service and start your day in a peaceful way.

Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

or use:

Meeting ID: 748 3341 8409

Passcode: 8C3fDK

If you have the BCP,  turn to page 137.

If you don't have a paper copy, this is the link to Morning Devotion as a PDF.. 

Our service is comprised of uplifting music, Episcopal worship and spiritual/biblical teachings. While we are always a work in progress, Gloria Dei strives to be a place where all will feel welcome in faith and spirit.

The Vestry is an elected body of church members who work with the Rector to lead the church, and who set and oversee the annual budget. The Vestry meets each month on the third Thursday, and the minutes of all Vestry meetings are posted on the church website, where a list of current Vestry members can also be found. Parishioners who wish to bring an issue before the Vestry, or to observe a Vestry meeting, are invited to reach out to Rev. Chris or to any Vestry member. We are also always looking for potential future Vestry members; if you would like more information about serving on Vestry please don't hesitate to contact Rev. Chris.

March 3 - Third Sunday in Lent

• Exodus 20:1-17
• 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
• John 2:13-22
• Psalm 19

Collect: Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

March 10 - Fourth Sunday in Lent

• Numbers 21:4-9
• Ephesians 2:1-10
• John 3:14-21
• Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

Collect: Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

March 17 - Fifth Sunday in Lent

• Jeremiah 31:31-34
• Hebrews 5:5-10
• John 12:20-33
• Psalm 51:1-13
• or Psalm 119:9-16

Collect: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

March 24 - Palm Sunday, Sunday of the Passion

The Liturgy of the Palms

• Mark 11:1-11
• or John 12:12-16
• Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

The Liturgy of the Word

• Isaiah 50:4-9a
• Philippians 2:5-11
• Mark 14:1-15:47
• or Mark 15:1-39, [40-47]
• Psalm 31:9-16

March 31 - Easter Sunday

• Job 14:1-14
• or Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24
• Romans 6:3-11
  Matthew 28:1-10
  Psalm 114

Collect: O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.