HEALTH CONCERNS: Joyce & Jerry Alexander; Mia Anderson (great-granddaughter of Joan Vukelich); Claire Baud (friend of Rachel DeWitt); Beau Brown (friend of Ann Carroll); Brad Butler (friend of Hilgendorfs); Chelle Carson (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Rena Carson (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Darla Combs (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Darren Cooper (friend of Joan Vukelich); Crystal Davis (friend of Dave Slaughter); Gemma Grace Dyer (granddaughter of Greg & Celeste Nau); Tim Flynn (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Nash Foreman (friend of Sofie Reifsteck); Layla Harp friend of Sofie Reifsteck) ; Rick Hardesty (family of the Hoels); Kim Hausman (friend of Ann Carroll); Julie Holzrichter (sister-in-law of Dave Holzrichter); Mary Houvanagle (friend of Hilgendorfs); Ashley Kerns (friend of Joan Vukelich); Bob Kresin; John Lamkin (friend of Dave Slaughter); Mike Marana (friend of Josh Whitson); Candace McElhaney (daughter of Corky Fields); Lisa McGill (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Steven Pingolt (friend of Mathew Waldrop); Emma Silver; Mike Scott (father of Celeste Nau); Dave Slaughter; John Stewart (grandson of Laura VanCleave); Margaret Stilwell; Janet Stumeier; Kim Travis (friend of Jaimee Whitson); Lausanne Walter (mother of Tiffany Cash); Lynn Whitson (father of Mark Whitson).

SEMINARY STUDENT: Jacob Garrison; Nicholas Sinatra.

MISSIONARIES: The Jastram Family (Japan); The Preus Family (Romania).

HOMEBOUND: Bernita Ashwill; Janet Pollock; Joan Rahn; Norma Uthe.

MILITARY: Carl Crawford; Josh Dyer; Jeremy Gordon; Jack Leonard; Jake Lindgren; Raymond Longtin; Scott Walter.

THIS WEEK’S READINGS . . .

• Holy Thursday—Exod 12:1–14; 1 Cor 11:23–32; John 13:1–15
• Good Friday—Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9; John 18:1–19:42
• Vigil of Easter—Gen 1:1–2:3; 7:1–5, 11–18; 8:6–18; 9:8–13; Exod 14:10–15:1
• Easter Sunrise—Isaiah 25:6–9; 1 Cor 15:1–11; John 20:1–18
• Easter Day—Job 19:23–27; 1 Cor 5:6–8; Mark 16:1–8

ABOUT THIS WEEK’S READINGS . . . “Behold, your King is coming to you . . . humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zech 9:9–12; Matt 21:1–9). Our Lord rides in this humble fashion because He is entering Jerusalem to humble Himself even to the point of death on a cross (Phil 2:5–11). His kingly crown will not be made of gold but of thorns, the sign of sin’s curse. For His royal reign is displayed in bearing this curse for His people, saving us from our enemies by sacrificing His own life. The sinless One takes the place of the sinner so that the sinner can be freed and bear the name “Barabbas,” “son of the Father” (Matt 26 and 27). It is at the name of this exalted Savior, Jesus, that we bow in humble faith. With the centurion who declared, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matt 27:54), we are also given to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:11).

THOUGHTS ABOUT STEWARDSHIP . . . Matthew 21:3 “If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” Did Jesus really need the donkey? If the man had refused to give the donkey, would the work of salvation have been derailed? Of course not. But what an honor for the man who owned this donkey and foal! Likewise with us—the Lord needs none of us, but what an honor for God to choose to use our generosity in the work of His Church.

ALTAR GUILD & COFFEE COMMITTEE . . . For April, the Altar Guild is Sarah & Savana Andresen. Coffee Committee is Dorothy Hostetler.

THANK YOU . . . Dear Lauren and Ladies of the Congregation,  We just want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for the beautiful bridal shower you hosted for Lacey. Your care and attention to every detail made the day so special. It truly meant so much to us to have you there to help celebrate. Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and making the day memorable. With heartfelt thanks, The Munsons.

EASTER BREAKFAST . . . The Board of Christian Education will be hosting the Easter Breakfast this year. Breakfast is served on Easter Morning from 7:00 am –8:30 am, between the Easter Sunrise Divine Service and the Easter Day Divine Service. Sign-up sheets for food, drinks, and kitchen volunteers are provided in the Narthex. Immanuel’s Youth Group will be assisting in serving and clean-up. A donation box will be available with proceeds going to the Youth Group.

EASTER EGG HUNT . . . will be Easter Sunday, April 20, at 10:15 am. Thank you to the Board of Education for providing the goodies for Immanuel’s annual egg hunt!

THE CELEBRATION of the Triduum . . . the holy three days of Christ’s Passover begins on HOLY (MAUNDY) THURSDAY on the eve of our Lord’s Crucifixion. The service on Holy Thursday culminates the Lenten period of preparation for Christ’s Passion and Resurrection and leads into his sacrifice on our behalf. On this day we remember Christ’s sacrificial service demonstrated in his washing of the disciples’ feet, a servanthood enacted on the cross, whose benefits are bestowed in his means of grace. The service culminates with the Lord’s ministry to his people through the Sacrament of the Altar. The depth of Christ’s servanthood is also demonstrated as the altar is reverently stripped in preparation for the church’s observance of Jesus’ death on Good Friday. GOOD FRIDAY is not observed as a funeral for Christ. It is a day for repentance over sin and restrained joy and praise for the redemption Christ accomplished for us on the cross. In keeping with its character, music is kept to a minimum, though not silenced, and elaborate words of praise are omitted. Because this service is part of the Triduum, the three holy days, it has neither an entrance rite nor benediction. The concluding hymn ensures that the final note of the service is one of triumph, for God’s faithful know the end of the story. THE VIGIL OF EASTER which is celebrated at the end of Holy Saturday as the conclusion to the sacred Triduum, ushers in the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord. To hold vigil means to “keep watch.” In some places in the early centuries of the church’s life, a vigil in expectation of Christ’s return at Easter became a common feature of the celebration of his Crucifixion and Resurrection. It was also a common time for individuals to be baptized. Because the Vigil of Easter marks the final day in the sacred Triduum, the service ends with the Benediction (which has not been heard since the Triduum was begun) and the Easter acclamation: Christ is Risen!

PALM SUNDAY CANTATA . . . You are invited to attend the community Easter Cantata at First Christian Church in Villa Grove at 4:00 pm, Sunday, April 13, Palm Sunday. The cantata is called The Rose of Calvary. It’s the perfect way to begin Holy Week and the celebration of Easter. Two of our own are performing in this cantata: Gretchen Krieger and Willa Braaten.

RATE & REVIEW IMMANUEL ON GOOGLE . . . Did you know that throughout the United States each month over 2 million people search on Google for “Churches Near Me.”? That’s how a majority of people find churches to visit. Therefore, being visible on Google as one of the top results for searches is important to get found. One way to increase your visibility on Google is through their Rate & Review feature. Please consider rating and review Immanuel on Google by going to: https://g.page/r/CdbSahe0h2B0EAI/review

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR VBS . . . This year’s VBS is June 9–13. The theme for this year is UNSHAKEABLE: A Journey through God’s Promises. Registration will begin in May.

CHANGE TO SATURDAY NIGHT SERVICE . . . In consultation with the Board of Elders, beginning on Memorial Day Weekend (May 24–25) and, at least, throughout the summer, there will be no Saturday night service. Instead, on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm, a spoken Divine Service will be offered. This service will have a different sermon than Sunday morning. This will accommodate anyone who travels or works weekends, or would like another opportunity to attend the Divine Service.

THIS SUMMER . . . Immanuel will be hosting a summer vicar: Seminarian Reece Parlier. This summer fieldwork opportunity is made possible by the generosity of the Board for Mission & Evangelism and all the saints at Immanuel who have given to our mission. His work will be two-fold. First, it is a time of learning and training. He will learn first-hand knowledge and gain experience serving a congregation that is similar to most congregations throughout the LCMS. He will see how crucial being active in a community is as well as the many people who help to make church possible. Second, he will help pastor continue to canvas the town, host VBS, our June outreach event at the Community Building, and our Not Ashamed Conference. Be on the look out for more information about Vicar Parlier in upcoming announcements.