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Palm Sunday/

Sunday of the Passion

April 13, 2025

10:30 Mass (choral) live streamed on Facebook

Luke 19: 37,38

Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,

 “Blessed is the king

who comes in the name of the Lord!

 Peace in heaven,

and glory in the highest heaven!”

Prayer of the Day

O God of mercy and might, in the mystery of the passion of your Son you offer your infinite life to the world. Gather us around the cross of Christ, and preserve us until the resurrection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

from the Pastor -

This is the week that the church directs its attention and intensity on the last days of Jesus on earth - his entry into Jerusalem, his last meal with his friends and disciples, his last commandment to us to love each other, his betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death.  This is the week when we re-member the events; not pretending so much as putting ourselves in the story, letting it guide our desire to be Christ to the world through love and service.  

This is the week when we confess where we have fallen short, where we eat and wash and light candles and fires, where sights and sounds and smells all point to Jesus reconciling the world to God through his giving up his life to save our lives.  

I pray you will come and be a part of the story.  I pray that you will allow the story to be imprinted on your heart.  I pray that you will come - even if you can’t come to all the worship experiences that will occur this upcoming week, this week we call Holy.  Come, even though you’re tired.  Come, even though you stopped believing long ago. Come, even though you don’t think your child will sit through it all.  Come, even though you have work in the morning and had too much to drink the night before.  Come, not just because you are welcome, but because this story, this week, is yours, also.

Pastor Patt +



HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

April 13 - Palm/Passion Sunday - 10:30AM with blessing of palms and procession into the sanctuary

April 14 - Monday in Holy Week 5PM Evening prayer

April 15 - Tuesday in Holy Week 5PM Healing service

April 16 - Wednesday in Holy Week 5PM Taizé

April 17 - Maundy Thursday 5PM with dinner and Holy 

Communion in Dressler Hall; sanctuary stripping the altar

April 18 - Good Friday 10AM Crosswalk begins at 

Moresmere Church (930 Linden Ave)

3PM Stations of the Cross

  5PM Tenebrae]

April 19 - Easter Vigil 5PM

April 20 - Easter/Resurrection of

                 our Lord 10:30AM

MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 17 at 5PM, we will have a different type of worship - we will gather in Dressler Hall and have dinner together. Soup and salad will be provided (you can also bring something to share), as we confess our sins and receive absolution, hear the gospel account in John of Jesus giving us a ‘new commandment’ to love each other. We will wash hands and for those who wish, also have their feet washed (what child doesn’t like anything that involves water?)

After we celebrate Holy Communion, we will go upstairs to the sanctuary to listen as Psalm 88 is recited and the altar is stripped - all of the linens, candles, books, offering plates are removed from the worship space.  

This is a great service to bring your young children to; they will be fascinated by the differences between our Thursday night and what they experience on Sunday mornings at worship.  

Invite your friends - there will be enough for all!

Guest musicians will perform at 10:30 Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. They are Rich Polatchek, trumpet and James Chwalyk, trombone.

You can now support the church and it's ministries using Thrivent. Scroll down to "Generosity" to the link.

Translator ear buds are available! If you would like to hear worship in your native language, you need to download the app -

AICOOL Market from the APP Store. Ask a greeter for an earbud.

Parking - the borough of Ridgefield has reconfigured parking on Slocum Ave, removing the drop off signs and adding a handicapped space which can be used by a driver with the proper signage and or plates. 



All members, please take and keep a parking placard for your car to use when we have special events at church, and the Police Department (thank you, Ridgefield Police) designates space around the church for parking for the church event.  Placing the placard in your car will ensure you are not subject to towing.  

We thank the police department for these updates and a thank you to Bob (property manager) for working with deputy chief Sheridan to help ease our parking issues. 

Weekly Worship opportunities

We Pray...



for the victims of the roof collapse in the Dominican Republic

for Glenn

for the Cooper family

for our country

for the people of Turkey and Myanmar affected by the earthquake

Individual Confession and Forgiveness, Saturdays by Appointment.

pastorstpaulteaneck@gmail.com

Lights out to protect migrating birds!

Spring Migration Dates

Full Spring Migration Period: March 1 – June 15

Turn off non-essential lights from 11 PM until 6 AM during critical migration periods.



Celebrating our 100th Anniversary

St. Paul recalls…

During the war years of the 1940s, St. Pauls suffered but also prospered; of St. Pauls young men and women were in uniform and two never returned. During this same period, St. Pauls debt had been reduced to $7,850, but restrictions on fuel oil compelled the conversion of the heating system to an automatic coal stoker at a cost of

nearly $1,000. Gas rationing curtailed driving, and Sunday School attendance decreased. The amount pledged for current expenses rose to $9,000 and then to $11,000. Debt reduction was speeded up; and by the end of 1944, the final mortgage payment had been made. The congregation was debt-free for the first time in nineteen years!

Drive to 25 is what we have named our recollections and celebrations for this year, as we commemorate our 100th year of ministry in Bergen County.

We are highlighting facts from our history in St. Paul Recalls; we are soliciting testimonials from members (check out our YouTube page), and we are planning a gala for November 1, 2025, which will take place at Biagios in Paramus.  

The gala will also be a fundraiser for our feeding ministries: Loaves and Fishes (our Wednesday luncheon), and our food pantry. We hope to raise $25,000, a huge sum for a small community, but we are confident, with everyone’s enthusiastic participation, that not only will we have a fun event, but we will also be able to support the work we do in Jesus' name.

Dream with me - perhaps better equipment for storing food (desperately need more refrigeration); a bigger stove, more storage, even perhaps a small stipend for a part time social worker to make sure our guests are receiving the services they’re entitled to.

Tickets to the Gala will be $200/per person; it will include cocktail hour, seated dinner with open bar, music, and dancing.

We are planning on inviting the community - hunger, and issues surrounding hunger affect more than our St. Paul community - and hope that you will extend invitations to your friends and families. Our guest speakers will reflect the diversity of our community.

We are planning an auction and other surprises - it will be an evening of fun!

In the coming weeks we will reveal more about the event, but in the meantime, mark your calendars and plan on attending!

As we prepare for our November celebration, we will also be producing a video that will be shared at the synod assembly and also at our gala. We are especially looking for pictures from the 50 - 70s. If you have any pictures to share, please bring them in or contact Elizabeth Lowe (lowe.elizabeth@gmail.com) Thank you!

The Pray Ground is ready. Come and see!

Love in Action/

Social Ministry

EASTER EGG HUNT - SATURDAY, APRIL 19 AT 1PM. 

The Pantry, under Patricia’s leadership, is committed to bringing food to people who are leery of coming into the building. While we will no longer publicly post information about our feeding programs, we are still feeding people.

Generosity

We now have two online ways to give to the church!

FLOWER CHART If you would like to contribute flowers for our chancel, please add your name to the list posted across from the kitchen. Thank you!

We thank you for supporting St. Paul with your intentional and loving gifts, which you can make either in person at worship, through Tithley ( link on the church website),

or mail your offering to: St. Paul Lutheran Church 941 Slocum Ave Ridgefield, NJ 07657.

 Thank you for your generosity and being a part of transforming our world!

We are feeding and clothing our neighbors; in the past few months, we have fed over 1,000 people per month.

We can't do this ministry without your generous support!



St Paul Church's only financial source is YOU!

+ + +

Guest musicians will perform at 10:30 Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. They are Rich Polatchek, trumpet and James Chwalyk, trombone.

Chris Joseph and ECGN graced us with a wonderful classical guitar performance on Monday April 7 at 1 PM.

Bell Ringers!

If you can count to four, you can ring handbells!

For information, stpaulmusicmiki@gmail.com

Rehearsal Saturday! April 12, 11:30 AM.

Singers are always welcome to join our choirs. Please speak to Miki if you would like to sing during 10:30 Mass.

Children's Choir rehearsing for Sunday Worship!

• You Know You Might Be Lutheran if... you freeze the leftover coffee from fellowship hour for next week.

Final Thought



All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.

Theodulf, Bishop of Orléans

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