News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Pictured is the celebration of Maundy Thursday at All Saints Catholic Church. The Maundy Thursday service walks through the stories of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, the Last Supper, and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

ALPENA — Christians in Alpena are looking forward to the celebration of Easter, the day that their savior Jesus rose from the dead.

Easter holds an immense significance in the Christian faith. It is the day where Jesus conquered sin and death and it brings hope of eternal life for all who believe and profess that Jesus is Lord.

It also shows God’s great love for all humanity, that he would send his son to die for everyone.

“Its the morning on which Jesus rose from the dead, it points the way for us as we go forward in our lives,” Rev. William Rayment of First Presbyterian Church in Alpena said.

“Our saving Lord Jesus Christ resurrected and we do it in celebration of him,” Pastor Eldrick Lal of Living Hope Church said.

“Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his crucifixion,” Rev. Emmanuel Finbarr, priest at All Saints Catholic Church, said in an email. “This period in the Catholic church and for all those who believe in Christ Jesus, is considered the most important time in our salvation. Jesus came into the world to save all people from sin.”

Some prefer to call the holiday Resurrection Sunday to put the emphasis on Jesus rather than Easter baskets, egg hunts, and the Easter bunny, although many Christians still enjoy those aspects as well.

The final days leading up to Easter begin with Maundy Thursday, the night where Jesus eats the Last Supper with his disciples and experiences his agony and betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. Not all faith traditions have special Maundy Thursday services, but some do. Trinity Episcopal Church and All Saints Catholic Church were two in town that had a service.

Many churches hold Good Friday services to honor Jesus’s death on the cross. They may celebrate by taking communion, singing worship music, and listening to a sermon to reflect on Jesus’s sacrifice and how it has and will impact their lives.

At First Presbyterian Church, Rev. Rayment said they had what is called a ‘Tre Ore’ service, which means three hours in the Latin language.

The service lasts for three hours and there are seven sermons. Eight pastors from the area participated.

Members of Living Hope church celebrated Good Friday at an evening community service at Huron Shores Fellowship, Lal said.

For members of All Saints Catholic Church, the celebration of Easter Sunday begins late Saturday night with a service called the Easter Vigil. That service sometimes lasts up to four hours.

“On Holy Saturday we begin with a vigil to the victory of Jesus’ resurrection,” Rev. Finbarr said. “On this day, our liturgy has four parts. The service of the light which symbolizes the light of Christ. Then, Liturgy of the word which takes us through our salvation history. After that we celebrate the sacrament of baptism, and we welcome new members to the church. Then we conclude with the Holy Eucharist.”

The Eucharist is another term for communion, when Christians eat bread and wine to remember Jesus.

All Saints also has Easter masses on Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. for those that prefer that over a late night.

First Presbyterian and Living Hope will have their Easter services at 10:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. respectively.

Living Hope is hosting a community breakfast before their service and all are welcome to attend, Lal said. The service will be about 90 minutes and will include singing and a 20 minute sermon.

Rayment and Lal said that everyone is welcome at their churches on Easter.

Many people like the commercialized aspects of Easter, like the Easter Bunny, and those people are welcome too, Rayment said.

“We don’t do anything different than what we would normally do,” Rayment said. We’ll talk about Jesus and if they want to bring an Easter Bunny, then that’s okay too because at least they’re coming to church.”

“We will welcome them, and we will share with them the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Lal said.

For some, Easter is one of the few times of the year that people will show up to church. Lal, Rayment, and Finbarr all encouraged people to attend more often.

“This is what I like to tell people is that…we have two relationships we are feeding, with God and with each other,” Rayment said. “If you want to have an effect on the community, the world, and yourself, coming to church is one way to do that.”

Lal said he is intentional about walking up to and greeting new comers and encourages them to check the church’s social media pages.

“We welcome anyone and everyone no matter who they are,” he said. “Come as you are.”

“It is expected that believers in Christ should build a stronger relationship with Christ through their worship and participation in church activities through the year, and not only at the Easter day,” Finbarr said. “It is my prayer that we will continue to appreciate the love that God has shown all people by living our lives as Jesus has taught us.”

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.