Easter is the heartbeat of the Christian faith, a celebration so central to Anglican worship that it defines the rhythm of the liturgical year. Within the Anglican tradition, Easter is not merely a single day but the climax of a journey; a passage through betrayal, suffering, and death into the radiant hope of resurrection. To understand Easter fully, we must also consider the somber days that precede it: Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Each step prepares us for the triumph of Easter Sunday, where the bleakness of the cross gives way to the joy of the empty tomb.
Maundy Thursday: The Weight of Love and Betrayal
The Easter journey begins in earnest with Maundy Thursday, a day marked by both intimacy and foreboding. The liturgy recalls Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples, an event steeped in love and shadowed by betrayal. The service includes the stripping of the altar, a stark ritual where all adornments are removed, leaving the sanctuary bare. This act mirrors the stripping away of Jesus’ dignity in His passion and foreshadows His abandonment. The mood shifts as Judas departs to betray Him (John 13:30), and Jesus predicts Peter’s denial (Luke 22:34). The service ends in silence, often with a prayer vigil, echoing Jesus’ plea in Gethsemane, “Could you not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40 ESV). For Anglicans, Maundy Thursday is a tender yet heavy day, setting the stage for the sorrow to come.
Good Friday: The Bleakness of the Cross
If Maundy Thursday carries a somber intimacy, Good Friday plunges into unrelenting bleakness. The liturgy focuses on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The service often includes the Solemn Collects, the reading of the Passion from John 18-19, and the veneration of the cross; an act that invites worshippers to confront the instrument of Jesus’ death. The words of John 19:30 (ESV) ring out: “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” This is the moment of ultimate desolation. Good Friday is not a day of triumph but of mourning. For Anglicans, Good Friday is a time to dwell in the reality of sin’s cost and the silence of a world without its Savior.
Easter Sunday: The Triumph of Resurrection
Then comes Easter Sunday, the day that transforms everything. The sanctuary is fully adorned in white, with abundant, fragrant flowers, while the liturgy bursts into life with the Easter Acclamation: “Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.” The contrast with the preceding days could not be more striking. Where Maundy Thursday whispered of betrayal and Good Friday groaned under death, Easter Sunday sings of victory. The Gospel reading, often from John 20:1-18, recounts Mary Magdalene’s discovery of the empty tomb: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:13, ESV), followed by her encounter with the risen Christ. This is the moment of recognition, of joy breaking through despair.
The Easter service is structured around renewal; baptismal vows are reaffirmed, the Eucharist is celebrated with exuberance, and the Paschal Candle, lit at the Vigil, blazes as a symbol of Christ’s light overcoming darkness. Romans 6:4 (ESV) underpins the theology, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” For Anglicans, Easter is not just a historical event but a present reality, inviting believers into resurrected life.
The Emotional and Theological Arc
The journey from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday is a microcosm of the Christian experience. Maundy Thursday’s somberness lies in the tension between love and betrayal, a reminder of human frailty. Good Friday’s bleakness confronts us with the depth of sin and the cost of redemption, stripping away all pretense. Easter Sunday, by contrast, is unbridled joy; an affirmation that death is not the end. The liturgies weave these days into a cohesive narrative, guiding worshippers through despair to hope.
This arc mirrors the Anglican emphasis on both the cross and the resurrection. While Good Friday holds the weight of atonement, Easter proclaims its fulfillment. As 1 Corinthians 15:17 (ESV) warns, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” Easter is the assurance that the tomb is empty, that Christ reigns, and that His victory is ours.
Conclusion: Easter’s Lasting Call
In the Anglican tradition, Easter is the pinnacle of the Church’s life, a season that extends beyond a single Sunday into fifty days of celebration. Easter invites us to live in this resurrection light, to carry the joy of Easter into a world still marked by Maundy Thursday’s shadows and Good Friday’s grief. It is a call to love as Christ loved, to mourn sin’s cost, and to rejoice in His triumph. For Anglicans, Easter is not just an event, but the lens through which we see all of life, from the cross to the crown.
Last Updated: 03/13/2025 by Charlie Vensel
Welcome
Welcome to Christ the King Church, Hiawassee. We are a vibrant, Christ-centered, Bible-based, Spirit-filled church worshipping in the liturgical style. We are affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and part of the Anglican Diocese of the South (ADOTS).
We offer numerous opportunities each week for worship, Bible study, prayer, and friendship. Please check out our calendar and scroll down this page for the latest news from Christ the King Church. We would love to have you join us!
Sunday Services
Traditional Worship Service at 9AM (Service is about 1 hour 15 minutes)
Contemporary Worship Service at 10:45 AM (Service is about 1 hour 30 minutes)
Wednesday Service
Noon Communion Service at 12PM (Service is about 30 minutes)
Christ the King Church is located downtown at 145 North Main Street (US76) Hiawassee, Georgia 30546. It is the red brick church on the south side of the street, across from the US Post Office. We are about 10 minutes from Hayesville, NC, about 25 minutes from Blairsville, GA, and about 30 minutes from Clayton, GA, Helen, GA and Murphy, NC.
Social Media
Be sure to follow us on Facebook.
Last Updated: 04/18/2025 by Charlie Vensel
What is Easter Sunday?
Easter is the heartbeat of the Christian faith, a celebration so central to Anglican worship that it defines the rhythm of the liturgical year. Within the Anglican tradition, Easter is not merely a single day but the climax of a journey; a passage through betrayal, suffering, and death into the radiant hope of resurrection. To understand Easter fully, we must also consider the somber days that precede it: Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Each step prepares us for the triumph of Easter Sunday, where the bleakness of the cross gives way to the joy of the empty tomb.
Maundy Thursday: The Weight of Love and Betrayal
The Easter journey begins in earnest with Maundy Thursday, a day marked by both intimacy and foreboding. The liturgy recalls Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples, an event steeped in love and shadowed by betrayal. The service includes the stripping of the altar, a stark ritual where all adornments are removed, leaving the sanctuary bare. This act mirrors the stripping away of Jesus’ dignity in His passion and foreshadows His abandonment. The mood shifts as Judas departs to betray Him (John 13:30), and Jesus predicts Peter’s denial (Luke 22:34). The service ends in silence, often with a prayer vigil, echoing Jesus’ plea in Gethsemane, “Could you not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40 ESV). For Anglicans, Maundy Thursday is a tender yet heavy day, setting the stage for the sorrow to come.
Good Friday: The Bleakness of the Cross
If Maundy Thursday carries a somber intimacy, Good Friday plunges into unrelenting bleakness. The liturgy focuses on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The service often includes the Solemn Collects, the reading of the Passion from John 18-19, and the veneration of the cross; an act that invites worshippers to confront the instrument of Jesus’ death. The words of John 19:30 (ESV) ring out: “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” This is the moment of ultimate desolation. Good Friday is not a day of triumph but of mourning. For Anglicans, Good Friday is a time to dwell in the reality of sin’s cost and the silence of a world without its Savior.
Easter Sunday: The Triumph of Resurrection
Then comes Easter Sunday, the day that transforms everything. The sanctuary is fully adorned in white, with abundant, fragrant flowers, while the liturgy bursts into life with the Easter Acclamation: “Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.” The contrast with the preceding days could not be more striking. Where Maundy Thursday whispered of betrayal and Good Friday groaned under death, Easter Sunday sings of victory. The Gospel reading, often from John 20:1-18, recounts Mary Magdalene’s discovery of the empty tomb: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:13, ESV), followed by her encounter with the risen Christ. This is the moment of recognition, of joy breaking through despair.
The Easter service is structured around renewal; baptismal vows are reaffirmed, the Eucharist is celebrated with exuberance, and the Paschal Candle, lit at the Vigil, blazes as a symbol of Christ’s light overcoming darkness. Romans 6:4 (ESV) underpins the theology, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” For Anglicans, Easter is not just a historical event but a present reality, inviting believers into resurrected life.
The Emotional and Theological Arc
The journey from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday is a microcosm of the Christian experience. Maundy Thursday’s somberness lies in the tension between love and betrayal, a reminder of human frailty. Good Friday’s bleakness confronts us with the depth of sin and the cost of redemption, stripping away all pretense. Easter Sunday, by contrast, is unbridled joy; an affirmation that death is not the end. The liturgies weave these days into a cohesive narrative, guiding worshippers through despair to hope.
This arc mirrors the Anglican emphasis on both the cross and the resurrection. While Good Friday holds the weight of atonement, Easter proclaims its fulfillment. As 1 Corinthians 15:17 (ESV) warns, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” Easter is the assurance that the tomb is empty, that Christ reigns, and that His victory is ours.
Conclusion: Easter’s Lasting Call
In the Anglican tradition, Easter is the pinnacle of the Church’s life, a season that extends beyond a single Sunday into fifty days of celebration. Easter invites us to live in this resurrection light, to carry the joy of Easter into a world still marked by Maundy Thursday’s shadows and Good Friday’s grief. It is a call to love as Christ loved, to mourn sin’s cost, and to rejoice in His triumph. For Anglicans, Easter is not just an event, but the lens through which we see all of life, from the cross to the crown.
Last Updated: 04/18/2025 by Charlie Vensel
Holy Week Schedule 2025
Holy Week is a sacred time in the Christian calendar that leads up to Easter Sunday, the day on which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Anglican tradition, Holy Week is a time of reflection, penitence, and spiritual renewal. Below is a list of services and activities we have over Holy Week, along with a brief description of each.
Palm Sunday is April 13, 2025
Services at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We celebrate with a procession of palms, a reminder of the palm branches that were laid before Jesus as he rode into the city. The service also includes a reading of the Passion narrative, which recounts the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. The service will start in the parking lot as we will process into the sanctuary with palms. Please arrive a few minutes early. Communion will be served.
Reconciliation of a Penitent Monday, April 14, 2025-Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Charlie+ will be providing opportunities to hear confession Monday through Wednesday during Holy Week.
Reconciliation of a Penitent is a rite in the Book of Common Prayer by which a minister of the church pronounces forgiveness of sin to a penitent in the name of Christ and the Church. It is particularly apt during the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent.
Time can be scheduled for such a confession by emailing Charlie+. The secrecy of a confession is morally binding upon the clergy and will not to be broken. The content of the confession is not normally a matter of subsequent discussion. It is the Anglican belief in aural (heard) confession that all may, some should, and none must. It can be a powerful and life-changing experience, especially for those who struggle to feel forgiven.
Maundy Thursday is April 17, 2025
There will be one service at 6:30PM.
The next service in Holy Week is Maundy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper. The name maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means commandment. This refers to Jesus’ new commandment to his disciples: to love one another as he has loved them. During this service, we participate in a ceremonial washing of feet (optional) as a sign of humility and service. The Table is then stripped bare, symbolizing the abandonment of Jesus by his disciples. The service concludes in silence. Communion will be served. There will be no music. The service is expected to last about an hour.
Prayer Vigil Thursday, April 17, 2025-Friday, April 18, 2025
Thursday, April 17 from 8PM (starting after the Maundy Thursday Service) until Friday, April 18, 2025 at 12PM, the time Jesus was thought to be crucified. It concludes with the Good Friday Service.
This is a time to pray and be with Jesus as he struggled and sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane while his disciples slept, was arrested, stood trial before the Roman authorities, was mocked by the crowd, abandoned by most of his followers, and was crucified. (Matthew 26:36-27:50) Sign-ups will be available soon.
Good Friday is April 18, 2025.
There will be one service at Noon; the time Jesus was thought to be crucified.
Good Friday is the day on which Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus. The Good Friday service is a somber and reflective time, during which the Passion narrative is read and the Cross is venerated. This service serves as a reminder of the sacrifice that Jesus made for our salvation, and it is a time for Christians to reflect on their own sins and the need for repentance. The service concludes in silence. Communion will be served from the Reserved Sacrament from the Maundy Thursday Service. There will be no music. The service is expected to last about an hour.
Easter Sunday is April 20, 2025
There will be one service at 10:45AM followed by an Aleuluia Potluck celebration.
The final service in Holy Week is Easter Sunday, the day on which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. In the Anglican Church, the Easter Sunday service is a joyous and celebratory time, marked by the singing of hymns and the reading of the Easter Gospel. The message of Easter is one of hope and renewal, and it reminds Christians of the promise of eternal life that is offered through the resurrection of Jesus. Communion will be served.
Last Updated: 04/01/2025 by Charlie Vensel
Good Friday Offering for Christ Church, Jerusalem
The Good Friday Offering originated in 1922, after World War I when the Anglican Church sought to establish stronger relationships with Christians in the Middle East. The Offering was born from these early efforts, focusing on providing relief and promoting ecumenical and Anglican unity. For those who can contribute, the Good Friday Offering reminds us of our solidarity with our Anglican brothers and sisters at Christ Church Jerusalem as we stand together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Last Updated: 03/25/2025 by Charlie Vensel
What Is Good Friday?