Special Services & Celebrations

The second cycle covers three quarters of the calendar year and focuses on our eternal communion with the resurrected Christ.

LENT

The season of Lent anticipates Christ’s death and resurrection with a long meditation on the Cross. For forty days, the church is draped in purple, and we refrain from saying “Alleluia!” in worship. Several services and gatherings help us celebrate Lent:

Ash Wednesday | On the first day of Lent, we remember that we are dust and receive ashes on the forehead. We have a morning service and an evening service, followed by an opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) with a priest.

Holy Week | The week before Easter is an intensive time of worship and remembrance with services every evening:

• Palm Sunday: A palm procession preceding regular services
• Holy Monday: Stations of the Cross at 7:30 pm
• Holy Tuesday: Service in the style of Taizé at 7:30 pm
• Holy Wednesday: Tennebrae  at 7:30 pm
• Maundy Thursday: An “agape meal” followed by a Eucharist service with foot-washing and the stripping of the altar.
• Watchnight: Vigil in the chapel beginning after the Maundy Thursday service until the next morning
• Good Friday: Communion service with the Passion sung by the Epiphany Choir, followed by an opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) with a priest at 7:30 pm 
• Holy Saturday: A simple midday prayer service
• The Great Easter Vigil: A quiet meditative service with baptisms, a renewal of baptismal vows, and candles, which turns into a raucous celebration of the Resurrection at 8:00 pm This service is followed by a reception.

EASTER

Easter celebrates the resurrected Christ in our midst. On Easter morning, we celebrate with a Festal Eucharist and an Easter brunch. The church is adorned in white for the fifty days of the Easter season.

PENTECOST

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church and a celebration of the Holy Spirit. We wear red on this day, have baptisms, renew our baptismal vows, and have a party with red cupcakes after the services. Pentecost begins the season of Ordinary Time, which is focused on living our life as it will be for eternity.

THE SEASON AFTER PENTECOST (ORDINARY TIME)

The following feast days and Epiphany traditions take place during ordinary time:

Fall Kick-Off Picnic | On the Sunday after Labor Day, we kick off our program year with an all-church picnic to celebrate the return of regular Sunday School, the Epiphany Choir, adult formation programming, and youth group.

Feast of St. Francis | On the first Sunday of October, we celebrate St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, with an animal blessing. All pets are invited.

All Saints’ Day | On the Sunday closest to November 1, we celebrate the communion of saints with baptisms and a renewal of baptismal vows.

All Faithful Departed | On Sunday evening of All Saints’ Day we have a service in honor of all of our parishioners, family members, and neighbors who have passed away during the prior year. We read the necrology. This service includes the use of incense and Sanctus bells.

Altar of Remembrance | During the month of November we remember our loved ones who have passed away with an altar of remembrance on which parishioners are invited to leave pictures of their loved ones.

Thanksgiving | We celebrate with a Eucharist service in the morning.
The cycle of incarnation is about our work to bring mercy and justice to this day and time. The cycle of resurrection is about character formation for our eternal work with God. Each cycle, with its different emphasis, has the same impact—that the love of Christ is more fully known in our lives and and in the world.

Epiphany is a beautiful, sacred place to celebrate the union of two people in the sacrament of marriage. We welcome all couples with a sincere desire to be married in a Christian service, without discrimination based on sexual preference. Please contact Diane Carlisle at epiphanyparish@epiphanyseattle.org or 206-324-2573 to schedule an initial appointment or if you have any questions.

Having a Celebration of Life service at Epiphany is a beautiful way to gather your loved ones to remember and honor the life of your loved one. We will walk with you each step of the way as you plan this service. A booklet is attached which will help you as you begin initial planning. If you would like to schedule a funeral or just have questions, please contact Diane Carlisle at epiphanyparish@epiphanyseattle.org or 206-324-2573.

Additionally we have an outdoor Columbarium in our campus gardens, if you would like to inter your loved one’s cremains.

Celebrating Baptism

Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the Church. It is a public statement of one’s intentional decision to follow the way of Jesus. In the case of infant baptism, it is the parents’ declaration of their intent to raise a child in the way of Jesus. The bond that God establishes in baptism is indissoluble, so baptism is only administered once.

When you choose to be baptized yourself or to have your child baptized in the Episcopal Church, it means you are choosing to live out the Baptismal Covenant in the context of an Episcopal church community, taking your part in the worship, mission, and ministries of the local parish. Baptism is open to all people, regardless of age or background.

We believe that everyone is on a spiritual journey, and regardless of where you are on that journey you have a place at Epiphany. Baptism is a rite of initiation. It is a promise and a commitment to place God at the center of your life.

WE CELEBRATE BAPTISMS FOUR TIMES THROUGHOUT THE CHURCH YEAR

BAPTISM OF OUR LORD | The Sunday immediately following the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.

THE EASTER VIGIL | The evening before Easter Sunday.

PENTECOST | The feast day following the 50 days of Easter.

ALL SAINTS’ DAY | usually the first Sunday in November.

If you are considering baptism for either yourself or your child please contact Head Verger, Diane Carlisle at verger@epiphanyseattle.org.

Choral Evensong

Sung at the close of day in Cathedrals and churches throughout the world, Choral Evensong is a service of Evening Prayer, derived from the ancient offices of Vespers and Compline. The choir sings the traditional evening prayers of the church that have been offered for centuries, while the congregation listens, joins in the hymns, and adds their own prayers to those of the choir. It is an opportunity for peaceful meditation before the start of a busy week. A reception follows each service in Epiphany’s Fireside Room. Click here to learn more about Evensong.