PALM SUNDAY: The countdown to Easter, which...

PALM SUNDAY: The countdown to Easter, which falls this year on April 11, continues with Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, which commemorates Gospel accounts of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The following are some of the local events:

* Shepherd of the Hills Church, 19700 Rinaldi St., Porter Ranch, is presenting “The Passion Play,” a dramatic musical account of Christ’s last six days in Jerusalem, culminating in his resurrection. Performances will be today at 3 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m. and April 10 at 3 and 8 p.m. An interpreter for the deaf will be at the 3 p.m. performance on April 10. Tickets are $7 and $10 each.

* An Easter oratorio by Russell Oquist, featuring synthesized accompaniment, will be presented at 6:30 tonight at the First Baptist Church of Canoga Park, 20553 Sherman Way.

* The Cathedral Choir of La Crescenta Presbyterian Church will perform the Easter portion of Handel’s “Messiah,” under the direction of Jim Tong, with Anita Hanawalk and orchestra accompanying at 10 a.m. Sunday. The church is located at 2902 Montrose Ave.

* “The Victor,” a musical tracing Holy Week to Easter, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Bethel Lutheran Church, 17500 Burbank Blvd., Encino.

EASTER-RELATED OFFERINGS: A Seder/Lord’s Supper will be offered at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Encino Community Church, 5955 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. The service will be led by Rabbi Ted Falcon of Woodland Hills’ Makom Ohr Shalom and the church’s Rev. Margie Ann Nicola.

* “Perceive the Light,” a metaphysical interpretation of the three hours of darkness, referring to the time that Jesus spent on the cross, will be offered from 1 to 2 p.m. on Good Friday at the Glendale Church of Religious Science, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive. Meditation tapes will play a half hour before the service for quiet meditation.

* Dale Wood’s “A Service of Darkness,” will be sung in separate services on Good Friday at Woodland Hills Presbyterian Church, 5751 Platt Ave., and at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, 15950 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills. Both services begin at 7:30 p.m.

* An Easter pageant, including selections by the Sanctuary Choir and a dramatic musical called “Who Will Call Him King of Kings,” will be presented by Newhall’s Grace Baptist Church at 7:30 p.m. Friday and at 3 and 7 p.m. April 10 at Hart High School, 24825 Newhall Ave., Newhall. An interpreter for the deaf will be at the 3 p.m. performance on April 10. Reservations can be made by calling (805) 259-7739. Tickets are $5.

PASSOVER: The festival of Passover, commemorating the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, begins at sundown Monday and continues through April 13. The following are some of the local events being offered:

* “Passover: Then and Now,” a one-hour special with entertainer Monty Hall and Cantor Michael Russ will air on KCSN (88.5 FM) at 10 a.m. Sunday and at 7 p.m. Tuesday. A portion of the radio show features Holocaust survivor Elane Norych Geller, who as a child lived for more than four years in Nazi concentration camps. The show will also feature music and a favorite Seder recipe by Hall’s wife, Marilyn.

* A community Seder will be held in Van Nuys at 10 a.m. Monday at the Bernardi Senior Multipurpose Center, 6514 Sylmar Ave., and at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Mid-Valley Senior Center, 14450 Valerio St. The Seders are open to people 60 years and older. Reservations can be made by calling (818) 781-3300 and leaving a message. Suggested donation is $1.25 per person.

* A Passover celebration will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Woodland Care Center, 7120 Corbin Ave., Reseda. Rabbi Bernard M. Cohen, rabbi emeritus of Temple Solael in Canoga Park, will conduct the service.

* Inmates at Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho will be offered a Passover service at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic by Rabbi Mika Weiss at 2 p.m. Thursday. Following the service, the inmates will be offered a traditional Seder meal.

* The Los Angeles Chapter of the Society for Humanistic Judaism will have a Seder at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Sportsmen’s Lodge, 12833 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Tickets are $35 each. More information can be obtained by calling (818) 761-1980 or (310) 306-3226.

CATHOLIC LUNCHEON: The Rev. John H. Hampsch will be the guest speaker at the Catholic Business Luncheon Wednesday at Barone’s restaurant, 10123 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake. Social time begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch at noon. Cost is $9 per person. For reservations, call (213) 656-0955.

News and announcements for this column can be sent to Religion Desk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311.