Holy Week: An Invitation to Enter the Narrative.

​Christianity, like Judaism, is a storied religion and Christians are called, not only to hear the stories, but to be part of the ongoing story. Every Sunday, for example, not only do we read the Holy Scriptures, we also enter the narrative when we gather around Christ’s table to celebrate communion. The story of Jesus’ final meal is told: “In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took the bread…” and then we participate in the meal, joining the feast that has continued for thousands of years. And when we are sent out, we are given the mission to share the good news with both word and deed.
Holy Week, more than any other season of the church year, invites us to physically immerse ourselves into the narrative of Jesus’ passion and experience the tensions, the emotions and the grief of the days leading up to Christ’s crucifixion all of which give way to the joy of Easter morning and resurrection.
Holy Week begins this Sunday, April 10, when we will celebrate Palm / Passion Sunday. With palms in hand, we will join the narrative of the crowds welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. Then, just as the mood of the crowds rapidly shifts from cheers of “Hosanna!” to shouts of “Crucify him!,” the tone of our worship rapidly shifts as the passion narrative sets the stage for the rest of the week.
On Maundy Thursday, we enter into the events of Jesus’ final evening with his disciples. We receive his final commandment to love one another and participate in the act of service like the one he used to demonstrate what that kind of love looks like. Worshippers will be invited to have their feet or their hands washed. (Both are optional.) Then we will share communion together for the last time until Easter morning.
On Good Friday, we enter into the final hours of Jesus’ life. This year in worship, we will use scripture, song and prayer to meditate on the seven last words that Jesus utters from the cross. We depart in silence and darkness, contemplating the significance of the cross while clinging to the hope of resurrection.
We greet Easter morning with shouts of “Alleluia!” as we rejoice in the Risen Christ and the hope of resurrection realized. As we gather together, we praise God ​and celebrate the good news that our God is a God of life who defeats death and works through resurrection.
As Christians, these stories are our stories. We don’t just hear them to learn about what happened back then; these are the stories into which we have been baptized. The emotions, the grief, the joy are all part of the human condition, the human condition that Jesus entered into and acknowledges with his presence; the human condition that Christ continues to be present for in each of our lives. In this way, God’s story shapes our lives and our stories become part of God’s ongoing story.
May you experience the power of the story this Holy Week,
Pastor Sue