An article for the church newsletter...

Here is an article I just wrote about the basics of Holy Week for the church newsletter. It was fun "getting back to the basics!"

Some Liturgical Theology in a Nutshell, or, What’s Holy Week All About?
by Rev. Joe Stobaugh

We are about to experience some of the most important events in the life of Jesus this month. Holy Week is, arguably, the most vital week in the Church Year. It is my prayer that the information that follows will help you to enter into this week in a deeper and richer way.

Passion/Palm Sunday
Holy Week begins with Passion/Palm Sunday, which this year falls on March 16th. During this service, we mark the irony of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, where his followers and others spread out their coats and palm branches for Jesus and his donkey to ride into the city. With our voices this day we cry out “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” And with these same voices, we recognize ourselves as the ones who later in the week will also shout, “Crucify him!” The irony does not end there, however. Traditionally, the Roman Empire would march a legion of troops into Jerusalem the week before the Passover service was observed in an effort to remind the citizens of Jerusalem of who was “really in charge.” Many scholars have suggested that Jesus timed his entry in Jerusalem to occur on the other side of the city, at the same time as the Roman’s march into Jerusalem, as a demonstration against the empire. The act was laced with irony: the empires of this world marched in their glory, coming to crush any opposition with force, while Christ marched into the city on the back of a simple donkey, preparing to crush evil, the powers and principalities, and sin with grace, sacrifice, and love. The contrasts couldn’t be clearer between of the way of Christ and the way of the world.

In order to enter into this week fully try putting yourself in the events of this week: from Passion/Palm Sunday, to the Upper Room, to the Cross, and to then finally to the Resurrection! Where are you in these stories?

Maundy Thursday
On Thursday we enter into one of the most ancient times of worship, prayer, reflection and action in the Christian tradition. The events that begin sunset of this Thursday, and end on sunset of Easter Day are known at The Triduum
(the three days).

After sunset on Holy Thursday, the church remembers the actions of the last night of Jesus’ life, when he spent time with his disciples in the upper room, washing their feet, instituting the Lord’s Supper and his new commandment to love one another. This mandatum novum (new commandment, from which this service draws it’s name) comes from Jesus’ words in John 13:34: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

Maundy Thursday calls us to focus on the hope and love for the community that comes from the Last Supper and of our call to serve others, as Jesus’ demonstrated by washing the disciples feet.

Good Friday
During this most solemn of days, we mark the death of Jesus Christ. This day is filled with mystery, power, and significance. During this day we remember not only Jesus’ immeasurable sacrifice but we also ponder the depth of God’s love and God’s dream that all of God’s creation would be redeemed and restored. We marvel at the mystery of God’s greatest gift of love to us. We stand amazed, grateful, and perhaps confused and frightened at the power of the cross.
In the early church Good Friday was a time of deep intercessory prayer. In addition to marveling at the depth of God’s love, we too will enter into a time of deep prayer for the needs of the world this day.


Easter
On this day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! God has vanquished death, the final bastion of evil and sin! This day is the most celebrative day in the church year!

The early church celebrated Easter (as do many churches in our own time, including many United Methodist congregations) by holding an Easter Vigil. During the Easter Vigil, which usually starts late in the evening on Saturday (so as to finish early on Easter morning) God’ great acts of salvation as found through the Bible are proclaimed through song, readings and other acts. Traditionally, the service begins in darkness, outside of the church, and a great fire is lit outside of the church. The community processes in with a large candle, called the Paschal Candle, which represents the Light of Christ being brought back into the world, just as Christ came back from death. A beautiful song of praise, called the Exultet is sung and God’s saving acts are proclaimed. Traditionally, all those who were to be baptized received the sacrament at this service.

Our service, on Easter morning, will be a time of great joy and celebration as we praise God for all that God has done! This Sunday is the culmination of the church year! We will sing songs, hear a sermon, and experience the deep and abiding joy that comes from Christ’s victory.

For the following fifty days, we will continue to celebrate Easter and will then celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church, where the Spirit was poured down onto the believers.

Parts of this article are used with permission from The Worship Sourcebook © 2004, CRC Publications.