A Holy Week Journey with Jesus
This Sunday begins what we in the business call “Holy Week”. It is called “Holy Week” because it is the week recounted in the Gospels as the time between Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and his resurrection from the dead at Easter. As we’ve been discussing during our sermon series, the events of Holy Week hold a great deal of significance as to why we call ourselves Christians.
I’d like to invite you to consider attending each one of our celebrations/worships for the full experience. Each day is different in tone and experience, and designed to encompass the richness of emotion that Jesus’ followers surely did during his last week.
Palm Sunday and Easter Egg-Stravaganza
Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem where he is greeted by people shouting “Hosannah!”, waving palms, and lining the path with their cloaks, which are actions reserved for a triumphant king. They believed Jesus was the Messiah who had come to rescue them – a belief we share.
To celebrate, we encourage all kids of all ages to join Ms. Caitlin in the back of the Worship Center 5 minutes before each worship service (8:30 and 11am) to join in the palm parade.
At 9:45am, in lieu of age-level Sunday school, we will have our Egg-Stravaganza! There will be games and different egg hunts for different ages. Invite a friend.
Maundy Thursday Worship will be on Thursday, March 28 at 7pm in the Worship Center. “Maundy” comes from the latin word for “mandate” or “command” and remembers Jesus’ commandment to love one another and wash each other’s feet during the Last Supper.
Our worship experience will be a modern re-telling of the events surrounding the Last Supper and betrayal of Jesus by some characters who might have witnessed what was happening. Modern music will fill in the spaces between scriptures and narratives, as we realize what Jesus is asking us to do today in our lives, because of his love.
Good Friday Worship will be on Friday, March 29 at 7pm in the Worship Center. Good Friday is the impactful remembrance of the execution of Jesus by crucifixion. “Good” seems like an misnomer, but we have come to know that it is through Jesus’ willingness to die for us that we truly can know love and be freed from sin.
Our worship will be an alternation between scripture and traditional music as we journey down the path to both sadness and hope, letting the light fade with each step into the seemingly hopeless period of uncertainty before Easter.
Easter Sunday is the crux of Christianity, the day of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Without this event, it could be said that sin still won or that evil got the last laugh. It could be said that death was still the wages of humanity’s sin, but Jesus victoriously rose to life so that we can have the assurance that if God can defeat death then God can certainly rise to the challenge in our problems.
Our Easter Worship will take on three forms. All of them will serve communion.
- 7am – Sunrise Worship led by the Student Ministry and Student Praise Band. Located outside by the south parking lot.
- 8:30am – Traditional Worship
- 11:00am – Contemporary Worship
I look forward to this majestic and emotional week with you. Please take the opportunity to invite your friends, neighbors, and enemies, as this is still the time when most people already plan on going to church and just might be the invitation they need to experience the amazing grace of Jesus.
Peace,
David Lessner
