Help to Enter Holy Week
It’s intense and only once a year. What is going on?
For Christians, the most important week of the year is Holy Week—the name we give the final and ultimate week of Jesus’ earthly life.
We don’t so much study that as enter it. Holy Week began in the 4th century, as Christians in Jerusalem wanted to worship Christ in the exact places where he had been, to retrace his steps during those momentous events. Therefore, our worship during Holy Week is even more tactile, often primal—waving palm fronds, touching a wooden cross, lighting a candle, washing feet, dancing, ringing bells. (This is also why it’s a great week for kids. They often enter this worship better than we do.) Even Covid can’t take all of this away.
My final word of overview is that Holy Week works as one unified week, one giant wave rising and cresting and carrying us toward the shore. We aren’t used to thinking this way. Most folks I know grew up viewing Maundy Thursday as wholly optional, Good Friday as like going to a funeral service, and Easter Vigil as that weird thing Anglicans do. Actually, those 3 services are 1 joint service. We don’t “end” the service after Maundy Thursday or Good Friday; there is no closing hymn, no recessional, no dismissal; we simply allow you a break to go home and sleep, then come back to continue in worship.
And now a few pastoral and practical words for each service:
Palm Saturday
Saturday, April 1
5pm, Pleasant Hill Community Church (PHCC)
26W401 Geneva Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187
This service features two parts, in jarring juxtaposition: (1) An outdoor palm procession. We are the crowd along the road into Jerusalem, waving palm branches and singing to welcome Jesus as he enters Jerusalem as King. (2) The Passion reading—the account of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. Now we are the crowd that turns against Jesus, shouting “Crucify him!” (Join in loudly at this part of the reading.)
Stations of the Cross
Wednesday, April 5 through Friday, April 7
Various times, PHCC
In this self-guided, interactive journey, move through the final 14 key moments of Jesus’s life, from his betrayal to his burial. Good for most ages. Reserve your time slot here. Wednesday, 2-6:30pm, 8:30-10pm. Thursday, 1pm to 4:45pm. Friday, 10am to 3:15pm.
Maundy Thursday (Eve)
Wednesday, April 5
7pm, PHCC
The word “maundy” relates to “mandate,” because on the Thursday night before he died, Jesus gave his followers a mandate: “Love each other just as much as I love you” (John 13:34). In this service, we are the disciples, and we see how much Jesus loves us: (1) Footwashing: He washes our feet (optional; wear socks and shoes easy for you to remove); (2) Communion: He gives us his life in the Last Supper; (3) Prayer Watch: He prays in agony in Gethsemane until he can take on the suffering for our sake. (You’re invited to remain in prayer following the service, as the disciples were invited by Jesus to pray with him.)
Please note: this year’s service will be on Wednesday at 7pm.
Good Friday
Friday, April 7
4pm, PHCC
Christians call this disastrous day in Jesus’ life—an event of government-sponsored torture and public execution—“good.” In what possible way could “Good Friday” be good? Because a greater plan was at work. Several times Jesus predicted that he would be betrayed, tortured, and killed (Luke 9:22; 9:44; and 18:31-33)—and, incredibly, this was part of God’s plan (Luke 22:22) and the reason Jesus came (John 12:27-28). Therefore, our worship is subdued and grateful but not like a funeral. As Ellen Richard Vosburg has written, “This is not a somber recapitulation of Jesus' death, but rather a thankful and reverently joyful recollection of his death that gave us life.” In the Good Friday service, we are eyewitnesses of Jesus’ suffering and death. We hear and participate again in the Passion narrative. And we take time to pray at the cross.
The Great Vigil of Easter
Saturday, April 8
5pm, PHCC
In the early church, new believers could not receive the sacred mystery of Communion until they had been taught and trained. The final night of their training was the night before Easter. They would stay awake all night. At dawn, as the Easter sunrise began to light the sky, they would be baptized and put on white robes. That’s how the Easter Vigil began.
Like those early believers, we spend a long time in worship (so bring water and maybe a power bar). The service comes in 4 parts:
1. Service of Light: a new fire is kindled, and from it the Paschal Candle (Easter Candle) is lit, symbolizing Christ, the light of the world. We share in that light by lighting our own candles
2. Service of Lessons: we hear how God saved his people in ages past and respond with songs and prayers. That culminates in the Acclamation that “Jesus is risen!,” which is shouted and celebrated. (Bring a bell to ring!)
3. Baptism: we baptize new believers and renew our own baptismal vows.
4. Communion: we celebrate the victory of Life over Death in this holy feast.
Easter Sunday Celebration & Brunch
Sunday, April 9
10:30am, Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
Our joy continues! We will hear the Gospel account of the 1st Easter, sing favorite Easter songs, and set up the flowering cross. Following the service, enjoy brunch, get to know people, and thank God for all he has done among us during Holy Week.