Holy Week
This is the first year that I've really become immersed in the Lenten drama from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. I have previously participated in Lent by fasting and prayer, but this year for the first time, I was truly drawn into the drama of the Christian calendar. This is in large part due to the growing role of the Christian calendar in my own teaching as a youth pastor as well as the growing importance of the Christian calendar in my own spiritual formation.The Church calendar teaches us how to live in the rhythms of life. Through Lent we walk a period of darkness, self-deinal, self-examination and repentance. It is a period of preparation as we journey with Christ to the cross during holy week. Holy week, when celebrated well truly draws the Christian into the ongoing drama that was the week leading up to the crucifixion. Too often churches try to tell the whole story, or just preach the cross all the way leading up to and indeed after Good Friday. This year was different for me, as I began waving Palms at Jacob's Well, participated in two Passover Seder meals, and helped arrange and organize our own Church's Good Friday service. Each of these days celebrated that specific day, instead of a "general easter theme," and as the week drew on each day brought us closer and closer to the cross. As I prepared for Good Friday I experienced a powerful "march to the cross" as I was immersed in the life of the Church through these holy days.
Good Friday was a beautiful train-wreck. The service went perfectly, which meant that it was awkward, dark, dissonant, off-putting and hopeless. The youth groups performed the Good Friday dramatic liturgy for the rest of the church. Although it was light outside, we had black sheeting covering all windows, and with the exception of the five candles and our projectors there was no light in the sanctuary. Those candles were snuffed out as we walked with Christ through his black Friday when he is betrayed by two of his friends and finally nailed to the cross where he dies. The last candle is snuffed out. Complete darkness. That's it, no benediction, no closing remarks. People awkwardly and confusedly wonder what has happened... is it over? There is no resolution except that God has been killed, all hope is lost. Evil, violence, military might, the death penalty have been effective in killing God, our only hope.
Saturday was a still day. A day of rest, but also continuing in the darkness we left on friday.
Sunday morning we left the black sheeting up on the windows so that we might "continue where we left off" on that dark black Friday. When the stone was rolled away all the windows were uncovered and we experienced through light that God has vindicated Jesus and raised him from the grave. Evil has not won, violence and death do not have the last word. Our God is risen! People jumped out of their seats, I held back tears as I celebrated the resurrection. After going through the darkness of Lent and especially Holy Week, Easter was made so much more real this year.
Labels: Christian Time
posted by Charlie at 5:20 PM
2 Comments:
Awesome effect. My church did a seven candle monologue with a song for each candle. Did you plan the Passover Sader meal(s)?
I didn't plan either of the Seders, I just attended them and enjoyed. Although in the future if I have a chance, I'd like to plan (or attend) a Jewish Seder on Wednesday and then have a truly Maundy Thursday gathering on Thursday complete with foot-washing and Eucharist.
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