Walking the Way: A Crash Course in Holy Week and Easter

During Lent, we’ve been clearing space. We shed obstacles that keep us from recognizing God’s grace and turning back toward God (repenting).  We have begun the process of living differently. Holy Week is where all of that comes together.

So, what is Holy Week? Holy Week is the way of walking with Jesus through the final days of his life. It begins with his entry into Jerusalem, the last supper, Jesus’s suffering and death and his glorious resurrection. Walking the way of Christ is an ancient tradition that’s rooted in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’s and resurrection. Our Holy Week liturgies are intended to focus on the deep meaning of this time.

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week with Jesus’s triumphal procession into Jerusalem with palms. It continues with a reading of the passion account from Scripture (the story of Jesus’s crucifixion) followed by Holy Eucharist. This day often evokes a sense of whiplash as we recreate what our Christians ancestors did in Jesus’ time: one day hailing Jesus Christ as King with loud “Hosanna,” while quickly turning away from him in acts of betrayal with the words, “Crucify Him!”

In the span of one service, we move from celebration to sorrow. It’s feels jarring. But it reflects the human heart: our ability to worship and praise God in one moment and deny God in the next.

Maundy Thursday is observance of the meal Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died. There Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist, and gave his disciples, (and us) a new commandment: to love one another as he has loved us (John 13:34). Then he shows them what love looks like by washing their feet.

Maundy Thursday is best known for the ceremony of washing of feet. Some people think foot washing is weird and awkward. I certainly did my first Maundy Thursday service! However, foot washing is an important practice because it’s an example of how Jesus serves us and calls us to serve others. If it’s your first time, remember that foot washing is optional, and some people sit in the pew and pray. Maybe you’ll be ready next year.

The night ends quietly. All the decorative furnishings are removed from the church in preparation for Good Friday. This is a practice called “stripping of the altar” which evokes a sense of loss and grief.  Afterward, you may remain in the nave for a prayer vigil during the night.

Good Friday is one of the most solemn days of the liturgical year. There is no celebration of the Eucharist on this day, but we do gather to hear scripture and to pray. On Good Friday, we acknowledge Jesus’ last hours: his “trial”, the mocking of the crowd, his compassion on the criminals who died alongside him, and the few followers who stayed to witness Jesus’ suffering under the cross or at a distance.

A focus of the Good Friday liturgy is the Solemn Collects (a collect is a prayer). These collects widen our hearts to include the whole world: the Church, the nations, those in need, and even those who don’t yet know God’s love.

The Stations of the Cross is a simple, prayerful journey through the final moments of Jesus’ life. Traditionally, there are fourteen “stations,” each marking a scene along the way to the cross. The stations are set out around the church and at each we pause, read scripture and pray. The stations help us slow down enough to notice what’s happening as we see Jesus stumble, we see the cruelty, and we see his suffering. But most of all we see his love.

Holy Saturday sits quietly between the sorrow of Good Friday and the joy of Easter morning. Jesus is in the tomb. The story seems finished, and the disciples are grieving and confused. Nothing seems to be happening, and that is what makes Holy Saturday so real. It’s an in-between space that is recognizable to us today. When we’re in in-between spaces, we often feel like our prayers will go unheard, and our grief will remain forever.

The Church doesn’t skip over this day. Instead, it’s a day to trust that God is still at work, even in the silence. Holy Saturday teaches us how to wait, and it reminds us that even when nothing seems to be happening, Easter is already on the way.

Easter brings the fullness of the joy of the resurrection of Christ. The flowers return to the church, and the music is glorious, exciting and jubilant. The “alleluia” we set aside during Lent returns in full force. Easter is the celebration that God’s love defeats the power of sin and death and that God is still at work, giving us hope.

Come walk with us! Holy Week is a time to experience the way of Christ by participation. We immerse ourselves in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, even as we live in the light of the resurrection. By participating in this week, we find ourselves in the story of God. Many people remark that Holy Week helps them to see and feel the full joy of the resurrection on Easter morning. After all, if there was no Good Friday, there would be no Easter.

You’re invited to walk the story of Holy Week with us. Come as you are and experience these sacred days together as we remember, reflect, and rejoice.

Holy Week at Emmanuel

-Palm Sunday:

-8:00am Spoken Holy Eucharist

-9:45am Blessing of the Palms & Procession from First Baptist to Emmanuel

-10:00am Holy Eucharist

-Monday - Thursday: 12 Noon Stations of the Cross

-Thursday: 6:00pm Maundy Thursday Service, Footwashing, Stripping of the Altar

-Thursday 7:00pm - Friday 12 Noon: Prayer Vigil (Sign Up Here)

-Friday: 12 Noon Good Friday Service; 1:30pm Stations of the Cross

Easter Sunday at Emmanuel

-7:00am Traditional Spoken Easter Service

-8:00am Choral Easter Eucharist (bring a flower to flower the cross)

-9:15am Treats and Children’s Egg Hunt

-10:00am Choral Easter Eucharist (with Incense)