During Holy Week we commemorate the most important events in Christian life and history.
Holy Week begins with the celebration of Jesus’ public entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminates the next Sunday, Easter, in the celebration of his resurrection.
But if we jump directly from Palm Sunday to Easter we are likely to forget the struggle and suffering of the crucifixion and the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Palm Sunday (8:30 am and 11 am)
Palm Sunday portrays Jesus’triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey. The people saw him as the long awaited Messiah who would restore Israel to greatness. They greeted him joyfully, shouting Hosanna! and waving palm branches.
At our Palm Sunday service, the children enthusiastically reenact this event. They greet Jesus, waving palm fronds and calling out Hosanna! as he enters. This tradition is a beloved beginning to Holy Week.
Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday at 7 pm)
Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples. It is during this meal that Jesus initiates the celebration of the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper, washes the feet of his disciples in a moving moment of humble service, instructs his disciples: “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). In Latin the word commandment is mandatum, and many scholars think this Latin term is the source of the odd word Maundy.
At Trinity Presbyterian Church, we reflect on the Last Supper and on Jesus’ coming death in a Communion/Tenebrae service, or service of darkness. One by one the candles in the church are extinguished and the lights dim as we remember Jesus’ time in the garden, his trial and suffering, until finally, with his crucifixion, darkness comes and we leave the church silently, struck by a new understanding of the disciples’ grief and loss of hope.
The Tenebrae service begins at 7pm, but you are invited to come early (5:30-6:30pm) for a light common meal* or to share opportunities for personal reflection that include walking a labyrinth (an ancient type of prayer walk), guided meditation or allowing church leaders to wash your feet. If you have never participated in this kind of Maundy Thursday observance, written instructions and meditation materials provide guidance. Proceed at your own pace. Choose those practices that are most meaningful to you or experience all of them. A bell will toll when it is time to move to the worship service.
*If you plan to join us for a light meal, please RSVP by March 20th via email to jallinson@tpcmckinney.org or by calling the church at (972) 542-4629.
Easter (8:30 am, 9:45 am, 11 am)
The most exciting, joyful day in the Christian year, on this day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Easter brings us the promise of eternal life. Because of Jesus’s resurrection we can trust that, although death is still an enemy, it is never the ultimate victor!
The Flowering of the Cross is one of the most meaningful parts of Trinity’s Easter celebration and takes place in the Celebration Garden. Everyone is invited to bring a flower, enjoy a traditional hot cross bun, and help transform the bare wooden cross of Christ’s death into a beautiful expression of new life in God. Then, we continue to the Great Hall for the Easter Service and help us make a joyful noise as we proclaim, He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Easter is more than a day. Our worship services follow Jesus through a week that began in triumph but seemed to end in tragedy and suffering. But the obvious human tragedy and death was not the end. Instead, the week ended in unexpected joy and triumph. Jesus is not dead. He lived then and He continues to live, love, guide and encourage us today. Easter isn’t a day. Easter isn’t even a week. Easter is the beginning of a new way of life, a life of hope and love and the companionship of God.
Author: Phyllis Tippit
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