This Sunday begins the holiest week in the life of the Church. It is a time when we are drawn into the drama of Jesus’ final days with liturgies that are as participatory as they are profound. Together we will experience some of those touchstone moments that help us understand, in ever deepening ways, both the horrors which human beings are capable of inflicting on one another, and also the power of God’s love to overcome even the worst we can do. It is the core of the Christian story, distilled into just a few days. And it is a story that can transform lives. We want you to be a part of it.
It all starts with Palm Sunday, one of the richest services of the year. We will have the chance to wave our palms as the procession passes by, commemorating Jesus’ triumphant arrival into Jerusalem. And at the 10:15am service we will have the glory of both our Adult Choir and Choristers combining together in song, a rare treat. But as the service progresses, we will feel the mood start to shift as those bent on Jesus’ destruction gather like clouds on the horizon. This culminates with the dramatic reading of the full Passion narrative at the end of the service. Our talented lectors will take us from Jesus’ arrest, to his trial, to the cross, and, ultimately, to the tomb. And we will play our part as the crowd that condemns him to death, a moment of conviction which is never easy to stomach.
The rest of the week will consist of services which rewind the story and slow it down even further, taking it piece by piece, step by step, and asking us to play our part, whether it is washing each other’s feet, kneeling at the foot of the cross, or holding a candle of hope to keep the darkness of the tomb at bay. We will be spending our Adult Formation time this Sunday explaining each of these services so you know what to expect. But the truth is these liturgies can only be understood by your participation in them. Therefore, I hope you will do what you can to join us this Sunday and through the next week. It will bring Jesus to life for you in ways you could never have imagined and it will make your Easter Day that much more glorious.
See you Sunday,
Fr. Noah
