I forget it every year how busy holy week truly is. But, then it hits me like a ton of bricks and gets me into work-a-holic mode for the craziest week of the year. All of my minister friends understand such a quandary, but others wonder what is the big deal? Especially, at a Baptist church. . . . don't you just celebrate Easter? It's just another Sunday with a little extra stuff in it, right?
Well, to further the fact that we are a wonderfully strange Baptist church, we celebrate Holy Week. (So, this week, I've been working on three worship guides at one time!) Our church wants to remember the events between Palm Sunday and Easter.
Tomorrow night, we'll gather at 7 pm for a Maundy Thursday Service to celebrate Christ's last night with his disciples, betrayal, and arrest.
On Friday at noon, we'll gather along with area Reston churches to remember the seven last words of Christ and his death.
(If you are in the Reston area, we'd love to have you join us. To learn more details about the services click here.)
To jump straight from Sunday to Sunday, you really miss out on so much of the story. And, even though in my experience in a variety of churches that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services are not always the most well-attended, it is very important to have them even still.
The story must be told for the sake of the story. Who is there to hear it is just a bonus . . . for those who come to listen.
So, my encouragement to you in whatever city or faith community you find yourself in if you are a practicing Christian, is to find a church to attend sometime before Easter Sunday. Without going through the experience of trial, tribulation and suffering that Christ experienced on the cross, you really rob yourself of the JOY that could be yours on Easter Sunday. We need Holy Week to help us hear the story of Easter rightly.
I'm looking forward to the excitement of Sunday already, but have much work to do before then!
Happy Holy Week everyone.
