During Holy Week we journey with Jesus to New Life. As Christians, we should celebrate Holy Week with as much joy as Christmas. The point of our faith is not that baby Jesus was born, but that he grew into our Savior, taught us a new way of being, died and rose for us, that we might transcend our ways of domination and tragedy, sin and death.
Holy Week walks us through a condensed version of this transformation process. When you walk the whole journey of Holy Week, Easter morning may indeed be a new life experience for you.
On Palm Sunday, we wave palms in anticipation of Jesus’ completely transformative kind of power: not from a warhorse with an imperial army to subdue us, but on a donkey with a message to woo us. Yet transformation is never easy, and it doesn't occur without struggle and trial. On Holy Thursday, we come to Jesus’ table on the night of his betrayal, so we can receive strength for the hardest moments in life and death by sharing in his.
This year, at Church in the Wildwood, our service included an invitation to participate in a Last Supper communion and to pray in the garden of Gethsemane. Our garden was lovingly crafted by Jeff and Carla Chapman. The garden remained available for reflection and prayer on Good Friday. On Sunday, we gathered for fellowship and breakfast treats before an Easter service that included a trumpet, bells and joyous worship.
See our little church transformed...