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Holy Week: A Summary
Why should we attend church during Holy Week?
As Dennis Bratcher writes, "It is important to place the hope of the Resurrection, the promise of newness and life, against the background of death and endings. It is only in walking through the shadows and darkness of Holy Week and Good Friday, only in realizing the horror and magnitude of sin and its consequences in the world incarnated in the dying Jesus on the cross, only in contemplating the ending and despair that the disciples felt on Holy Saturday, that we can truly understand the light and hope of Sunday morning!"
Holy Week is the last week of Lent before Easter Sunday. It begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday. Throughout the week we remember the various events of the final days of Jesus’ life:
- Monday – Jesus cleanses the Temple
- Tuesday – Jesus encounters opposition from the religious authorities
- Wednesday – Judas agrees to betray Jesus
- (Maundy) Thursday – Jesus shares the Last Supper with his disciples and washes their feet; this is the basis for our celebration of Holy Communion.
- (Good) Friday – Jesus is tried, condemned, and crucified. Worship on this day, revisits the cross of Calvary where Jesus died for us and for our salvation
- (Holy) Saturday – Jesus preaches to the spirits in Hades. This evening service recalls the whole story of salvation from the creation to the cross
Holy Week Services
Sunday, April 1
Palm Sunday, Regular Sunday Services
Children's Palm Sunday, 9:30 & 11:00 am, Garden
Holy Week Stations of the Cross in Cox Chapel
Monday, April 2 - Friday, April 6
7:00 am - 7:00 pm, viewing and personal reflection
Thursday, April 5
Maundy Thursday*
11:00 Cox Chapel, Communion
7:00 p.m. Sanctuary, Communion
5:00 - 8:00 Munger Place Church, 5200 Bryan St, Stations of the Cross, viewing and personal reflection. mungerplace.org
Friday, April 6
Good Friday Services*
Noon Sanctuary (led by the Chancel Choir)
7:30 pm Sanctuary (led by the Youth Choir)
7:30 pm Munger Place Church
9:00 pm Cox Chapel, Passion Story
Saturday, April 7
Holy Saturday Easter Vigil*
9:00 p.m. Cox Chapel
Maundy Thursday Worship, April 5, 2012
11:00 am in Cox Chapel. Join us for this special service with Rev. Robert Turner preaching, followed by lunch in Great Hall. Register by April 3 with Richard Stanford at 214.523.2249 or stanfordr@hpumc.org.
Good Friday Passion Story, April 6, 2012
9:00 pm in Cox Chapel. The service will be a dramatic retelling of the Passion of Christ and the harsh world in which He lived. As the story unfolds through the biblical passages it will be expanded upon by brief but informative commentaries and excerpts from compelling works of fiction from around the world. The content and presentation are appropriate for a mature audience. Childcare will be provided if you RSVP to 214.523.2201 or kidcare@hpumc.org by Monday, April 18. For further information please email ebryson@mail.smu.edu.
Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil, April 7, 2012
9:00 pm in Cox Chapel. The Vigil proclaims the universal significance of God’s saving acts in human history, which culminate in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The whole story of salvation is told using fire, candles, words from the scriptures, movement, and music. The highlight of the service is the opportunity to be baptized or to reaffirm one’s baptismal vows and a celebration of the Eucharist, the feast of the people of God. By participating in the Easter Vigil, worshipers can experience an encounter with the living God who brings freedom to the oppressed, cleansing from sin, new life for those who despair, and the promise of eternal life.
