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What to Expect for Holy Week & Easter
The last week of Jesus' life is the most holy week of the Christian calendar – even more important than Christmas! As Cantor Kurt Schmidt says every year, missing an opportunity to gather for a part of Holy Week is like walking out on the middle of a movie, coming back, and wondering what you missed.
We are sharing what to expect so that you will mark your calendars and look forward to this holy time.
Palm Sunday begins with Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a humble donkey. The crowds treat him like a king, waving palm branches and using their coats to cover the dirty road (think: red carpet). The mood changes quickly as Jesus creates chaos in the temple and the religious leaders begin to strategize how to rid themselves of this threat to the status quo.
We don't gather for worship on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, but Mark's gospel tells us what happens from day to day, an account we will summarize as worship is suspended on Palm Sunday.
When we resume our worship on Maundy Thursday, Jesus has met his disciples in the upper room to celebrate the Passover by having a meal. During the meal, he institutes what we know as the Lord's Supper (or Communion, the Eucharist, etc.). After the meal, Jesus washes the feet of the disciples as the example of servant leadership and what it means to "love one another." At our Maundy Thursday service, we will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a simple meal of soup and bread in the church narthex as part of the liturgy. The service will move into the sanctuary and conclude with the stripping of the altar.
Worship resumes on Good Friday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (6301 SW 18th St, Boca Raton, FL 33433). We look forward to sharing worship with them, as they will join us for Maundy Thursday. Good Friday is "good" because Jesus is crucified to save us from sin, death, and the devil.
On Saturday night, the congregations of the Broward-Bahamas Conference will gather at Zion for the Vigil of Easter. This service, which begins with a new fire near sundown, celebrates the victory of Jesus over the powers of evil and ushers in the joy of Easter. We will hear the salvation story of the world, reaffirm our baptismal promises, and celebrate a festive Eucharist. This night is truly the "Super Bowl" of all Christian worship opportunities.
Finally, Holy Week concludes with Easter Sunday, when we will gather for our worship "on the first day of the week," just as the women went to the tomb. Though we celebrate Easter Day as a major festival, Easter is actually a season that will last 49 days (a "week of weeks," 7x7) until the Day of Pentecost.
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