I remember hearing as a child that March is the month that “comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”, and I wondered why it often didn’t happen that way. I remember sometimes getting snow in late March, freezing during Easter Egg hunts, and having pretty spring Easter outfits that I had to wear a wool winter coat over. But this year, March will kind of go out like a lamb. Holy Week starts March 24 with Palm Sunday and goes until Easter Sunday on March 31, when the Lamb of God is resurrected from the grave – Alleluia!!!
Gibson is planning several Holy Week activities as Lent comes to a close. Palm Sunday is March 24, and we will have palms to wave and celebrate the triumphal entry into Jerusalem of Jesus riding on a colt. His followers waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 21: 1-11) Jesus did a lot of teaching and healing in the next few days, and he did a great job of insulting the Jewish leaders, calling them hypocrites, and clearing the temple of the money changers. Matthew 21 – 26 makes for interesting reading.
Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover that Thursday night, Judas betrayed him, he was convicted and crucified. Gibson will offer a Maundy (Holy) Thursday Tenebrae service on March 28 at 7:00 pm. This will be a service of scripture, the Passion story, of Holy Communion, and music is sung and played that takes us from that Passover meal through the events of the night and ends with the crucifixion. Tenebrae means shadows or darkness, and as each scripture is read, a candle is extinguished until there is darkness. The chancel will be “stripped” and left bare with only a black cloth on the altar table. The congregation is invited to participate. This is a very solemn and powerful experience, and I encourage everyone to worship with us. (read Matthew 27)
On Good Friday, the church will be open for prayer, with pictures and guided liturgy of the Stations of the Cross. The sanctuary will be silent and the chancel bare. It will be a wonderful quiet time to spend with God.
But – Easter is a-coming!!! On Easter Sunday morning, as we start the service, we will bring back the chancel furnishings and paraments, which will look joyous again. The colors are white and gold. The music will be uplifting, and we will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, as depicted on the stained glass window nearest the choir loft. Take a look at it and read Matthew 28. We will also have a choir for these services.
“The strife is o’re, the battle done; the victory of life is won; the song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!” (hymnbook #306)