Holy Week and Beyond
Today we begin the few days of worship that stand at the very center of our faith. Indeed, the Triduum, the name for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services, mark and point to events that are at the very core of reality. God’s love, justice and mercy, Jesus’ humility, supremacy and ultimate victory, and the cross-shaped vision of the good life, empowered by the Holy Spirit, are all encapsulated in these days. They are a feast for our senses and souls.
The immensity of all that the end of this week signifies can be difficult to lay hold of. Here are a few suggestions to help enter in:
Sign up for worship tonight, on Friday, and Sunday, or participate online here. Invite someone else to participate in person or online!
Especially on Good Friday, you might consider listening to music related to the crucifixion or checking out thisonline version of the Stations of the Cross (with liturgy composed by our own David Taylor).
Personally or with others, engage devotionally with the reality of these days. Read or listen to one of the Passion narratives in the Gospels. Check out The Garden videos for today and Good Friday. Consider fasting on Good Friday or Holy Saturday as a means of preparing to celebrate the resurrection on Sunday. For Easter Sunday itself, bring flowers to add to the cross. Come ready to sing and shout “Hallelujah."
Easter Sunday, of course, is only the beginning. One of my favorite features of the church calendar is that it sets aside a full fifty days of reveling in and proclaiming the resurrection. See below for info on some of what we have planned for the weeks ahead as a church community.
I specifically wanted to highlight the "COTC Essentials” course beginning on Sunday, April 18th. If you’re interested in learning more about our vision, values and mission at COTC or regarding Anglicanism more generally, be sure to sign up. This class is part of the process of becoming a member with us and can also lead to confirmation in the larger Anglican church. You can find out more and register by emailing Father Nick.
Ready for Hallelujahs with you,
Peter+