Holy Week 2025

I want to highlight this years Maundy Thursday Worship service that will be at 7 p.m. in our sanctuary. It will be a cantata that leads us through Holy Week.

Tenebrae, a Service of Shadows is the title of our cantata. Tenebrae, by definition, is the Latin word for “darkness” or “shadows.” It is held during the last three days of Holy Week and is characterized by the gradual extinguishing of six Lenten Candles (which we have been doing at the end of each Lenten Worship Service). At the end of the service the Christ Candle is removed from the sanctuary rather than extinguished. The purple paraments are also stripped from the chancel area as all semblance of Jesus’ royalty has been removed by the events of Thursday night and Good Friday.

During the cantata, we will celebrate the Eucharist, which is another word for The Last Supper and literally means, Thanksgiving. What does God do for us through Holy Week that we should be thankful for? Why in the world would anyone call the day that Jesus died on the cross Good Friday? What is it that we really needed, and need even now, according to God’s plan and desire for each and all of us?

After Jesus is crucified, the light of Christ is not visible, seems lost and we are left in a dark void. What does that mean for humanity? What does that mean for us? Just because we cannot see or discern the light of Christ, does not mean that it is not there, somewhere, even near? What blocks our vision of God’s glory in Christ? Why is Easter impossible without Good Friday?

I share here an excerpt from Donald K. McKim’s 2013 book on Lent as discussion of what God was doing and continues to do for us.

The seriousness with which the Bible takes sin is captured in the image of “death.” Paul

indicates that the outcome of our condition as sinners is that we lose our lives. We lose

our relationship of life with God—which is what true life is. We are cut off from God so

radically that “death” is the only term that is strong enough to describe our situation.

But God brings us to life! God gives us a gift, which is new life—eternal life—in Jesus

Christ, our Lord. This is pure grace. We now have a new status and a new relationship

with God. We are “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). We have eternal life, in-

stead of eternal death. We receive not what we deserve, but what God gives. Now life can be lived in the freedom of forgiveness and fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. God brings us to life! William Sloane Coffin points out that by forgiving us, God in Christ does not take away the results of our sins. These may endure. But what we receive is freedom from the results of being sinners. We are now forgiven sinners. We live in a relationship of faith and trust in Jesus Christ, united with him, and are those who have received eternal life, right here, right now. This is the greatest new life imaginable!

Make your plans to be with us on Thursday night, April 17th at 7 p.m…And Make your plans to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter, April 20th, either at the 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. services. DO NOT FORGET THAT EASTER SUNDAY IS TWO SERVICES AT 9 AND 11 A.M.

Stay on the path and do not wander off following Jesus all the way to new life, through Holy Week, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and into Easter Sunday.

Rev. Dr. Steve Fitzgerald

March 2025