Reflection on Holy Week and Easter

(Ann Carlton wrote a great thank you for our Holy Week and Easter services. You can find it online in the "What's New?" section in the April 22 Good Sam Notes pdf edition (online soonish).)


by Leanne Shawler,
Communications Director


I sing in the choir for my church and so was at every service for Holy Week except the noon Good Friday and the early morning Easter service.

All in all, I have to say this is the most profound and moving Holy Week I've had in a long time. If I had to guess as to why I would say some of that is because of my faith journey over the past year, some of it letting go of needing to stage manage every detail of our services (ok, so folks in the office are laughing as they read this -- but I mean in the moments right before the service. I prepared plenty), and some of it because of the love our community holds for God and each other, and God being present during those services. 

Maundy Thursday: I felt a bit disconnected during the foot washing -- the choir sang and so didn't participate as we've done in past years -- although one of us did go up after we'd done singing. I’m not sure whether or not I missed getting my feet washed or not. It was nice to sit back and not feel like I had to stage manage the whole thing as in previous years too. 


I was deeply moved when we buried the sacraments in the Memorial Garden. It not only felt like we were actually burying Jesus but I suddenly felt as if my sin, my body had been buried with Him. 

Reading of the Passion

The combined Good Friday service with the Newman Center was special even if it started late and went longer than I expected, but I just went with the flow and experienced it as it happened. 


“let us kneel ... let us stand..."

Patty (who works in the Newman office) and I wove the solemn collects/prayers of the faithful together ... I would've made the prayers a lot shorter as it was tough to kneel on tile, which I felt I had to do given that I was right behind the altar. How could one not kneel?  

Saturday's Easter Vigil was the high point for me: we spent a good chunk of it outside, sitting around a sort-of campfire, telling and singing God's story in history, and Revbecca asked us if we would add our story to those we'd already told. God is still working in history.

I decided for energy reasons, and because I was still getting over a nasty cold, to skip the early morning Easter service. They had dolphins show up (it was on a pier). I am bummed about that. Dolphins! Pelicans!

Easter itself was a bit of an anti-climax after Vigil, although Chris gave an awesome sermon about the freedom given to us by the Resurrection and the baptism was just a wonderful moment too. 

 What were your favorite moments of Holy Week or Easter?

Why Go to Holy Week?

by Nancy Higgins

We have been challenged to identify where we see or feel God at work in our lives, and I feel that presence most closely during Holy Week.

I'll admit that my first time to attend the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil services came as a result of being in a choir. However, I discovered how easy it was to really understand what Jesus went through, and His sacrifice for me in these 3 days. 

On Maundy Thursday we hear that Jesus washed His disciples feet. What an amazing act of love. I can feel that love when someone else washes my feet. Even if I have my hands washed, the love of one Christian for another comes through. 

Later in the service, when the altar is stripped, the nakedness of the altar is shocking. It make me even more aware that the next day Christ will die for my sins. We follow the Light of Christ to the memorial garden, and then go home to think about what will happen on Friday.

Good Friday is solemn, as those of us who have experienced death of a loved one know. But as Christians, we know that the next night will be a celebration. And that is what Easter VIgil is. We start in the Memorial Garden where we left Christ, but now we know the tomb is empty. Joy abounds.

I invite you to come and share with fellow Christian the love and sacrifice of our Lord. And please join with me on Easter shouting Alleluia Jesus is Alive.

Have you ever felt that you were walking with Jesus through this time?