You’re incredibly busy. Your life is hectic. Your pace is frenzied. Jetting from one thing to the next, anxious about what isn’t and yet unable to be present for what is – does it sound familiar? We can sense the irrationality of a life we often say “goes by too fast,” all the while struggling to choose an alternative way.
But what if you knew you only had six more days to live? What priorities would reemerge? How might you shift gears for the people in front of you? What kind of gratitude would you discover? And on the other end of the spectrum, what kind of angst would surface? What kind of fears might that timestamp provoke? How would you express your concerns to friends you loved? We forget that when we celebrate Jesus’ victorious resurrection on Easter Sunday, that most critical moment in known history didn’t happen in isolation. In other words, there were several years that ultimately led up to a week’s worth of final experiences toward his crucifixion and death.
In an effort to not miss what Jesus demonstrated in the thick of it, we invite you to join us – though in a fuller sense, Him – along with Christians around the globe through Holy Week. For generations of Christ followers, participating in Lenten and Holy Week expressions have served to challenge both individual and communal identifications with Jesus. How? The experiences, practices, and services highlight the internal conflict He calls us to grow through: denial of ourselves toward greater trust in God, smack dab in the middle of crazy lives we so desperately seek to control.
Holy Week Activities
Click on the link to see the activity for the day:
SUNDAY (4/10): Palm Sunday
Jesus arrives to cheering crowds Jerusalem
Luke 19:28-40 (Matthew 21:1-11)
Palm Sunday, though rightfully remembered as a celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry, can also be understood as an ironically dark day. Many in the large crowd who enthusiastically welcome Jesus with chants of “Hosanna!” will turn hostile by Friday, screaming louder to “Crucify him!”
We invite you to begin Holy Week by joining us for our Sunday morning service at 10am (in person or online) as we acknowledge that tension. Surely we’ll sing praise toward Jesus our King, but we’ll pause for a moment of reflection after the message to ask God to search our hearts and motives for His presence in our lives.
Questions to consider or converse about:
- For each day, we’ve included questions of varying difficulty that you can respond to in a personal journal or in conversations with friends, family members, or your life group.
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, in what areas might it be easier to acknowledge that your thoughts, feelings, or motivations (your inner life) doesn’t match what you’re showing the world right now?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, what would make you want to shout for joy and praise of God when you thought back on your life?Conversely, what might you acknowledge caused you deep disappointment in God?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, is there anything that you might be more willing to risk doing that you feel the Lord calling you to, even though it makes no “earthly” sense?
MONDAY (4/11): Holy Monday
Jesus is angered over a system built on personal profit
Luke 19:45-46 (Mark 11:15-18)
The temple was a place that Jesus would have been intimately familiar with, and so his clearing of it and blunt criticism of its commercial practices make it unmistakable: he will expose and upend a system that is cloaked by piety, has been protected by and for the powerful, and yet has been hijacked for personal or profitable gains. On Holy Monday, and in symbolic representation of Jesus’ temple clearing, we can participate in acts of spring cleaning and purging as an outward expression of the internal, sanctifying work that the Holy Spirit invites us into.
Here are some options, but in whatever context, continue with the heart examination set forward on Palm Sunday, only further considering the sin and selfishness that pervade the hidden parts of our lives that Jesus wants to free us from (we’ll return to these on Wednesday):
- Clean a room in your house.
- Partner with a friend or family member for a long-overdue house cleaning project.
- Join us at 10am on Monday at our church campus for structured projects around our church campus with our A-team.
- Make a family memory and bring your dinner to our church courtyard by 6pm. We’ll eat together, share a little bit more about our hearts for the remainder of Holy Week, and then take part in projects around our building for our Children’s Ministry.
Will you kindly let us know if you plan on coming to either options 3 or 4 by CLICKING HERE? We’d love to see you!
Questions to consider or converse about:
- Can you think of anything that feels threatening to you because you either don’t understand it or because it undermines something that benefits you?
- Are there any teachings of Jesus that seem to go against what seems beneficial to your lifestyle?
- Can you think of anything that God designed to bring His goodness to you and others that you may be holding a bit more selfishly than you should?
- What reaction does this display of the righteous anger of God against selfishness provoke in you?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, what do you imagine you would hold a little less rigidly?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, are there wrongs that you know grieve the heart of God that you would be more courageous to speak out against?
TUESDAY (4/12): Holy Tuesday
Jesus calls attention to a widow
Luke 21:1-38 (Mark 11:20-26)
The events that fill Holy Tuesday largely center around Jesus’ lengthy teachings, proclamations, and parables that have continued to confound Christ followers ever since. Much has been debated about the nature of his statements, particularly regarding the “when” and “how” elements of what he so strongly articulates about his fulfillment of all things, eschatological dimensions and directives we know more popularly as “end times”. However, in the middle of all of this, Luke provides a simple but striking scene that is well-known in isolation and yet often unnoticed as an abrupt break in Jesus’ teaching: his sudden commentary and pointing out of a poor widow.
Here, pointed out by Jesus in view of his listeners is “a nobody” in the midst of rich contemporaries, whose quiet act of denial of self through her giving demonstrates an active trust in God that is preserved for all time. For today, two actions can be representative of the widow and Jesus’ special attentiveness to her:
- Consider a way that you can sacrificially give (monetarily) but in a way that no one can trace to you, testing the limits of our desire for recognition, as well as our anxieties (or greed) with finances (and security).
- Reach out to a person and succinctly express how you’ve taken note of their quiet, faithful witness, which is the way that they’ve testified to the dependability of God in the face of life’s uncertainties.
Questions to consider or converse about:
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days on Earth, are there certain doctrines or spiritual questions that might seem a bit less important to you than they do now?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, what are you holding on tightly to that might be easier to release to God?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, and truly “couldn’t take it with you,” what would you offer to God?
- Is there anything in your life that you’re not surrendering to God because you don’t feel like you have enough of it yourself? Finances? Time? Energy? Security?
WEDNESDAY (4/13): Holy Wednesday
Acts of betrayal are conspired against Jesus
(Luke 22:1-6)
Also known as Spy Wednesday, the middle of Jesus’ final week represents a sharp and uncomfortable turn in the story: Satan’s highjacking of Judas, marked by his collaboration with the religious leaders, their rage and hatred toward Jesus now reaching a fever pitch.
Our activity today is in contrast to the secret betrayal of Judas: we participate this Wednesday with an act (or acts) of confession. Here are modified options, first introduced to our congregation in a series on spiritual formation, particularly on the transformative practice of confession:
- Complete this simple prompt in written form, then find space to speak these words aloud, “Lord Jesus, I’ve betrayed you through ________________________. I know that you know these things, but I confess them as an act of trust and repentance, believing and responding to your kindness that calls me, desiring to be moved by your grace to be with you.”
- Consider confessing to another person, either someone you have wronged or, alternatively, a friend who will receive your confession and redirect your shame or guilt toward Christ’s mercy.
- If someone chooses to confess to you on this day, posture yourself to receive their ownership of brokenness without condemnation, thank them for their willingness to risk, and seize the moment to practice bearing witness to the good news.
Question to consider or converse about:
- What was difficult about confessing to Jesus or another person, or receiving their confession?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, how might you be more inclined to extend grace to another person or group of people?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, are there any regrets that might rise to the surface?
- How does confession move us toward God and others? Did you experience that movement in your act of confession?
THURSDAY (4/14): Maundy Thursday
Jesus shares a final meal before he is arrested
Luke 22:7-53 (John 13)
On the eve of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest, he spent time with his disciples in an upper room for one final, formal meal, which was the traditional Jewish Passover (a commemoration of God’s saving act that catalyzed the Exodus). The Gospel of John, particularly in chapters 13-17, constitute the most detailed of accounts amongst the four Gospels, and Luke’s detailing of this evening emphasizes stronger themes of how Jesus will fulfill and give fuller access to the kingdom. Maundy Thursday’s name, however, comes from a Latin word that means “commandment,” harkening to Jesus’ new commandment for the disciples to love one another and, in a wild reversal of expectations, Jesus’ lowly washing of their feet.
Tonight’s first activity converges on these things:
- Gather with friends, housemates, your life group, family, or any combination for a meal.
- Before your meal, read Luke’s account in chapter 22:7-34.
- After dinner, read John 13 and then take turns washing one another’s feet.
Supplies you’ll need:
- Basin or bowls of water
- Hand towels, towels, or even paper towels
Here’s a simple idea for how to do this (but do whatever works best for your gathered people – sitting on the edge of the bathtub or with feet in the kitchen sink works great, too!):
- Let people know ahead of time that you’ll be doing foot washing.
- Wash your hands and grab your supplies (bowls of water and towels).
- Sit on chairs in a circle.
- Read John 13 and read the remaining instructions.
- One person begins by taking the basin of water and two towels to someone in the circle (you can do this in any order, but it’s easy to go in a circle from right to left or vice versa).
- In a kneeling position, dip one towel in the basin of water, take the other person’s feet, and wipe/wash them with the wet towel.
- Take the other towel to dry the person’s feet.
- After this has concluded, the person whose feet was just washed goes to the next person.
If any of the above sounds awkward or uncomfortable, it certainly can be! For a little encouragement, however, your very own Sunridge worship team did this together (many for the first time) before an Easter rehearsal last year. There was a lot of skepticism, but everyone risked it and joined in. To this day, individuals who were there that night often comment about how powerful it was. You can be certain that we’ll be doing it again on Maundy Thursday this year!
Here’s our second activity. Immediately after the meal, Jesus and his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Even though Jesus specifically asked the disciples to keep watch and remain with Him, they all fell asleep before even an hour had passed. Tonight, we will form a prayer vigil from 7 pm until 7 am. If you would like to participate with us, please sign up for the hour during the night in which you commit to keeping watch with Jesus and praying.
“Keeping Watch With Jesus” Guide
Question to consider or converse about:
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, what might you be more willing to risk in vulnerable relationship that feels too hard right now?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, who would you make sure you spent meaningful time with, making sure they knew how important they are to you?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, how would that make it easier to vulnerably and sacrificially serve others?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, how might that change your prayer life and time spent communing with the Lord?
FRIDAY (4/15): Good Friday
Jesus is abandoned to suffer at the cross
Luke 22:66-23:49
In 2004, Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ, sent shockwaves across theaters around the globe. For scores of viewers, the film’s depiction of the harrowing and grisly execution of Jesus felt extreme, particularly in comparison to the more concise renditions of the Gospels that familiar readers wouldn’t have been able to create strong, mental visuals from. While the movie was incredibly popular, in the years since those visceral reactions, many have sought to intentionally distance themselves from any representations that might come even remotely near to those levels of exposed blood and gore. We remark on those things, not to articulate being for or against, but to simply call attention to what is true: Jesus’ crucifixion, when rightly considered, both was and is unsettling. For Good Friday observance at Sunridge, our goal is to make room for the cross of Christ and His experience thereon to speak for itself. So here are our two invitations:
- View our Stations of the Cross experience, which is a reflective prayer walk that traces the final events leading up to Jesus’ death. This year, artists from our congregation have submitted pieces that will be accompanied by corresponding passages of Scripture that chart Jesus’ journey from the Garden of Gethsemane onward. While it is most traditional to do the Stations of the Cross between noon and 3 pm (the hours that Jesus was on the cross before he died), our visuals will be available before and after our Good Friday service.
- As just mentioned, we invite you to join us for our Good Friday service, which will take place at 7pm inside the worship center. Our service will follow the Tenebrae-inspired format that we’ve utilized for the last two years: an interweaving of Scripture and worship, marked by a progressive extinguishing of lights. After the conclusion of our service, we will continue to recognize the loss of Christ – the light of the world, through and in whom every sweet gift comes. To engage our senses with these reminders until Sunday morning, we encourage you to fast from all sweets (including fruit and artificial sweeteners), in addition to all forms of man-made light between Friday night and our Sunday morning sunrise service.
Question to consider or converse about:
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, what earthly pleasures would feel easier to forego?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, how do you imagine you might more fully resonate with the suffering of Christ in his last week?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, how might it be easier to not turn your face from the brutal suffering of Christ in his last days?
SATURDAY (4/16): Silent Saturday
The disciples are hidden away in shock
Despite Jesus’ forewarnings amongst his disciples of the suffering he would endure in Jerusalem, there is no way for them to make sense of the last 48 hours. They watched him betrayed and arrested just past midnight of Thursday evening, hours after their Passover meal, only to watch an escalation of beatings, mockings, and a corrupted judicial process declared him “crowned” in advance of a public execution. The brutal and humiliating Roman crucifixion was not only reserved for the worst of criminals, but for the traditional Jewish mind, the wood of the cross would have evoked sentiment of Jesus being cursed by God. And now, on Saturday, which is the Jewish Sabbath – a day of consecrated rest from work and many typical daily activities – the disciples hide away in shock, partly mourning the loss of their rabbi, friend, brother, and greatest hope for deliverance, while simultaneously grappling with questions about whether or not they had been fooled and betrayed by a man with failed apocalyptic prophecies.
Today, our activity is straightforward: rest, reflect, and seek out ways to be still. Perhaps abstain from typical pleasures or sources of comfort. Continue your fast from sweets and the usage of man-made light (we know this is a challenge, but the sensory experience and reminder is powerful). Today should be a solemn day, imagining what it would be like without any guarantee of the hope of what is to come tomorrow.
Questions to consider or converse about:
- How has death touched your own life? Have you experienced the death of someone you loved in a way that enables you to empathize with these disciples in their disillusionment, grief, and loss of hope?
- If you knew you were approaching the end of your days, how might it be hard to hold on to hope and faith?
- How can our own response to death reflect God’s response to death?
SUNDAY (4/17): Easter Sunday
“…and on the third day rise again.”
Luke 24:1-12
With so much to consider and celebrate, we invite you to join us for a special sunrise service, beginning at 6:15am (come just a little earlier to get your spot on our driveway). We will break our sweets fast together at the first sign of dawn, remembering the present and eternal hope that comes alive in Jesus Christ, risen Lord and Savior, the light of the world.
Although we know how early this is, we’re reminded of early wake-up calls to go to Disneyland, while we’re out camping at Vail, for business trips, or other family vacations. So for one Sunday, come to service wearing whatever is warm and comfortable, expect to see other tired eyes, break fast with a donut hole, enjoy some warm coffee and even warmer smiles amongst your church family, and then we’ll follow our moment outdoors with a condensed service for the entire family indoors, followed by breakfast burritos, an Easter egg hunt for the kids, and more. Let’s continue our church family tradition!