It's a whole long week before you come; I can't wait Grandma. Is it a week yet? When will Santa come? School isn't over for another week. Yuck!
At some point a week started to shrink.
You've only got a week to finish the job. Sorry a week's holiday is all we can afford. Are you back already? It's only been a week.
This is Holy Week in the Christian calendar. In some ways it feels both too long and too short. So very many important concepts, thoughts, images get crowded in this one week. Is it really only a few days since we cheered with palms and rejoiced with the throngs entering the city? Shouts of victory, triumph, success ring in our ears. Hope and optimism fill our hearts as we plan for the future.
We can do it! Look at all these people, ready and eager to begin. I'm so excited!
And yet, there is still much to face. A community of peeple with such diverse needs, such an array of emotions--sadness, loss, weariness, despair--laden with responsibility, heavy burdens, general busy-ness. All these too need to fit into this short week.
Into a congregational Holy Week are squeezed a Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday communion, one last choir practice, a Good Friday service, an Easter egg hunt, a pancake breakfast, a sunrise service and an all-stops-pulled-out eleven o'clock celebration! Is there any wonder some feel exhausted?
Where is the time to reflect on what all this means? Ideas so central to who we are as Christians must find place in this week too. Is a week long enough? Is a lifetime enough?
Do you see what I mean when I say Holy Week is not big enough to contain all it must? And yet it is so quickly gone. I can fill it with more church going and activity than any other week in my calendar if I choose to. Is all that activity essential? Can I observe the many beloved rituals that mark this week as most holy in my Christian life? Which parts will I carry into the other fifty-one weeks, into my world, my community, my life?
Someone recently suggested a way to get folks responding to our blogs would be to ask a question. Today I have enough questions to last far beyond this week. What do you think?
Posted by Marion
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My congregation is not having a Maundy Thursday service. Instead, the church is open for two, three hour segments - one this morning and one this evening - allowing anyone who desires to come in and walk the labyrinth. Our fellowship hall has a large labyrinth painted on the floor (wonderful Christian metaphor) and we spent some time during Lenten reflection services, practising the pracitce of walking the winding corridors in meditation and reflection.
ReplyDeleteWhile communion will be offered today for those who want it, there is no organized service, just an opportunity to reflect and meditiate as we circle the floor in quiet contemplation.
It will be a nice break from the rest of the hustle and bustle.
HI Chick, this does indeed sound like a good balance of activity and reflection.
ReplyDeleteI do wish I had access to a labyrinth. It's one practice I would like to reintroduce to my own ritual. My meditation walks take place in the garden around my house. It's starting to wake up.
Thanks for sharing; it sounds very nice.