We’re just days away from the most important week of the year, and I don’t mean finals week!
Holy Week begins on Sunday, March 29, with Palm Sunday, the day we commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem as he prepared to offer himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the life of the whole world. Many churches around the world will also read the whole story of Jesus’ suffering and death, sometimes called his “Passion,” but we’ve got all week at the Chapel for that, so we’ll be focusing on his ride into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey – a symbol of royalty and peace. The 10 a.m. service will begin outside, near the Chapel. We’ll hear the prophet Zechariah’s promise of the Return of the Righteous King, and then we’ll parade into the Chapel with palm branches in our hands to hear the rest of the story. You can take the palm branches home with you. Some people make crosses out of them as a reminder for the rest of the year. The Chapel keeps the leftover palms to burn for next year’s Ash Wednesday’s ashes.
At Morning Prayer during Holy Week, we’ll be hearing from students, faculty, and staff speakers as they share original reflections from the perspective of one of the people around Jesus during Holy Week. The series is called “Were you there?” Morning Prayer begins at 10:10 a.m. Monday – Thursday and the service lasts just 20 minutes, so you’ll be able to get to your next thing.
Wednesday night at 10 p.m. is Holy Week Celebrate!, our student-led contemporary service, where the focus will be on Jesus’ act of service in washing the disciples’ feet. A theme that anticipates the next day’s service.
Thursday is “Maundy Thursday,” a name that comes from the Latin word from which we get the word “mandate.” Thursday is the day that Jesus was betrayed by Judas. That night, as Jesus shared his last supper with his disciples, he gave them what he called “a new commandment,” that they love one another. That being the mandate, and knowing that Jesus knew what was about to happen, his call to love is all the more profound. The service at the Chapel will begin with an opportunity for you to receive the assurance of forgiveness individually from either of the pastors as well as an opportunity to have your feet washed during the time of Holy Communion.
The next day, Good Friday, will be marked by a service at noon, the hour that Jesus was crucified. We’ll read the whole story of Christ’s passion according to John and have an opportunity to meditate on the cross by which Jesus won our freedom. It’s a simple, somber service. The Chapel remains open for individual prayer all afternoon until 3 p.m., the hour of Jesus’ death. Then to the rest of Holy Saturday. I encourage you to clear your calendar and rest.
That night, April 4 at 8 p.m., we’ll gather back at the Chapel for the Easter Vigil. If you’ve never been to an Easter Vigil, you’ve been missing out! The service starts outside with the lighting of the Easter fire and the new Paschal (Easter) candle. At the Chapel, we have a tradition of decorating a new paschal candle each year. This year, the design is by senior digital media arts major Hope Lukasik.
Then we move indoors to listen to the stories of God’s deliverance in the Old Testament by candlelight, to which we’ll add our songs of praise, led by the Kantorei, the Chapel choir. Next, we move down into the baptistry for a renewal of our baptismal identity, an opportunity to recommit to living a life of trust and hope in the gifts God has given us all. From there, we’ll go up into the fully lit Chapel to hear the Easter proclamation of Christ’s resurrection and celebrate Holy Communion. The whole service concludes by 10 p.m.
Easter Sunday morning – the Chapel’s name day – is a glorious event, beginning at 10 a.m. with music from Valpo’s Chamber Concert Band and the Resurrection Ringers, our handbell choir. The Valparaiso University Chorale will lead our singing that morning. Many have said that Easter morning at the Chapel is one of their most memorable moments on campus.
So there it is, your guide to the most important week of the year, when God in the person of Jesus Christ changed everything. Please see the graphic in this newsletter for a summary and service times.
Peace to you,
Pr. Jim
Rev. Katherine Museus and Rev. Dr. James A. Wetzsteinserve as university pastors at the Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University and take turns writing weekly devotions.
