Church of the Holy Apostles - Katy, TX
  • I'm New
  • About Us
    • What We Believe
    • The Episcopal Church
    • Sermons
    • Staff
    • Our Vestry
    • Contact Us
    • Community Partners
  • Family
    • Nursery
    • Kids
    • Students
  • Ministries
    • Connect >
      • New Member Class
      • Small Groups
      • Serving Teams
    • Adult Ministry
    • Missions and Outreach
    • Next Steps
    • myCOTHA
    • Parish Resources
    • Support Groups
  • Events
  • Give
  • I'm New
  • About Us
    • What We Believe
    • The Episcopal Church
    • Sermons
    • Staff
    • Our Vestry
    • Contact Us
    • Community Partners
  • Family
    • Nursery
    • Kids
    • Students
  • Ministries
    • Connect >
      • New Member Class
      • Small Groups
      • Serving Teams
    • Adult Ministry
    • Missions and Outreach
    • Next Steps
    • myCOTHA
    • Parish Resources
    • Support Groups
  • Events
  • Give

Holy Week

4/15/2014

0 Comments

 
By Darrel Proffit, Lead Pastor
Often times you may hear me refer to our worship service as “liturgy.” Many people believe that liturgy is simply the way we organize our worship service and since we have communion every Sunday, we call it the liturgy. That is not what it means. If you look in the dictionary you will be given a simple definition. It says liturgy is “a form or formulary according to which public worship is conducted.” That definition is incomplete. Liturgy actually means “the work of the people.” To be more precise, in ancient Greek the word “leitourgia” was a work done on behalf of the people. In the early Church liturgy was used to describe the actual act of worship by all who are present. This means that the work we do in worship from praying to singing, preaching to receiving communion, is liturgy. We do not have a static form of worship where people sit and receive from those on the platform. Full involvement is required for the liturgy to be at its finest.
Perhaps this is best seen in our worship during Holy Week. As we live into the drama of the week, we are asked to involve ourselves completely. Beyond taking and receiving of communion, we will sit in the Garden on Wednesday night during Tenebrae as we hear Jesus ask his disciples to stay awake for one hour. But as the lights are distinguished, one by one, we realize that not only could they not stay awake but the lights get dimmer and dimmer as the climax of the crucifixion draws near. At the end of the service, the Christ candle is removed and the people sit in great darkness. A loud noise is heard, helping us come face to face with the death of Jesus Christ. Yet, the candle reappears signifying to us that death could not extinguish God’s love. This liturgy begins the story for us and enables us to focus our hearts and minds on the days that follow.
On Maundy Thursday, we meet in GrandCentral for our liturgy. On this night, we will step into the story once again. There are several movements of the liturgy. We gather in dinner much like Jesus and His disciples did on that Thursday long ago. It is an agape meal, a fellowship meal of love shared by all of us. Then we hear the story of the institution of Communion, and we will share it together around our tables where we have eaten our meal. This meal is unlike any meal the disciples had taken together as Jesus tells them that the bread is His body broken for them and the wine is His blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. The next movement of the liturgy is the great object lesson of serving and leading that Jesus gave his disciples. We, too, will be invited to have our feet washed and wash others as we, once again, live into the story. Finally, the stripping of the altar completes our liturgy as we experience the humiliation that Jesus faced when he was stripped of his garments. We will be asked to leave in silence so that our reflections on the mystery of the liturgy touch our hearts and souls.
The night continues with an overnight prayer watch. You have an opportunity to sign-up to spend an hour during the night or the next day praying. We offer this in order to help us focus on our sins and wickedness and the need we have for a Savior. We will have a prayer guide for you to assist you in your prayers.
On Good Friday, there will be three opportunities to gather and reenter the drama. At noon, a brief prayer service from the Book of Common Prayer will be offered. At 2 PM we will gather in the sanctuary for a traditional Stations of the Cross. This short service is taken from both scripture and tradition. There are twelve stations that enable you to walk with Jesus to the cross. Finally, our largest liturgy of the day will take place at 7 PM in the Sanctuary. During this liturgy, we will reflect on the cross and have an opportunity to pray at the foot of the cross and receive communion from the reserved sacrament (bread that is left over from the night before). This is the only day that the Church prohibits the sanctifying of bread and wine in order that the horror of the crucifixion can stand before us. We will only offer bread and not wine. The offering of bread will be to the side in order for the Cross to be front and center.
On Saturday night, the Easter Vigil will begin at 8 PM. This is the only liturgy offered at night during Holy Week to not begin at 7 PM. We do this so that the sun will have set. In the Hebrew understanding of time, the new day starts at sunset (as opposed to midnight for us) and so we gather to hear the story of God’s redeeming love on Easter! The liturgy begins with a “new fire” representing to us the new creation in Jesus Christ. The Paschal Candle (Christ candle) is lit, and we are reminded of the new life we have in Christ. An ancient prayer called the exultet is sung followed by three lessons reminding us of God’s redeeming power. On this night, we will have baptisms which help us remember that we are reborn by water and the Spirit. All of this is done in near darkness as we wait in vigil for the resurrection. When the baptisms are finished, the lights suddenly shine forth and the Alleluias return in great joy. Following this, the Eucharist is celebrated, and we boldly proclaim that Jesus has overcome death and evil, and the Kingdom has broken into our world.
Going through these liturgies enhances Easter in ways I cannot explain. Every year that I have allowed myself the opportunity to let go and live into the drama, I leave Easter Sunday more joyful than I could have ever expected. I invite you to be present this week as we do the work of the people and allow God to transform our hearts. See you in Church!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    COTHA Blogs

    A place where we share our experiences and thoughts on ministry!

    Categories

    All
    COTHA Ministry Staff
    COTHA Reflections
    Devotional
    Mission: Africa
    Mission: Central America
    Mission: Local
    Mission: Mexico
    Mission: Sri Lanka
    Mission: Students
    Rector

    Archives

    October 2019
    October 2018
    March 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    August 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    December 2007
    November 2007

    RSS Feed

Church of the Holy Apostles
1225 West Grand Parkway South
Katy, TX 77494
info@cotha.org • 281-392-3310

​Service Times
Sundays 8a and 10:30a
Sunday School 9:15a • Breakfast 9a


Office Hours
Monday – Thursday  9a-5p