Monastic Thoughts of Holy Week
Like everyone else, the congregation I serve has made its way through Holy Week and Easter Sunday. I almost completely lost my voice thanks to allergies and weather change so that I had to scratch and croak my way through preaching and leading worship, especially for Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Nevertheless, I persevered and so did those who had to listen to me, and all told we had a very meaningful Triduum.
Actually, this was the first year I have planned and led a Good Friday worship service. It proved to be quite significant in our congregation's experience. Indeed, the two weeknight services seemed have especially profound effects on the worshipers.
On Holy Thursday we washed feet and celebrated Holy Communion. The footwashing was new for many of the congregants. I had placed a sign-up board out during the previous week and was thereby assured of at least a representative sample of washers. We had about nine in all out of a congregation of of near 90 worshipers that night. Following my sermon focusing on the powerful and intimate symbolism of this act of service, the participants and congregation displayed expressions ranging from silly and awkward laughter to solemn weeping. It was difficult for the congregation, as this was the first time it had been corporately in this church, I believe. But I think it will be a fixture in years to come. I believe it also added to the profundity with which the Eucharist was received.
We concluded the service on Thursday by stripping the church and veiling the cross. (These actions caused my five-year old daughter break down in tears asking my wife, "Why are they doing that to our church?" I think maybe she perceived the meaning of what was happening more than anyone else.) The bare church was a solemn witness as we moved to Good Friday.
On Good Friday, the service was very solemn indeed. The partially darkened sanctuary was focused on a starkly bare 7 foot tall cross that we brought to the center of the chancel. It loomed during the whole service. The deacon and I wore white albs with red stoles as our Book of Worship suggests. There were no paraments, obviously. The service consisted of scripture culminating with St. John's account of the Passion and a brief homily. We then moved to a time of silent prayer and reflection followed by congregational readings of Christ's Reproaches of His Faithless Church from the UM Book of Worship. During this last phase of the service, the congregation was invited to come forward and reverence the cross, touch it, kneel before it, pray at the chancel railing beside it or a combination of all of these. As people departed in silence, many were to the point of tears.
It strikes me that many of these practices are in line with monastic practices of worship and discipline. They are not the sole province of monasticism; however, some monastic communities surely have adopted, nurtured, and developed these kinds of worship acts. It seems to me that we would do well to focus closely on the practices of worship that characterize the various monastic traditions we wish to study and note with special interest the physically demonstrative practices we may encounter.
Blessed Easter season to all!
Actually, this was the first year I have planned and led a Good Friday worship service. It proved to be quite significant in our congregation's experience. Indeed, the two weeknight services seemed have especially profound effects on the worshipers.
On Holy Thursday we washed feet and celebrated Holy Communion. The footwashing was new for many of the congregants. I had placed a sign-up board out during the previous week and was thereby assured of at least a representative sample of washers. We had about nine in all out of a congregation of of near 90 worshipers that night. Following my sermon focusing on the powerful and intimate symbolism of this act of service, the participants and congregation displayed expressions ranging from silly and awkward laughter to solemn weeping. It was difficult for the congregation, as this was the first time it had been corporately in this church, I believe. But I think it will be a fixture in years to come. I believe it also added to the profundity with which the Eucharist was received.
We concluded the service on Thursday by stripping the church and veiling the cross. (These actions caused my five-year old daughter break down in tears asking my wife, "Why are they doing that to our church?" I think maybe she perceived the meaning of what was happening more than anyone else.) The bare church was a solemn witness as we moved to Good Friday.
On Good Friday, the service was very solemn indeed. The partially darkened sanctuary was focused on a starkly bare 7 foot tall cross that we brought to the center of the chancel. It loomed during the whole service. The deacon and I wore white albs with red stoles as our Book of Worship suggests. There were no paraments, obviously. The service consisted of scripture culminating with St. John's account of the Passion and a brief homily. We then moved to a time of silent prayer and reflection followed by congregational readings of Christ's Reproaches of His Faithless Church from the UM Book of Worship. During this last phase of the service, the congregation was invited to come forward and reverence the cross, touch it, kneel before it, pray at the chancel railing beside it or a combination of all of these. As people departed in silence, many were to the point of tears.
It strikes me that many of these practices are in line with monastic practices of worship and discipline. They are not the sole province of monasticism; however, some monastic communities surely have adopted, nurtured, and developed these kinds of worship acts. It seems to me that we would do well to focus closely on the practices of worship that characterize the various monastic traditions we wish to study and note with special interest the physically demonstrative practices we may encounter.
Blessed Easter season to all!
posted by Bryan Brooks | 6:18 PM
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