Holy Week 2008

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Holy Week begins with Palm/Passion Sunday, this year March 16.  The morning worship service included Scripture readings describing Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and His capture and execution later in the week.

Children's time was an interactive message describing the events of the original Palm Sunday.

After hours, we had an intergenerational workshop on creating sacred spaces at home.

Part of the activity was painting crosses and "Christ candles."

Here's a group hard at work. Notice the origami crane in the foreground; cranes will make their appearance on Easter. Paint colors were the traditional liturgical colors.

The paper shows examples of traditional Christian symbols to be copied on candles and crosses.

Not all the paint ended up where it was supposed to.

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus and His disciples.  NHCC held a Christian seder. Here the participants start with a shared dinner.

The Christian seder has many elements of a Jewish one, though ours is shorter.  Here children collect the last bits of leavened bread.

  This child is reading one of the "four questions."

And here the door is opened for Elijah.

The last event before Easter is the Tenebrae Worship (Service of Shadows) held on Good Friday.  This solemn event -- held in near darkness, so no pictures -- commemorates Jesus' death on the cross.

http://www.nhcc.net/events2008/misc/HW.htm