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Holy Week Resource Guide
Worship During Holy Week
The week begins with Passion/Palm Sunday and ends with the “three days” (also called the Triduum, from sunset on Thursday to sunset on Easter Day) which mark Jesus’ trial, death, and resurrection. These days feature not only the drama of the triumphal entry, trial, last supper, and crucifixion but also poignant prayers and prophetic teachings of our Lord. John’s gospel devotes eight of its twenty-one chapters to this week alone! Worship throughout Holy Week invites the congregation to think of themselves as participants in a dramatic reenactment of scriptural events. Thus, children may be invited to process while shouting “Hosanna!” Or, in the reading of the passion narrative, the entire congregation may be invited to speak the words, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (certainly one of the most unsettling actions in any worship service). These help the congregation sense the significance of the narratives for what they teach us about Jesus’ ministry, about God’s being and character, and about the nature and scope of redemption in Christ. (adapted from The Worship Sourcebook)
Worship Services
- Jesus Enters Jerusalem and Journeys to Calvary [Passion/Palm Sunday]
- Were You There When He Rode into Town?
- Psalm 23 for Palm/Passion Sunday
- In the Upper Room with Christ - Psalm 116
- Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Services Notes
- Psalm 22 for Maundy Thursday or Good Friday
- Tenebrae: A Service of Shadows - planning guide
- Tenebrae Worship at Symposium 2003
- An Easter Vigil
- Easter Resource Guide
Arts
Featured Resources
The Worship Sourcebook
Parts K through N of The Worship Sourcebook Second Edition, pp. 587-660, offer sample prayers and other worship resources for each act of worship during Holy Week and Easter, including the Call to Worship, Opening Responses, Confession and Assurance, Prayers for Illumination, the Lord's Supper, and Blessing/Benediction.
Reformed Worship magazine
Browse all Holy Week resources for worship from our ministry partner, Reformed Worship magazine.
Coop's Column
Read about Christ’s Suffering and his Resurrection in Coop’s Column. Also, read and listen online to Coop's new Lent series: The Radiant Preciousness of Jesus.
Related Resource Guides
Comments
- Let's Connect
Beth spoelstra | Posted Mar 13, 2012 04:36 PM
I love your worship aids but you really do not offer any visual aids for help during services. For that I am disappointed. It is very difficult some times to find appropriate media aids for worship. I am speaking about powerpoint/media backgrounds for songs, during services, and communion. This is a huge arena in which I think more work can be done. Please help.
Betsy Steele Halstead, CICW | Posted Apr 04, 2012 01:45 PM
It is true the Worship Institute does not have many images for download. In the past we decided not to offer an “image bank” with so many other sites on the web. We do understand how hard it is to filter through these and find quality at a reasonable cost. My preference for most projection in worship is to incorporate quality works of art. Most often I use one art work that captures the theme of the service. This is projected in full as people gather and disperse. For the slides where text is projected I show only a portion of the work. For different parts of the service you can then chose different close-ups of the piece. Visit Jan Richardson’s website (www.janrichardsonimages.com) where Lenten images can be purchased for as little as $15. Stay tuned to our website as well. I’ve been putting a resource page together that focuses on images and the screen which will be ready soon.