“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

– Ecclesiastes 3:4 (ESV)

Where’s the Party?

I remember when I arrived at the University of Connecticut a few years after it was named one of the East Coast’s Premier Party Schools, i.e. places where people go to focus on inebriation rather than education. Maybe they’d lost their title by the time I arrived, but I don’t remember it being any better or worse than others schools I visited. As is usually the case, those who spent more time partying than studying eventually went home, long before obtaining any new credentials.

Those who stayed were the ones who put the work in.

Religious festivals are an interesting measure of work and pleasure, and how the two mix. You know it’s not appropriate to say “Happy Yom Kippur,” because that’s the Jewish day of atonement, and it’s a serious (and lovely) tradition. Some days become ironic by wishing someone a happy one, like “Happy Monday,” or “Happy Tax Day!”

The truth is, most festivals are a mix of joy and sorrow. Like life.

Holy Week contains such highs and such lows: from the joyous celebration of Palm Sunday to the quiet reflection of Maundy Thursday, then to the rending sorrow of Good Friday and the expectation of Holy Saturday, and finally to the unbridled celebration of Easter: Holy Week in the Christian tradition is truly a journey. We’ve got it all: the covenant promises, the terror and the passion, the valley of the shadow of death, and the glory of the ascension.

And you can dip your toe into any moment of this festival week, but as with most of life: the more you put in, the more you get out. It’s important to celebrate the joyful parts of Holy Week, but it’s also important to acknowledge the pain.

Not all of us remember or enjoy the same Holy Week

As a kid growing up, I remember Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, and nothing in-between. A lot of Protestant Churches did it exactly that way until more former Catholics started showing up at our churches. Then we reclaimed Maundy Thursday, and some even added in observances on Friday and Saturday. Today there are protestant churches with a thriving Easter Vigil service from Saturday night into Sunday morning, tolling the bell at midnight.

Should we? Shouldn’t we? The beauty of a festival week is that you get to go to what you choose! Not everyone attended the Palm Sunday car parade that CE led for us, but those who did were part of an important celebration. Not everyone will attend Maundy Thursday, but those who do will feel the joy of Easter with a marked poignance.

“A time to mourn and a time to dance”

Whichever parts of Holy Week you partake in, I urge you to drink deeply, both of the joy and of the sorrow. Our festival is a lot like life: you take it all in, and find your way to God through it all. I hope you’ve felt blessed by our Lenten and Holy Week Offerings this year, and I’m grateful for everyone who’s participating!