Happy Easter! Christ is risen – Christ is risen indeed! As I type this, I am still basking in the glow following our Easter Sunday services held at McMurry church on April 20. What a blessed way to cap off a glorious Holy Week, bringing the Lenten season of 2025 to a close.
Let's recap this year's Holy Week. We began on Palm Sunday. During the service, the children and I processed around the sanctuary with palm branches as the choir sang "Open the Gates" with Kris Nelson and Nel Wiley on handbells. Later in the service, the choir sang "That Old Rugged Cross" featuring Nel Wiley on flute. The children read scripture and sang "Jesus Loves Me." For my sermon I did a dramatic reading: Who Will See the King? A Series of Palm Sunday Monologues, presenting how different people might have witnessed Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
On Wednesday, we held our last Vespers service for this Lenten season. During the past six weeks of Lent, several folks found Vespers to be an important part of their week. Each week I mixed things up a little bit, trying some different ideas, but the basic format was always the same: a 30-minute, informal service with prayer, singing, Bible reading, and Holy Communion. During one service I anointed a member with oil, and then all of us present gathered around to offer our prayers.
Three services this past week were held in collaboration with the folks of Avondale, Faubion, Gashland, and North Cross United Methodist Churches. On Maundy Thursday, I was privileged to preach, "What's So New About This Commandment?" based on John 13:1-17, 31-35 at Avondale where my wife Rev. Rebecca Dunger Peak is pastor. Joining us in the chancel was Rev. Chris Sams, pastor of North Cross and Rev. Jen Shelton, pastor of Faubion and Gashland. It was a special moment when the 4 of us together celebrated Holy Communion.
On Good Friday we gathered at North Cross to remember the last hours of Jesus' life before his resurrection. Instead of a sermon by one of the pastors, each of us (plus a few additional folks from North Cross) had a part to play. Through song, scripture, readings, and video clips we journeyed with Jesus from Gethsemane all the way to his crucifixion and death. At the beginning of the service, each person was given an index card on which to write a sin. Later in the service, we had the opportunity to nail those sins to the cross. The service ended starkly with the realization that "Christ has died. It is finished."
That brings us up to Easter Sunday where we began with a joint Sunrise Service. Because it was raining, we gathered in the Parlor rather than the Columbarium. Rev. Jen Shelton, pastor of Gashland and Faubion churches, preached "But the Women Stayed!" based on Matthew 28:1-10. It was nice to be able to worship with folks of other nearby churches.
At 10 a.m. we pulled out all of the stops to celebrate Christ's resurrection in a big way. A trumpet, three trombones, and timpani joined forces with our Praise Team to provide music for our worship. The choir sang, "I am Crucified with Christ." I gave empty plastic eggs to the children to remind them that the tomb was empty on that first Easter morning. For my sermon, I shared about a song that is near to my heart, "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep." This song has a powerful message for all of us. No matter what sorts of pharaohs we may face in our lives, we need not weep or morn, because God will triumph victoriously. The service ended with brass, timpani, and piano playing the "Hallelujah Chorus" by Handel.
I was truly blessed throughout Holy Week and I hope that you were too. In case you missed them, four of these services can still be watched using Facebook.
Palm Sunday – https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15rjWe95E3/
Maundy Thursday – https://www.facebook.com/share/v/12LFpTJdsWH/
Good Friday – https://www.facebook.com/share/v/159Q9PtsPa/
Easter Sunday @ 10 a.m. – https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AZ95Gnrma/
Christ is risen – Christ is risen indeed! Happy Easter!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Clayton