What is lent, holy week, and easter?

For Christians around the world, the six weeks beginning with Ash Wednesday and leading up to Easter Sunday is a tradition and ritual that we know well. However, a friend of mine told me about the guy he had been seeing, how after Ash Wednesday this fellow laughed at my friend's ashes on his forehead. I think probably this person didn't mean any disrespect, but having heard even a lifelong Christian friend admit she didn't really understand the symbology of the ashes, I thought maybe I should write up a post on the whole shebang explaining it all. Christmas has the benefit of being a huge commercial holiday that's celebrated almost universally these days in some form or another, so the basic idea of the story ("Jesus is the reason for the season") has at least been circulated. I think people are less familiar with the significance of this season, so let me try to summarize the major features as briefly as possible.

The season of lent, which comes directly after the season of epiphany, kicks off with Ash Wednesday. Most people have probably heard of it mostly in relation to Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday" ("Shrove Tuesday," to some), which is the celebration before people start giving things up.

Ash Wednesday

This day marks the official start of the lenten season. To understand it, you have to know that the next six weeks (or 40 days, which excludes some days in case you figured out that the math doesn't work) is all about a journey toward Jesus' death on the cross. In order to sort of prepare our hearts for this long remembrance, we have a service where ashes are imposed in the shape of a cross on people's foreheads while saying "you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The point is to acknowledge our mortality. We know we're part of a fallen creation and understand that the result of that brokenness is death, for us, for those we love, and for the world. It's really easy to get caught up in life and forget about why we are Christians at all, and this is a reminder of why we need Jesus, why we need the cross, and most importantly why we need resurrection.

Lent

As I said, lent is the whole six week season. In this season, we journey toward the cross, recalling the life of Jesus through various stories like the raising of Lazarus and healing narratives. Traditionally, people will give up an indulgence for lent like coffee, chocolate, or even meat, while others will pick up a spiritual discipline like prayer or devotions. Personally, I don't think quitting coffee is going to bring me closer to Jesus. I attend mid-week services and stay engaged with my usual study. It's different for everybody. A lot of churches will have a Wednesday evening service which is meditative.

Palm/Passion Sunday

Palm Sunday, now also known as Passion Sunday is the Sunday right before Easter. In the story of Jesus, right before the passover, Jesus returns to Jerusalem knowing what is going to happen. People have heard of him and greet him like a king or prophet, waving palms and laying down their coats on the ground. This very kingly treatment is ironic for two reasons: first, the plot to kill him is already in motion, and second, because Jesus is really not the kind of king they expected! My understanding is that Palm Sunday used to stand alone but it became "Passion Sunday" because people weren't really attending the holy week services as much, so they kind of mashed up the whole story of the passover, betrayal, and crucifixion into one day.

Maundy Thursday

This is the celebration of the passover, where Jesus has the "last supper" with his friends/disciples. At this dinner, Jesus humbles himself to wash the feet of his disciples, something that is considered below his station as their teacher, but which symbolizes his humbling himself for the world. Jesus also institutes the words of the last supper (Eucharist or Communion): "This is my body, given for you; this is my blood, shed for you, do this in remembrance of me." Finally, during this Thursday service, we recall the betrayal of Christ which leads to his arrest. The service usually ends with the church alter being "stripped" and laid bare as Christ was. There is no benediction at the end of this service because it is seen not as an ending, but as the first part of a story which will end Easter Sunday.

Good Friday

Good Friday is the day of Christ's crucifixion. This is the most solemn service of the church year, and is often variable between traditions. One feature is a reading of the crucifixion story. Some churches do a "stations of the cross" where they lead meditations on each of the different things that happened during the crucifixion like the people casting lots for his clothes and the carrying of the cross to the hill Calvary where he dies. There is no communion at this service and usually the altar and cross are covered in black cloth. There is no benediction.

Vigil of Easter

The Easter Vigil is one of the coolest services out there. Historically, this was literally a vigil--people would come to church on Friday and then keep vigil in the church all night through Easter morning in prayer and meditation. Now this turns out to be a rather long (2-3 hour) church service where certain traditional readings are given. These readings include creation, the flood, the exodus, exile, a Romans passage, and a gospel passage, among others. The idea was to recount the whole life of God's people while awaiting the fulfillment of the promises God made way back to Abraham. This service often includes baptism, and is technically the conclusion of the other services and the beginning of Easter, so it generally ends with a celebration. A lot of churches have totally dropped this service even if they do the others, but if you ever have a chance to go I highly, highly recommend it!

Easter Sunday

The reason the other services didn't have a benediction is because as Christians we know that the end of the story is NOT death, but Christ defeating death and through that defeat raising us all up to life. The color of this service is white, the signifier of life and newness, and usually the church is filled to the brim with flowers! This is probably the most celebratory service that anybody will ever experience in a church, because this is what we're all about. This is the central profession of the church--that although we walk in the shadow of death, although we all submit to the grave, that the reality of power over the weak, of sin, of illness, of hatred and pain is NOT the reality that we will always live in. Instead, we look forward to our own resurrection with Jesus, the healing of all things. We celebrate Easter because we know that we are ultimately not subject to death anymore, and so we can look forward even in the midst of all our struggles with hope, because the God who made us and cares for us is for us, with us, and among us, raising us up every day.

So that, my friends, is what this season and its church services are all about. Personally, Easter is my favorite holiday! I love getting gifts and eating tasty food as much as the next person but for me, nothing beats the joy of waking up on Easter morning and singing "Jesus Christ is risen today!" knowing that I, along with millions of Christians around the world, truly believe that life is more powerful than death. Blessed holy week and happy Easter to you all! He is risen!