Holy Week at Home

Saint John’s Lutheran Church 587 Springfield Ave. Summit, NJ 07901 908.273.3846 | www.stjohnssummit.org Palm Sunday at Home

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. This is Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As he enters the city, people cut branches from the trees and laid them on the path before Jesus. They also took off their coats and laid them along the road too. Jesus rode not a big white horse but on a lowly donkey. He came to Jerusalem as the Messiah and our king, but as a humble king. As he rode into the city, all the people—even children—shouted “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” Hosanna means “Lord, save us” but it also has a second meaning of praise. We are like the crowd—we praise Jesus, our King, and we ask Jesus, our Lord, to save us.

Normally on Palm Sunday we all get palm branches and join in parading around the church. This year is different. We cannot join as a crowd in church, we cannot hand out palm branches, and we cannot form a procession. But we can still observe Palm Sunday! Here are a few ideas to observe Palm Sunday at home:

• Collect Branches: In scripture it says the people cut branches, it doesn’t actually say palm branches. There is a long tradition of Christians cutting branches from trees and bushes near their own homes for Palm Sunday. In fact, until fairly recent times, many Christians around the world had no way to have palm branches shipped to them. So here is what you can do. Go outside and collect some branches, reeds, pussy willow, etc. Bring them into your home as a visual reminder of Palm Sunday.

• Color a Palm Branch: Included is a coloring page you can color and cut out of a palm branch. Make as many palm branches as you wish. Wave them and spread them on the ground. Keep them as a reminder of Palm Sunday throughout Holy Week.

• Have a Parade: With your branches or colored palms form a parade around the house or around your yard/neighborhood. As you go, shout “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” Maybe sing “Sing Hosanna” or “All Glory, Laud, and Honor.”

Maundy Thursday at Home

Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, is the fifth day of Holy Week and the first day of the Triduum—or The Great Three Days. This is the night that Jesus gathers with his disciples for one last meal—the Last Supper. It took place on the important Jewish holiday of Passover when Jews share a meal and remember how God brought them out of slavery in Egypt and saved them.

Jesus did several usual things at this meal. He began by washing the disciples’ feet. Washing feet was common in Jesus’ day because people wore sandals and the roads were muddy. Normally you washed your own feet or this was a job for a servant, but washing feet was not something a teacher, leader, and certainly not your Messiah would do. Jesus said he was washing their feet as a servant and that we ought to wash one another’s feet. Jesus wants his followers to be servants of all people. Jesus said he was giving us a new commandment “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” In Latin the word for commandment is mandatum, which is where we get the tradition of calling this day Maundy Thursday.

During the meal Jesus did some unusual things too. In Jewish tradition there are many blessings over bread and wine and food. However, Jesus at the Last Supper not only blessed bread and wine but he also said “This is body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me” and “This is my cup of the new covenant. Shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins. Do this for the remembrance of me.” Jesus promised to be with us in the eating of the bread and drinking of the wine. We are to remember him each time we eat it. This special meal became for Christians what we call Holy Communion.

This year our Maundy Thursday is going to be different. We will not be able to gather together in church for the washing of feet and the celebration of Holy Communion. You might consider having a special meal this night and including the elements below. Maundy Thursday Meal

Prayer at the Start of the Meal Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus gave us a new commandment, to love one another as he loves us. Write this commandment in our hearts, and give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Blessing Over Wine Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe. You create the fruit of the vine; and you refresh us with the cup of salvation in the Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. May the time come quickly when we can share that cup again, even as you are with us now in our very thirst for you. Glory to you for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing Over Bread Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe. You bring forth bread from the earth; and you feed us on our way with the bread of life in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ. Let us be fed again soon with that bread of life. And as grain scattered upon the earth is gathered into one loaf, so gather your Church in every place into the kingdom of your Son. To you be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading During Dinner: Exodus 12:1-4; 11-14 Translation: Common English Bible 1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month will be the first month; it will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell the whole Israelite community: On the tenth day of this month they must take a lamb for each household, a lamb per house. 4 If a household is too small for a lamb, it should share one with a neighbor nearby. You should divide the lamb in proportion to the number of people who will be eating it. 11 This is how you should eat it. You should be dressed, with your sandals on your feet and your walking stick in your hand. You should eat the meal in a hurry. It is the Passover of the Lord. 12 I’ll pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I’ll strike down every oldest child in the land of Egypt, both humans and animals. I’ll impose judgments on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be your sign on the houses where you live. Whenever I see the blood, I’ll pass over you. No plague will destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “This day will be a day of remembering for you. You will observe it as a festival to the Lord. You will observe it in every generation as a regulation for all time. Discussion Questions • This is part of the story of the Israelites exodus from Egypt and the Passover. Why do you think it is called Passover? • What are the people supposed to do? What is God going to do? • Did this meal and event happen once in history and then it was over? What are we supposed to all these generations later?

Reading During Dinner: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Translation: The Message 1-2 Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal. 3-6 Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.” 8 Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet— ever!” Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.” 9 “Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!” 10-12 Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.” (He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.”) After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table. 12-17 Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life. 31bJesus said, “Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him, God’s glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified—glory all around! 33 “Children, I am with you for only a short time longer. You are going to look high and low for me. But just as I told the Jews, I’m telling you: ‘Where I go, you are not able to come.’ 34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” Discussion Questions • How do think the disciples felt about having Jesus wash their feet? • Who are the characters in the story? What do they do and what do we know about them? • Jesus says “I am with you only a short time longer.” Why do you think he says this? How do you think the disciples felt about this? • What is Jesus’ new commandment for us?

Good Friday at Home

Good Friday is the day Jesus was tried in an unjust court. This day the day he was mocked by a crowd. He was beaten, taunted, and harassed by soldiers. He was forced to carry his cross. He was nailed to a tree and died by crucifixion. This is the day his body was laid in a borrowed tomb.

Good Friday is a hard day. It is a sad and sorrowful day. We grieve for Jesus. It is a day when everything is stripped bare. In church every piece of cloth, decoration, and adornment has been removed and we are left with the starkness of the cross.

Why is this day called Good Friday? It seems like it would make more sense to call this day Sad Friday or Crucifixion Friday or even Bad Friday. We call it Good Friday because even though this day meant sorrow and suffering for Jesus—he willingly died on the cross—it is good news for us. He died on the cross for each of us and for the whole world. He did nothing wrong, but we do lots of wrong things—we call that sin. He didn’t deserve to be punished, but because of sin we are guilty of lots things. Jesus took our place, paid our fines, took our punishment. The cross of Jesus means we are saved by Jesus’ love for us. Jesus died so we don’t need to fear death. Because of Jesus’ death, when we die, we will go to heaven. So, this day is in fact a very Good day indeed.

Here are some ways you might observe Good Friday at home this year:

• Read the Passion: In church on Good Friday we normally read aloud the entire Passion—or the story of Jesus’ arrest, punishment, and crucifixion. Personally, or as a family, you might read some or all of one or more of the Passion accounts: Matthew 26- 27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, John 18-19.

• Stations of the Cross: There is an ancient tradition of Christians reading, reflecting, and praying on the 14 stations of the cross. The stations are related to physical spots along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem—the path Jesus took from Gethsemane to Calvary. Use the attached resource to participate in the Stations of the Cross. Often people do this walking. You might consider walking around the yard, the neighborhood, or even the house as you pray.

• Go on Cross Walk: The single most recognizable symbol of Christianity is the cross and on Good Friday the cross is front and central. You might want to take a walk around the neighborhood or your town looking for crosses. Perhaps you might want to collect them by taking pictures with your phone or camera. Look for formal ones on church buildings as well as natural ones you come upon. See where you can find the cross—the sign of God’s love—written all over our world.

Holy Saturday at Home

Holy Saturday is a day of waiting and a day of preparation. This is the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is the day Jesus spent in the tomb. Traditionally this day is both a day of reflection for Christians and a day to prepare for the coming Easter feast.

• Spend Some Time in Reflection: Take some time today and reflect on what this day was like for Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the disciples. In what was is this time of isolation and separation that we are now experiencing like the emotions of that first Holy Saturday—doors locked, confused, afraid, uncertain about the future? How do we find hope and assurance in the Gospel?

• Color an Easter Lily: Spend time coloring the Easter Lily sheet. This year we will not have a church full of Easter flowers, but Christ is still risen! Decorate the page with color and hang it on a wall. Alternately, once it is colored rub the paper with baby oil and hang it in the window to let the light shine through.

• Make an Egg Casserole: Below is the St. John’s Easter Brunch Egg Casserole. This year we will not be able to all gather for our wonderful Easter brunch but you can make this ahead and bake it Easter morning. We can all have an Easter brunch at home and eat some over our Zoom Easter Coffee Hour.

Ingredients: 4-6 slices white bread 1 lb. bulk sausage (Bob Evans Savory Sage) 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, grated 6 eggs 2 cups milk 1 tsp dry mustard 1 tsp salt dash of pepper

1. Tear up 4-6 slices of fresh white bread, enough to cover the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. 2. Brown & drain sausage. Spoon sausage evenly over bread. 3. Cover with at least 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese. I use enough cheese to completely cover the baking dish. 4. Using whisk, beat together 6 eggs, 2 cups milk, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp salt and dash of pepper. Pour evenly over other ingredients. 5. Bake @ 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes. Remove when cheese is golden brown and serve. Can be prepared ahead and baked the morning of. Alternately, can be baked ahead and reheated.

• Bake Hot Cross Buns: These are a traditional Holy Week baked good. Spend part this day baking and preparing for Easter. These too would be wonderful additions to your Easter brunch at home or during the Zoom Coffee Hour.

Ingredients • 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast • 1 teaspoon white sugar • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar • 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 5 pieces • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 large eggs, room temperature • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice • 3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 cup raisins Flour Cross • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour • 6–8 Tablespoons water Orange Icing • 1 cup powder sugar • 3 Tablespoons orange juice

Instructions 1. Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. 2. Add the brown sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour and the raisins. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Dough should be a little sticky and soft. If it’s too sticky and not pulling away from the sides of the bowl, mix in additional flour 1 Tablespoon at a time. 3. Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 2 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes. 4. 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. 5. Grease a 9×13 baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. 6. Shape the rolls: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a smooth ball, pinching it on the bottom to seal. 7. 2nd Rise: Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour. 8. Preheat oven to 350°F. 9. Add the cross: Whisk the cross ingredients together, starting with 6 Tablespoons of water. You want a thick paste that will pipe easily. Add remaining water if needed. Spoon paste into a piping bag or zipped-top bag. Snip off a small piece at the corner. Pipe a line down the center of each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. 10. Bake the rolls: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes as you prepare the icing. 11. Make the icing: Whisk the icing ingredients together, then drizzle or brush on warm rolls. Serve immediately. 12. Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Easter Vigil at Home

At sun down on Holy Saturday, the Vigil of Easter begins. Christians, like our Jewish forebears, count days from sunset to sunset following Genesis “there was evening and there was morning the first day.” A vigil is a service, or even a time, of waiting and watching. The Easter Vigil is normally the longest and grandest service of the year. In ancient times the Church stayed awake the whole night long reading scripture, singing, praying, baptizing new members, and at sunrise celebrating the first eucharist of Easter.

Even though we will be at home this year, you can still observe the Easter Vigil. Choose elements from those listed below that make sense in your surroundings and in your context.

• Light a Fire: The Easter Vigil begins with a new fire, lit once the sun goes down. We remember that Christ, the light of world, shines even in the darkness. The light of Christ and the warmth of his presence cannot be stopped even by death. If you have a fire pit or the like in your backyard, you might light an Easter fire and gather round it.

• Light Candles: At Easter we light the Paschal Candle—the large candle that stands by the baptismal font. This pillar of light represents the risen Christ. From the Paschal candle we light other candles. You could turn off the lights in your house and light a larger pillar candle in your home. From that one candle light other candles. See how the light banishes the darkness.

• Remember that All Time Belongs to Christ: At the Vigil we mark the candle and remember all time belongs to Jesus our Lord. We proclaim that Christ is the beginning and the ending of all time, as well as mark the year of this Easter—2020.You may want to mark your candle or just say this blessing to remind yourselves that this time—and all time—is in God’s time: Christ, yesterday and today, ☩ the beginning and the ending. A Ω To Christ belongs all time 2 and all the ages; 0 to Christ belongs glory and dominion 2 now and forever. 0 Amen.

• Sing, Listen, or Say the Exultet: The Exultet is one of the most beautiful songs of the Church. It is also rather complicated to sing. You can find recordings of it on Youtube. Maybe you can sing just the first few lines. Read and pray these wonderful words. Rejoice, now, all heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ is risen! Celebrate the divine mysteries with exultation; and for so great a victory, sound the trumpet of salvation. Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, radiant in the brightness of your king! Christ has conquered! Glory fills you! Darkness vanishes forever. Rejoice, O holy church! Exult in glory! The risen Savior shines upon you! Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God’s people. It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that with full devotion of heart and mind and voice we should praise the invisible God, and the only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; who, by his precious blood, redeemed us from bondage to the ancient sin. For this indeed is the Paschal Feast in which the true Lamb is slain, by whose blood the doorposts of the faithful are made holy. This is the night in which, in ancient times, you delivered our forebears, the children of Israel, and led them, dry-shod, through the sea. This is the night in which the darkness of sin has been purged away by the rising brightness. This is the night in which all who believe in Christ are rescued from evil and the gloom of sin, are renewed in grace, and are restored to holiness. This is the night in which, breaking the chains of death, Christ arises from hell in triumph. O night truly blessed which alone was worthy to know the time and hour in which Christ arose again from hell! This is the night of which it is written: “The night is as clear as the day,” and, “then shall my night be turned into day.” The holiness of this night puts to flight the deeds of wickedness; washes away sin; restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to those who mourn; casts out hate; brings peace; and humbles earthly pride. Therefore, in this night of grace, receive, O God, our praise and thanksgiving for the light of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, reflected in the burning of this candle. We sing the glories of this pillar of fire, the brightness of which is not diminished even when its light is divided and borrowed. For it is fed by the melting wax which the bees, your servants, have made for the substance of this candle. This is the night in which heaven and earth are joined—things human and things divine. We, therefore, pray to you, O God, that this candle, burning to the honor of your name, will continue to vanquish the darkness of night and be mingled with the lights of heaven. May Christ the Morning Star find it burning, that Morning Star who never sets, that Morning Star who, rising from the grave, faithfully sheds light on the whole human race. And we pray, O God, rule, govern, and preserve with your continual protection your whole church, giving us peace in this time of our paschal rejoicing; through the same Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

• Tell the Stories of Salvation: The Easter Vigil traditionally includes several stories from scripture of God’s saving work. There are twelve possibilities. They are all listed below. You may want to spend time reading and reflecting on some of these stories. As a family you could choose to do them as storytelling, maybe even assigning one or more family members a different story to prepare. Be creative, use art, wear costumes, use funny voices, use instruments, make noisemakers. Make the scripture come alive. 1. Creation: Genesis 1:1-2:4a 2. Flood: Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13 3. Testing of Abraham: Genesis 22:1-18 4. Deliverance at the Red Sea: Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 5. Salvation Freely Offered to All: Isaiah 55:1-11 6. The Wisdom of God: Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 7. A New Heart and a New Spirit: Ezekiel 36:24-28 8. Valley of Dry Bones: Ezekiel 37:1-14 9. Gathering of God’s People: Zephaniah 3:14-20 10. The Deliverance of Jonah: Jonah 1:1—2:1 11. Clothed in Garments of Salvation: Isaiah 61:1-4, 9-11 12. Deliverance from the Fiery Furnace: Daniel 3:1-29 Easter at Home

Alleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia! This is the ancient Christian Easter greeting. This is Easter Sunday—the day of our Lord’s resurrection. This is the most important day of the whole year for Christians. After the 40-day fast of Lent, Alleluia has returned. Our mourning and sorrowing have been turned into joy and celebration. This is the feast of feasts. All day today, shout Alleluia! Christ is risen. Always respond Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia! And, by the way, Easter is not just one day—the Easter season lasts for 50 days, and every Sunday is an Easter for the Church.

We celebrate Christ’s resurrection today and all through Eastertide. We are an Easter people. We sing hymns of praise. We rejoice in the new life won for us in Christ’s death and resurrection. We no longer fear the grave, for death itself has been conquered.

Yes, this year Easter Sunday is different. We can’t all be together to celebrate as we should. But we will still keep Easter. Moreover, that first Easter Sunday was probably a lot more like what some of us are doing this year—the disciples were scared, alone, behind locked doors, worried about the future. Jesus meets Mary alone in the garden. Jesus meets the disciples locked behind closed doors. Jesus meets doubtful Thomas. Jesus shows up to the weary disciples along the road to Emmaus. Jesus meets us too—wherever, however, whenever, whatsoever we may be. Easter can’t be stopped. This is alleluia good news!

• Go on Resurrection Walk: Walk around outside and look for signs of spring. New life is all around us. Give thanks to God for flowers, blooming trees, green shoots, baby birds, and the like. See that death is not the end. God is making all things new.

• Seek Out Living Water: If you live near a body of water—a stream, river, lake, or pond— visit the water. In baptism, God has washed us in the living water and made us his own forever. Visit the water and give thanks.

• Sprinkle and Splash: There is a Christian tradition of sprinkling and splashing one another with water as a remembrance of baptism. You can remember your baptism each day in the shower or tub. Today and this Easter week remind one another with a joyful, gentle splash, always accompanied with “Remember your baptism and give thanks.”

• Share the Easter Greeting: Greet everyone you know with the Easter greeting “Alleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!” Tell your family. Call your relatives, friends, and church members. Post it on social media.

• Sing Easter Hymns: The hymnal is full of wonderful Easter hymns. You can also watch videos on YouTube. Sing “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today,” “Thine Is the Glory,” “Now the Green Blade Rises,” “This Joyful Eastertide,” even Handel’s “Hallelujah” Chorus.