Holy Week is a wonderful time. That may sound strange to say, but I love Holy Week because there are extra worship services to plan! You may be thinking, “That doesn’t sound wonderful, that just sounds busy!” I’ll admit there’s a little of that, but it’s also truly wonderful.
It’s wonderful because I get to bring my creativity to these extra services. Maundy (or Holy) Thursday and Good Friday are services each year with a particular focus, but my creativity is given the opportunity to rethink how I invite people to connect to these stories important stories in the Christian faith.
Last year for Maundy Thursday I set up tables so that as we remembered the Last Supper, we could look at one another just as the disciples would have sat around the table with Jesus. Sometimes it’s a shock to the system to go as traditional as possible and really feel those ancient practices of Christians through the ages as we mark these times. All I know is that I rarely do two years exactly the same, yet it’s always the same story, the same part of Scripture.
I love being able to be creative. I think it brings out the best in ministry. It doesn’t mean we’re not creative on a weekly basis in worship, we are indeed. But we tend to be less playful and willing to take risks with Sunday worship. During Holy Week, when only a small group tend to attend, it’s a great time to try something, fail marvelously or possibly connect in a way never before!
I think the same kind of love of creativity should come for all of us in ministry in the church. I don’t mean pastors. Remember, we believe that everyone is in ministry. We should be focused on asking ourselves how we can do things differently so that our ministries aren’t always the same, but are always asking how we can offer new connections to people.
Come join us this Holy Week for the extra services. Embrace a spirit of creativity. Carry that into your own ministry. Connect others to Jesus!