Holy Week & The Music We Cherish

Next Week we observe Holy Week, the most important week in the life of a Christian. For me personally, this means additional services to plan, bulletins to prepare and print, more time needed at the organ to practice, extra rehearsals with the choir, brass, soloists, and instrumentalists, etc. It can sometimes get overwhelming. However, it’s also my favorite week in the church year. The journey through Holy Week is one that I savor every year, as each commemoration during the week is meaningful in different ways.

As God’s people, we are privileged to have the opportunity to remember and observe the events of our Lord’s death and resurrection. In order to fully experience the joy and celebration of our Risen Lord, we must travel with him to Jerusalem on a donkey; commemorate the first Lord’s Supper as his disciples did; go with him to the Garden of Gethsemane; and ultimately observe his death and burial in the tomb. Each time we worship during Holy Week, the music that is offered reflects the mood and events of the day.

What about your journey through Holy Week? Do you savor the moments? Or do you just “go through the motions”? Do you let the hymns, readings, sermons, and choir anthems speak to you? Throughout the entire year, but during Holy Week especially, we need to savor those moments—the ones that really make Holy Week what it is. How many of you love singing “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”, “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted”, and “Were You There”? Is it the text of the hymn? The melody? Somebody once said to me that their favorite hymns to sing are Good Friday hymns. Why do you think that is? Because these hymns truly speak to us. They tell us the story of Christ’s atoning sacrifice FOR US. These are moments worth savoring.

As we worship during Holy Week, be sure to listen to how the music, liturgy, and preaching reflect the events and moods of the day, as we observe our Lord’s passion. Don’t just “go through the motions”. Savor the moments of Holy Week so that you may truly experience the glories of our Risen Lord on Easter Sunday!

St. Peter’s Music Ministry members have been working hard to prepare music for this year’s journey through Holy Week & Easter, and we are looking forward to sharing our music with you all. We pray that the music we offer is meaningful to you as together we journey to the cross.