Holy Week: A Digital Guide

The past two years have been unprecedented in our lifetime. We have spent much of it apart from people we normally spend much of our lives with on a regular basis. Is it possible to make up for lost time? Maybe not. But it is possible to use the time God has given us this day to glorify Him and love others well.

Easter tells us that Jesus called his church out of darkness and into his glorious light. He called us out of our separate lives in order to join us together with him and with one another. Let us come together this Easter.

At The Town, we started something last year during Holy Week that we want to build on this year. Every night of the week leading up to Easter we come together for worship and a message based on the last days of Jesus' earthly ministry before the cross and Easter Sunday.

This year, we will build on that tradition with worship, music, fasting, prayer, and the Lord's Supper as we prepare for Easter Sunday. We want to do this together. Each night of the week will focus on one of these aspects. We want to invite each of you to participate.

This is a guide to Holy Week: Together at The Town Church.

Kick off Holy Week: Together on Sunday morning at 10 am at The Town during our regular Sunday worship gathering. Pastor Dan will continue the sermon series, "The Red Letter Words" as we explore what Jesus meant when he said that he is both the way, the truth, and the life as well as the vine. 

Monday will be a night of extended worship. The Town Band will lead us in songs about Jesus in order to help us tune our heart and open our minds to what work God might do in us throughout the week.

Bible Passages: Matthew 21:12-22, Psalm 100, Ephesians 5:19

Tuesday will be an evening of prayer, worship, and a message from the actions of Jesus during his last Tuesday before Easter. We will spend an extended amount of time praying together, praying for each other, and engaging with God.

Prayer Together: Prayer is an offering up of our desires for things that are agreeable to God's will. Prayer is a means of grace that God has given us to talk with Him and hear from Him. He always answers our prayer - whether by protecting us or providing for us. We want to invite everyone to come on Tuesday with your prayer needs and a willingness to pray for others. Might we pray that God would do something in our midst that only He can do?

Scripture Reading: Luke 11:1-13

On Wednesday, Jesus' public ministry came to end as he prepared to face the weight of the Cross. We will take some together to listen in on Jesus' conversations and remember his actions as he prepared to carry the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders.

Fast Together: At the close of Wednesday night's time together, we will invite anyone who is able to fast together until we observe the Lord's Supper. Fasting is a spiritual means of grace that reminds us of spiritual realities and battles through the physical means of hunger.  If you decide to partake in the fast we would encourage you to spend time in the Scriptures and in prayer whenever you face the pangs of your physical appetite.

We would also encourage you to consider inviting friends to join you for dinner after we observe the Lord's Supper the following evening. 

Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:1-16

Thursday night we will observe the Lord's Supper and break our fast together. We will enter into the Upper Room and hear the words of Jesus that have echoed through time and into our hearts and minds, "My body broken for you. My blood spilled out for the remission of sin."

Commune Together:   We would encourage you to spend time in prayer and meditating on God's word if you are fasting. Spend time in confession of sin and knowing that Jesus has forgiven you of every last one of your sins. During the Lord's Supper we will look back to the cross and remember how Jesus sacrificially, brutally, willingly, and triumphantly went to the Cross to crush our greatest enemy - death itself. But we will also look forward to when our King will return to make all things new and remember his promises to sustain us until that day.

Scripture Reading: John 13-17

Good Friday will conclude our observance of Holy Week before Easter Sunday morning. The night is one of reflection and remembrance. Our time together will be rich with music and a message from the last moments of Jesus' life. Good Friday has always been an intimate time of worship and fellowship together.

Remember Together:  As you prepare to remember the last moments of Jesus' life on earth, reflect on the reason why Jesus went to the Cross. He did so because of the love He has for the Father. He did so because of the Father's love for us. He did so because he loves us as the Father loves us. Jesus paid it all so we could be given what we do no deserve - the grace of God.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 27. Mark 13. Luke 23. John 19.