WEEKS 11-20

Week 11: Why do we have a table instead of an altar?

The most straightforward answer is that Presbyterians, along with other reformed churches like the United Church of Christ and Reformed Church in America have a table at the front of the church, usually placed so that it is not up against a wall.  It is our understanding that Christ invites us to His table to share in communion just as he invited the twelve disciples at the Last Supper; as we symbolically gather around the table we remember how he celebrated the first meal of remembrance.  Many other churches have altars; their understanding is that Christ is the last great sacrifice and the altar reminds us that with the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God, no other sacrifice of people or animals is needed.

So both the table and the altar can remind us of the meaning of Communion; if you are interested in coming up with your own theory on the meaning of each of these symbols you may want to check out passages in the book of Hebrews chapters 9 and 10.

Week 12: Where do the ashes for Ash Wednesday come from?

The simple answer is that the ashes come from burning the palm fronds that were used for last year’s Palm Sunday.  But this takes us to two more questions:  first, why ashes, and second, why palms?

In biblical times, people relied on wood fires for heating and cooking; keeping ashes under control was a major housekeeping task – one that might be neglected in times of sorrow.  Ashes became a symbol of remorse, repentance and mourning; today, a person might wear a black armband to signify that they are in mourning; back then people put ashes on their foreheads.  During Lent, ancient Christians mourned their sins and repented of them, and showed their sincerity by having ashes on their foreheads.

And the palms?  We can remember the rejoicing of the crowd as Jesus rode into Jerusalem and our own joy from our worship last year at Palm Sunday and Easter.  But the palms also can remind us of the crowd that turned on Jesus long ago, and our tendency to go back to our sinful ways during the long year.  We burn the palms and use them for our ashes as a tangible symbol that we have fallen short, but God give us a chance to use Lent for reflection and a chance to begin anew.

Week 13: Where can you find purple in worship this week, and what is its significance?

Depending on whether you are in Fellowship Hall or the Sanctuary this week, you find can purple in the Lenten banner, the pastors’ stoles, the antependium and the choir stoles.  And of course in the sanctuary you can also find purple in the carpeting, and the beams overhead.

But why do we use purple for Lent?  Purple is the traditional color for the season of Lent because it symbolizes penitence and preparation (a useful albeit coincidental alliteration) along with the royal dignity of “Christ the newborn king.”  Lent is a season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate Good Friday and Easter.  Just like we prepare for other events in our lives – like a wedding or commencement – we use Lent as a time of preparation for marking Christ’s sacrifice and the celebration of Easter.

Week 14: Why are there no Alleluias during Lent?

Some congregations, including ours, choose to highlight the contract between Lent and Easter by omitting the singing of “Alleluia” during the Lenten season.

The omission of Alleluias during Lent goes back at least to the fifth century, and a custom of “burying the alleluia” developed in the Middle Ages.  In today’s world, we can think of it as “giving it a rest” – just like after Christmas we put away our lights, crèche and star away.  We can anticipate putting them out again (at the right time) but we would not want them up all year! When we retire something familiar for a season, recovering its use has a way of making it new again.

So for now we put away our Alleluias, and look forward to Easter morning when we can sing “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”

Week 15: Why is Lent longer than 40 days on the calendar?

In 2010, Ash Wednesday fell on February 17, and Easter will be April 4.  Do the math and you’ll see that Lent is actually 46 days long.  Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent, and are referred to as the Sundays in Lent, not of Lent.

The period of Lent has had, and still has, an emphasis on reaffirming baptismal identity, of knowing and living the faith.  During Lent, we have the opportunity to reaffirm who we are and always will be, in anticipation of Easter.

Week 16: What is the significance of the 40 days of Lent?

The practice of a forty-day preparation period began in the Christian church during the third and fourth centuries.  The number forty carries biblical significance based on Moses’ forty years preparing for his ministry,  forty years of Israel spent in the wilderness and Jesus’ forty-day fast in the wilderness.   Historically, forty has been used as a round number to designate a fairly long period of time in terms of human existence or endurance.    Though the earliest traditions are unclear, Lent apparently evolved as a time for training, particularly as a time of final preparation of candidates for baptism at Easter.  Lent also became a time for the renewal of the faithful.  In today’s world, Lent continues to be a season of spiritual discipline and preparation, anticipating the celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ.

Week 17: Why do we have Youth Sunday?

Having a Sunday worship service led by our youth affirms their presence and ministry in the church, and serves as a great reminder that the youth are not only the church of tomorrow but the church of today.  They are members of our congregation with their own gifts to share right now.

A big part of our youth ministry is about establishing patterns today to prepare them for the future. Just like moving from a textbook to the lab, planning and participating in Sunday morning worship provides our youth a whole new view of our worship service; a real hands on way to experience the weekly affirmation of faith.  As our seniors present their sermons, listen as they translate their faith into words spoken or performed, perhaps for the first time to a roomful of people.

For those of you with young children – don’t blink!   Sooner than you can believe, it will be your child reading, ushering, leading us in prayer, or giving the benediction.   Yes, Sarah – even young Mason will be up there before you know it!

Week 18: Why do our palms look different than traditional palms?

Our church uses a type of palm called “eco-palm” to celebrate Christ’s entry into Jerusalem before his crucifixion.    As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, followers spread palm branches in his path, indicating that a dignitary was arriving in triumph.

These environmentally friendly fronds are made available by a partnership between the University of Minnesota and government agencies in Guatemala and Mexico.  Harvesters cut down individual palm branches instead of whole palm trees so that the trees stay alive to produce more fronds, thus helping to sustain forests in these areas.  Villagers are paid a fair price and rewarded for the quality of the palms they harvest, and the palms are bundled by women in the local communities rather than in a distant warehouse.

Christian churches are the largest consumers of palms in North America, with an estimated 25 million palms stems sold every year for Palm Sunday.  In 2005, a pilot project was begun under the premise that churches that were already tuned into fair-trade coffee would also support the idea of environmental and socially-conscious practices for harvesting palms.  The idea has grown – in 2009 over 2500 churches, including ours, purchased an estimated 640,000 eco-palm fronds.

Week 19: Why do we use lilies to represent Easter?

The Easter lily, with its beautiful trumpet-shaped blossoms, symbolizes purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life – the spiritual essence of Easter.   The lily also reminds us that a bulb decaying in the soil produces a new bulb, stem, leaves and flowers, rising in glory above the dark soil in which the process of death and the release of life are inseparable.   Churches traditionally use lilies at Easter to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and hope of life everlasting.

The large painting of lilies hanging in the sanctuary was created by our own Alice Lieb, and serves as a reminder each year of the promise of new life that comes to us each Easter.

Week 20: Why are we using white for our worship colors?

White symbolizes purity, holiness and virtue, as well as respect and reverence.  You’ll find that white is used for all of the high holy days of the liturgical year, including this Easter season, as well as for baptism, marriage, ordination and dedications.

In our worship this week and throughout the season of Easter, you will find white runners on the tables in Fellowship Hall, white stoles worn by our choir, and a white antependium hanging in front of the pulpit.