Holy Week

This page is a collection of resources I offered to support worship curators during the season of Lent. The initial content came as a resource for the webinar series: Did you observe that? Rescuing weekly worship from the mundane, Episode 2 of 5: A Rollercoaster Week. (Holy Week to Low Sunday) Wednesday 10 March, 2021.

We looked at resources and ideas for some of the days in this period like International Women’s Day, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Triduum, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Low Sunday.

The resources listed below are all ones I have used or are currently using. Unless otherwise stated they are mine, although I draw on a wide variety of sources.

There is no benefit to me from the promotion of any of the media. They are all excellent.

Webinar #2 Slide Set

Orders of Service and Liturgies you can modify to make your own

*For Palm Sunday resources see Webinar #1 Resources.

(Acknowledge “Rhythms of Grace Church, Mark Pierson” where appropriate if you want to. I apologise if I haven’t acknowledged someone else’s work I have used.)

Tracks

Valley of the Shadow, album, Nic Paton

Beauty Will Save the World, album, Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus.

Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? Mahalia Jackson, Johnny Cash, Kathleen Battle

Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet, Gavin Bryars. Research the interesting background to this track. Album has multiple versions on it.

The Brilliance: Have You Forsaken Me, Lent album

Valley of the Shadow, album. Nic Paton

Staff, by ship at sea (album Awake, Awake) whole album has some very useful songs for other services, eg God Speaks to Elijah.

The Road to Emmaus (instrumental) Ricki Lee Jones

(Check them out on  Spotify or YouTube)

Websites & Articles

(These are great for any time of the Church Year)

Taking Flight, (Andrew Gamman, Kereru Publishing. Subscription.) Weekly service and preaching lectionary-based resources and huge back catalogue.

Kereru Publishing.

Godspace. https://godspacelight.com  Church Year and a heap more. Huge back catalogue. 

Jan Richardson: http://paintedprayerbook.com Excellent art, poetry, writings. Huge back catalogue. 

https://artandtheology.org Large back catalogue of art and interpretations and commentary. This is the more comprehensive USA-based site. There is also an Australian one that is very good, but not as comprehensive. (change .org for .net

The Early History of Lent, Russo, ( quite academic but fascinating and useful background) https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/193181.pdf

https://reimaginingworship.com a fantastic new resource. Good back catalogue. Drop down menu “Liturgical Resources”. (Accompanying book is “Liturgies From Below: 462 acts of worship”, by Claudio Caravalhaes. Liturgies are from Developing world contributors. )

https://liturgy.co.nz A very good Kiwi site with some back catalogue.

Words

Search any of the above websites for a huge amount of useable material on each of the days below. The biblical references are where the stories can be found.

Palm Sunday: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.

Monday: Matthew 21:12–22, Mark 11:15–19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-17.

Tuesday: Matthew 21:23–24:51, Mark 11:20–13:37, Luke 20:1–21:36, and John 12:20–38.

Wednesday:

Maundy Thursday: Matthew 26:17–75, Mark 14:12-72, Luke 22:7-62, and John 13:1-38.

Good Friday: Matthew 27:1-62, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:63-23:56, and John 18:28-19:37

Easter Saturday: Matthew 27:62-66, Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56, and John 19:40.

Dead Can Dance, The Host Of Seraphim (Remastered), from “The Serpent’s Egg” album.

Easter Sunday: Matthew 28:1-13, Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24:1-49, and John 20:1-23.

TRACK: Dawn, Dario Marianelli (2.38)

Low Sunday: (also 2nd Sunday of Easter). Emmaus Road story. Luke 24:13–35. The first video below is unfortunately in KJV language. I’ll use the animation!