This week

someone may walk up to you and say, "We'll have to

miss soccer practice because it's Maundy Thursday."

Or "Count us out of the party Friday night because

it's Good Friday."

It's a

riddle, right? Well, no, not exactly. And it's not a

secret code for covert activities, either. What it is is

Holy Week, and that may sound just as strange, but it

really needn't.

As far back

as the fourth century Christians used the week before

Easter as a time both to remember and re-create the

significant events in the life of Christ that preceded

his resurrection.

So, on the

Sunday before Easter Jesus' triumphal entry into the city

of Jerusalem is celebrated with a procession of palms,

thus claiming the name Palm Sunday, the beginning of what

is called "Holy Week." Even though the service

begins in a festive mood, the transition is made to a

more solemn theme as the Passion story (meaning

"suffering") is read and becomes the basis for

meditation.

Ancient

Christian communities and some contemporary ones have

special services every day of Holy Week, but the next

major event falls on Thursday. By Biblical account it was

on Thursday night when Jesus and his disciples ate the

meal of the traditional Jewish feast of the Passover,

which celebrated salvation from slavery in Egypt.

It was at

this meal that Jesus did two very significant things.

First, he washed the feet of his disciples, which was a

rather strange turn of events for a rabbi (teacher) to

wash the feet of his students. Jesus then commanded that

they live their lives symbolically washing the feet of

others, thus making a life of service

"mandatory" for them.

Second, at

this meal Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and

declared it to be his Body, which was to be broken for

the forgiveness of sin. Then, he took wine, gave thanks,

and declared it to be the "New Covenant of his

Blood" or new method of salvation. He also made the

continued eating and drinking of bread and wine for his

remembrance mandatory for his followers, thus instituting

what Christians call Holy Communion.

These

instances of Jesus' commands or that which he made

mandatory give the name "Maundy Thursday." Many

Christians have a special service on this day for

symbolic foot washing and Holy Communion. Some even have

a "Seder supper" to re-create the entire

Passover supper concluding with Holy Communion, as Christ

did.

The next

day is strangely called "Good Friday." But the

name is not so strange in the hearts and minds of

Christians because of the faith that sees the suffering

and death of Jesus by crucifixion on the cross as the way

perfect will.

"Good

Friday" is also an appropriate name for the day

because without the events of Good Friday, there could be

no true understanding of the joy and celebration of the

festival of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Some

Christians worship in a three-hour service from noon

until 3 p.m., representing the time Jesus was on the

cross, while others use a "Tenebrae" service of

diminishing lights and "shadows" to meditate

upon the seven last words of Christ from the cross. In

any event, Good Friday is the most solemn day in the

church year.

Saturday an

"Easter vigil" is conducted by many in the

church as a time to watch and pray as the glorious events

of Easter approach. In the ancient church this was a time

of Baptism, Confirmation, and restoration of waywards

back into the fold.

Of course,

Easter Sunday completes the divine drama. No greater joy

is seen in the Christian Church than on this "queen

of festivals." Trumpets sound, voices are raised,

life and hope are preached, and now the Body and Blood of

the risen Christ are shared.

A whole

season of Easter, continuing for seven weeks until

Pentecost ("50 days"), is marked by many.

OK, so you

might miss soccer practice or one Friday night party

- or maybe you won't - but you'll

understand why some of the rest of us will.

Kollmeyer

is senior pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on

Ga. Highway 314 in Fayetteville, and invites the

community to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter

services. Phone the church office at 770-461-3403 for

schedules and times.