Saint James UCC of Hamburg, NY

Philippians 2:5-11

Pastor Alva & Participants
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(2nd story teller from the front of the sanctuary) From the excitement of Palm Sunday, to the sharing of the Last Supper, we begin the hard Holy Week journey through Good Friday to Easter Sunday. On that journey we encounter humble, ordinary, everyday things like palm branches, a colt, a room, a table, bread, wine, a kiss. This is a story of strong feelings of that journey joy, deep despair, loneliness, but still hope. Let us listen to the story.

1) ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM (Luke 19:28-40) (prop - palm branches)
(Begin with storyteller at the back of the worship space - 1st storyteller starts up the isle) Word was spreading…. people were talking…. the news of Jesus spread far and wide! Just as Jesus had said, he and his disciples were now headed up to the city, to Jerusalem

Just before they arrived Jesus told his disciples to go into the next village and bring a colt that had never been ridden. Never been ridden? What would the owners say?

Just as Jesus had said, the owners asked the disciples why they were taking their colt. "Because the Lord needs it," they answered.

The disciples threw their cloaks on the colts back before they set Jesus upon it. As Jesus rode upon the tiny animal people gathered round, laying their cloaks upon the ground before them! Word was spreading…people were talking…more and more…louder and louder..

(Persons starts up the isle with palm branches slowly)
Word was spreading…. people were talking…they were shouting and singing, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of God! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!"

Glory in the highest heaven? Blessed is the king? On a roadway paved with cloaks? What kind of king was this?

Word was spreading and some of the people in charge were not happy. Some of them in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop!"

Jesus answered, "I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout aloud!"

Word was spreading…people were talking. The news of Jesus echoed through all creation.

(Person put the palm branches on the floor near the table and departs another way- (Person hammers three times)

2) JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE (Luke 19:45-47) (2nd storyteller)
(Person starts down the isle with coins) Word was spreading…people were talking…the news of Jesus spread far and wide!

Jesus went to the temple to drive out everyone who was selling things.

"My house should be a house of prayers but you have made it into a den of robbers!" he cried.

He then began to teach in the temple and people gathered from near and far to hear his words. The people in charge were afraid. If the people listened to Jesus, who would listen to them? They had to figure out a way to get rid of him…soon…
(Person scatters a few coins around the branches and departs. (Hammer three times.)

3) PREPARE THE PASSOVER (Luke 22:7-14)
(2 people start down the isle with a red cloth) (1st storyteller)
Word was spreading…people were talking…the news grew and grew.

The time of the Passover feast drew near and Jesus so much wanted to share it with his closest friends. They would celebrate with special food, songs, prayers, and stories to remember the time God helped the children of Israel escape from Egypt. Jesus sent Peter and John to find the guestroom where he could eat with his disciples. So they went and found everything and prepared for the special meal.
(Unfurl the red cloth onto the small table and depart - (Hammer three times)

4) THE LAST SUPPER (Luke 22:14-23)
(Person starts down the isle with a loaf of bread) (2nd storyteller)
Word was spreading…people were talking…Jesus drew his friends close to him.

Together they gathered around a table. Yes, word was spreading…good news was growing…but how could Jesus get his friends through the next few days, through the time until he saw them again?

Full of love he took a load of bread, broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

Full of love, he took a cup of wine as he said, this cup is poured out for you showing you a new way and God's promise in me."

Full of awe and wonder the friends ate the bread and shared the cup. They had been fed with stories and prayers, words and deeds, and now this most special bread and wine. Word was spreading…

Then Jesus said a most frightening thing. "One of you gathered here with us is not my friend. One of you will turn me over to those who want to hurt me." (Place the bread on the table - (Hammer three times)

5) WARNING OF THINGS TO COME (Luke 22:31-34)
(Start down the isle with chalice) (1st storyteller)
For a moment it was if time stood still…they could not believe the words that rushed and poured over them!

Someone would betray him…

Jesus looked at Peter full of deep love and deeper sadness. "These are uncertain times. Our friendship will be tested. For a while we will be scattered. You, Peter, will turn away from me. I have prayed that you will turn back again and help your brothers and sisters."

What do you mean?" cried Peter. I will go with you now even to prison and to death."

Jesus sighed, "I tell you Peter, before the rooster crows to end this night, you will have pretended three times that you do not know me." (Place the chalice next to the bread - hammer three times)

6) PRAYING IN THE GARDEN (Luke 22:39-46)
(Start down the isle with a flowering branch) (2nd storyteller)
Word was spreading…people were whispering…Jesus and his friends went to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus looked at them lovingly saying, Pray that you do not come into the time of trial."

And moving away from them, about a stone's throw, he knelt down and he prayed.

"O Father, if it were up to me, I wish it didn't have to be this way." Full of despair he prayed. And then it was as if he could feel the arms of God around him. giving him hope and strength to go on.

When he stood up, he saw that his friends had fallen asleep. (Person places flowering branch on the table and departs - (Hammer three times.)

7) ARREST (Luke 22:47-53)
(Start down the isle with lantern/candle) (1st storyteller)
Word was spreading…in secrets and whispers…

Suddenly a crowd came, led by Judas, one of Jesus' friends. He kissed Jesus, as a sign to tell the crowd that this was the one they wanted.

"Judas," said Jesus, "You would turn away from me with a kiss?"

The crowd had come to arrest Jesus. The disciples wanted to fight back. But Jesus said, "No."

Then Jesus said to the crowd, "You saw me every day. Why didn't you arrest me in the temple? Why do you come in the dark of night and treat me like a bandit?"

The soldiers didn't say anything. Judas didn't say anything. They took Jesus away. And all of the disciples ran away. Even Peter.
(Person places lantern on table and departs - (Hammer three times)

8) PETERS DENIAL (Luke 22:54-62)
(Person starts down the isle with a rooster) (2nd storyteller)
Word was spreading…whispers, whispers…fingers pointing..

Peter followed Jesus from a distance. "You were with him," one said, squinting her eyes. "You are one of them," another said, pointing a finger. And another said, "I'm sure he was one of them." "I do not know him…I am not…I don't know what you are talking about," Peter shouted. And a rooster crowed. Peter full of shame went out and cried.
(Person places a rooster on the table and departs - (Hammer three times.)

9) TRIAL (Luke 22:63-23:25)
(Person comes down the isle with a crown of thorns) (1st storyteller)
Word was spreading…name-calling, angry shouts, and a howling mob! Jesus was beaten and dragged from one place to the next. From prison to the high priests, to the governor Pontius Pilate, to King Herod and back again. Word was spreading: who are you? What have you done? What is your crime?

Dressed in a royal robe, crowned with thorns, everyone made fun of him. Joyous shouts of "Blessed is the king" gave way to angry snarls of "Crucify him! Crucify him!" And so Pilate handed Jesus over to them.
(Person places crown of thorns against the table - (Hammer three times.)

10) CRUCIFIXION (Luke 23:26-42)
(Person comes down with nails and hammer) (2nd storyteller)
Word of Jesus was spreading…people were gathering, following Jesus as he dragged a huge wooden cross. Through the streets…people laughing, leaders mocking, women weeping, friends crying…

Jesus said, "Father forgive them." Jesus was crucified between two other criminals. On his one side he heard, "Why don't you save yourself and us?" On the other he heard, "Jesus, remember me…"
(Person put nails and hammers on the table. - Hammer three times)

11) JESUS DEATH (Luke 23:44-49)
(Piece of fabric that can be torn)(1st storyteller is silent for a short time and then dramatically rips the fabric in two)
(2nd storyteller)
It was as if earth and heaven were torn from their loving embrace. All was lost. Even though Jesus' friends watched from a distance they heard his voice echoing in their hearts as he said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (1st storyteller covers the table and objects with the cloth and bowing head, departs.)

12) BURIAL (Luke 23-50-56)
(Person starts down the isle with a hand sized rock) (2nd storyteller is silent for a short time.)
There was no word. A good man, named Joseph, asked for the body of Jesus. Full of love and care, he wrapped it in a linen cloth. Ever so gently he laid Jesus in a tomb, hollowed out of a rock.

The women followers came too, helping to prepare the body. But time was running out. When the sun went down there could be no more work for the day. The job of dressing Jesus' body would have to wait.
(Set the rock down with a thud and depart.)

13) LOOKING TO THE RESURRECTION (1st. story teller)
There was no word.

Or was there? There was weeping. There was sighing - oh, what might have been. Was it all over?

It was so quiet we could hear our hearts beat..his heart beat? We would wait through this dark night and the next day and at sunrise on the third day we would be ready to make the journey with him and to him. We would carry our perfumes and spices, and see him again.

And so ends our "Holy Week Journey" this Sunday morning. Let us reflect through out the week this journey and know that we are the people of God. Different in what we're willing to do and what we're capable of doing. Jesus knows us so well. Let us go to serve and be served, in the name of Jesus, our Lord, and Servant of all.