When I attended the Greek Orthodox Church (that I wrote about here: Lent: How Fasting Changed for Me), I learned deep veneration and respect of Holy Week. Between Palm Sunday, through Jesus’ in the garden at Gethsemane, to the unbearable suffering on Good Friday…by Resurrection Sunday in the Orthodox Church, I was somberly invested in Jesus’ final week.
While we loved raising our children in a more relationship-oriented Christian church, Holy Week is a time when I do miss the reverent traditions of liturgy services. When I recently checked to see which Holy Week services were running in a variety of churches, there were significantly fewer than 20 years ago.
That sent me on a mini exploration about why Christians don’t revere/participate in Holy Week like years past (myself included), and discovered a wide array of reasons. This short list is from several Christian denominations, not just Greek Orthodoxy:
- No time to add one more thing to the weekly schedule. Lack of attendance was the #1 reason for diminishing services across the board.
- Why reflect on suffering? ‘Life is hard enough, no need to reflect on misery.’
- Why relive the oppressive behavior of people in authority (Romans)?
- Why think about religious leaders (Pharisees) treating the perfect soul inhumanely? ‘We already know priests and pastors entrenched in scandals.’
- It’s the only week we’re all off work and school…that’s vacation week.
- Church attendance doesn’t equal knowing God. I agree. Just ask the hidden Christ followers in China. Or, the devout Christian who cannot get to church due to any number of reasons. However, gathering with like-minded people after working and parenting all week can be a blessing (Hebrews 10:25).
Thinking about Holy Week (as it was for me years ago), is what prompted the above search. All Christ-centered denominations have their own way to honor and celebrate Holy Week-and, people honor Christian holidays differently from one life season to the next.
Ultimately, I circled back to simple gratitude that God knows our deepest, true heart for Him…centering my thoughts not on a building or type of service, but upon the One Who gave all for us. You. Me. All of us.
Tales from a Mid-Lifer 
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