Preaching the Arc of Holy week to Easter (A guest post)
Why do we observe Holy Week? It is so much work. Can’t we just skip the death and go from Palm Sunday to the happiness of the Resurrection?
No.
This week is the center not only of our faith but our very lives. It embeds in us the fundamental events of our people. It opens a window into what lies beneath and behind the foundation itself.
The Case for Preaching the Passion on Palm Sunday & Good Friday
Some preachers feel it is not necessary to preach on Palm Sunday or Good Friday. The Passion speaks for itself, the thinking goes. The story is so rich, so full of awe, so packed with meaning—there is simply nothing we could say to add to its profundity.
I appreciate the humility in that perspective, because it can feel that anything we add to the story is anti-climactic at best. However, I encourage preachers to offer a homily on Palm Sunday and Good Friday for three important reasons.