Holy Saturday

HOLY WEEK SERVICES

Our shift online in the midst of crisis allows us to embrace the tradition of Holy Week services. From Holy Monday to Holy Saturday, we will share a short service each day—as we prepare for the resurrection of our Lord.

SCRIPTURE SENTENCES

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.” —Lamentations 3.22-24

PRAYER:

You are with us, Lord,
even in the waiting place—
particularly in the waiting place
where cross, tomb, and glory meet.
Hold us fast, God, and wait with us
speak words of comfort
as we inhabit the uncertainty of this time.
We know you are ever near. Amen.

READING: Matthew 27.62-66

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

REFLECTION

The creeds of the Christian Church agree that Jesus descended into hell on Holy Saturday. Remarkably, they are not clear on what he was doing in hell—but there are some clues. In 1 Peter 4 we learn that Jesus “preached even to the dead” and in Ephesians 4 we get this curious reference to descending: “he made captivity itself a captive.” Obviously the doctrine of descending into hell stood, but the meaning remained unclear.

Enter Ælfric of Eynsham, abbot of a small monastery in Oxfordshire. Abbot Ælfric was a noted preacher and writer, born in the latter part of the Anglo-Saxon golden age. It was Ælfric who coined the phrase, the “harrowing of hell,” describing the process of releasing souls from hell. Wonderfully, harrowing has two meanings: it can mean “tormenting” (tormenting the tormentor) and it also means “the process of breaking up the earth with a harrow.”

Both meanings work for me. Jesus descended into hell to “make captivity itself a captive,” underling that death is defeated by going to the very place where forgiveness is needed most. In my view, this is the end of hell itself, cleared by the atoning work of God in Jesus. And I love the idea of “breaking up the earth” to plant the seeds of salvation wherever sin exists. Thanks be to God.

HYMN: My song is love unknown (verse 4)

Here might I stay and sing,
no story so divine;
never was love, dear King, never was grief like thine!
This is my friend, in whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.

PRAYER

While we wait, God,
help us to use the time for prayer.
We pray for everyone who is waiting:
for a word from loved ones,
for a word of comfort,
for a word of hope.
We wait for news, any news,
that might lighten the load we carry.
We wait for some sure sign
of your kingdom, the kingdom
where death is no more,
where suffering ends,
and your reign of glory remains.
Wait with us, God,
We trust in you. Amen.

BLESSING:

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless
until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.
—1 Thessalonians 5:23