How does my Church of Scotland congregation do Holy Week? Thanks for asking, here’s how.

As seems to be a fairly common tradition in Scotland, my congregation holds worship services every night of Holy Week except Saturday. I can’t track down when this tradition began, but folks tell me it’s happened for years (like 50+).

Every night, Monday through Friday, 7:30 pm service. Each service is fairly simple and very similar to the other evenings except for Thursday’s service which includes communion. St. Columba teams with a church in a neighboring town for these services, so the preaching load is shared among several ministers.

After only one service, I’m of two minds regarding the practice of having a hour-long service every single day of Holy Week. On the one hand, it recognizes the importance of Holy Week in the Christian calendar, and those who attend can mark Jesus’ journey to the cross. It’s easy to jump from Palm Sunday to Easter without remembering what happened in between.

On the other hand, I’m aware of some practical issues. I realize efficiency can be made into an idol, but consider a solo minister preparing five sermons the week before Easter Sunday, and for–if we’re honest–services attended by a relatively few number of people. It’s difficult enough to find the time for one quality sermon a week. Thankfully, due to our partnership with another church and strategic use of guest preachers, our week won’t be too harsh. It’s worth considering, though.

Also, I wonder what having daily services attended by a very few does to the group dynamics of a congregation. What do who can only attend one service think of the folk with lighter evening work schedules? Do those who attend every night feel somehow more holy or more a part of the congregation?

Here’s my big question, though. Presuming one does not expect many members to attend all five Holy Week services, as busy lives of work and service call folks in many other directions, what does the church say when it holds services expected to be poorly attended?

Yes, the number of those attending corporate worship should not be a congregation’s primary concern–certainly quality not quantity is important–but musn’t quality be affected at some point? I mean, a church could hold a service every single day, and probably at least one person would come to most services. Most congregations don’t hold daily services, though, so a decision is being made somewhere that holds up other concerns over daily corporate worship attended by a very few.

Perhaps another way, during Holy Week, is for congregations to enable worship in homes, with families or small groups. Think about a family after supper reading a Holy Week lectionary passage, praying, and singing a simple hymn together. That practice might be much better–and much more realistic–than figuring out how to feed the kids, pick them up from football, facilitate homework, and get them to shower somehow around the 7:30 service.

Or I know of an Atlanta congregation that facilitates Maundy Thursday footwashing services in a number of homes throughout the area so member can take part in the intimate and–for some–uncomfortable service in a smaller informal setting after a pot luck.

What are your Holy Week traditions or ideas, worship or otherwise?

Image by Fernando Rossi