Last Week with "The Last Week"

Most of you are undoubtedly enjoying a little “down time” after the important business (and busy-ness) of leading worship and preaching during Holy Week. Last week, as part of my personal Holy Week observation, I read The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach about Jesus ’ Final Days in Jerusalem by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006). I started – as the book does – on Palm Sunday and read a chapter a day through yesterday, Easter Sunday. The book is a day by day treatment of Jesus’ final week following the chronology of the Gospel of Mark, the earliest gospel narrative in the New Testament. A recent article in The Christian Century (March 20, 2007) is an excellent introduction to some of their major points. As they state in the book’s final pages, “Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter are about the conflict between the radicality of God and the normalcy of domination systems, which is the normalcy of civilization. Jesus’ last week challenges the domination systems of this world even as it also invites us upon a journey through death to resurrection, journeying with the risen Jesus, the risen Christ.” (p.215) The Holy Week readings this year took on new meaning for me as a result of some of the insights provided by Borg and Crossan. The book is available in paperback and includes a study guide and discussion questions. Next Holy Week, I hope to use it with a group of adults. A blessed Easter season to all of you! jpr