Theological Analysis of a Holy Week Service

Your assignment is to sketch a theological analysis of a church service (but not a Westmont chapel service) during Holy Week (the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday). This can be the service of your choice (such as Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Tenebrae, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday) at the Christian church of your choice.

My goal is to help you draw connections between the doctrine we've been learning in class, and the Christian practice that goes on in the worshiping Church. The latter embodies the former; the former interprets and guides the latter. So don't just describe what went on! I'm not looking for a 'report' or a travelogue, but an analysis. Make sure you underline and develop the connections by drawing explicitly on the lectures and relevant readings.

Obviously the easiest connections to make during Holy Week will probably involve the atoning work of Christ (for instance, theories of atonement or the offices of Christ). But these may not be the only ones you find. And since the resurrection underpins practically every Christian doctrine, you might be able to range far and wide.

Don't forget to list the name and denomination of the church, which service you attended, and so on. However, if you want to do well on this assignment, don't spend much time (or even any) rehearsing or describing the service. Analyze it theologically, bringing in background only where directly relevant to the points you are making.

If you attend a church service outside your tradition and find the proceedings unfamiliar, don't be shy — ask a fellow worshipper what is going on, or wait until after the service and ask one of the leaders to explain things. In my experience, these people are delighted to help you by sharing the things they love.

Did I mention that you need to draw extensively on course concepts from lectures and readings? Why, yes I did. Three times now. Is that because semester after semester, students write 'reports' rather than analyses, with little if any appeal to course concepts and materials? It is indeed. Does that make me suspect that these students haven't done the readings and are hoping I won't notice? Draw your own conclusions.

Further tips:

Look for:

• Prominence of central themes in rs20: e.g., the personhood of Christ; the personhood and work of the Holy Spirit; the threefold office; doctrine of the Trinity; sin and grace; atonement theories; election.
• Connections with particular details from lectures and readings (cited appropriately, of course).
• Particularly insightful or striking uses of doctrinal themes or theological uses of Scripture.
• Ways you see Christian doctrine presented practically, and lived out in the Church.

Look at:

• The structure of the service (what comes where in the order of worship, and why might the order be theologically significant?).
• The words and tenor of either rehearsed or extemporaneous prayers.
• The words and tenor of songs and hymns. Often traditional hymns are theologically packed, and chosen carefully for their liturgical occasion, so pay close attention here.
• Scripture. "Liturgical" churches often have readings preselected from a lectionary. My church picks them ad hoc. How does the choice of Scriptures serve theological purposes?
• Sermon themes and illustrations.
• Other features of the service: processional; dress, decorations, and "effects"; special rituals like baby dedications, drama, baptisms, and confirmation; offering and offertory; Communion; benediction; recessional; etc. How do these reflect doctrinal themes in the church's worship?

Uh-oh! What if the service is theologically and doctrinally poor?

• First, don't condemn it too quickly. Before you give up on the service, look hard for solid doctrine coming to life. Begin with a spirit of charity. Be responsive to the fact that the church may simply be doing things in an unfamiliar way, so that you have to "translate."
• If the service simply needs doctrinal improvement, then tell me how you would improve it. Again, here I would be most impressed with suggestions that tie doctrine in with real Christian worship practice in a compelling way.

Remember, I want to see proper style, clear writing, a thorough answer to the question, and explicit citations of course materials.