Creative resources for Holy week
Most of us enter the season of Lent with earnest, eager to commit to disciplines that will shape and deepen our spiritual walk. But by the time Holy Week comes around, we are tired and wearied by the demands of the past 40 days. We've let our spiritual practices slip through the cracks of our busy lives, and we're ready to skip ahead to Easter morning's light. We are tempted to dance past Holy Week altogether, to wave our palms directly from Jerusalem's entrance to the outskirts of the empty tomb.
But Holy Week allows us to walk the road of the One who took on human flesh, stepping into the depths of betrayal, injustice, mockery, judgement, and pain in order to free us from their grip. Holy Week offers us the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the One who proves that even crucified love still lives.
The journey of Holy Week helps us know—fully and freely—that there is no place God won’t go.
This is a bundle of visual, creative resources to help you journey through the liturgical moments of Holy Week with your eyes and hearts wide open. If you are a busy pastor preparing to lead multiple worship services on Holy Week, we hope these materials offer you comfort and inspiration in the midst of your worship preparation.
We want to help the Church reclaim its role as one of the primary patrons of the arts. We consider your purchase a form of patronage to support our work and ministry. To make our resources accessible to congregations of all sizes, we offer tiered pricing on our bundles. Please choose the price below you are able to give. Your support makes our ministry possible!
$110 TOTAL BUNDLE VALUE {44 digital files}
Note: ALL RESOURCES ARE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS. We offer multiple formats so that you can customize our resources to your specific needs and context. Upon purchase, you will receive a link to a download. Download this file IMMEDIATELY, as this link expires within 24 hrs. The immediate download includes a password and link to a password-protected page where you can then access and download all of our Holy Week resources whenever you need them throughout the season.
What's included in the Bundle:
{All of the following resources are included in the bundle, but each resource is also available separately for individual purchase}
1. Stations of the Cross Graphic Art Series w/ Companion Guide
[Individual Price: $80]
The Stations of the Cross is an ancient meditative pilgrimage inviting the spiritually hungry to walk the “Way of Sorrows” with Jesus to his death on Calvary hill. Traditionally depicted in fourteen visuals, the Stations highlight pivotal moments in Jesus’ final hours. This graphic art rendition of the Stations by Lauren Wright Pittman nods to tradition while imagining Jesus’ journey toward crucifixion through a modern lens. In twelve black and white images, this series condenses the version Pope John Paul II introduced on Good Friday in 1991. Stripped down and textured, these visuals highlight the metaphorical and emotional layers of Jesus’ journey toward his last breaths.
We encourage you to print this series on large poster paper (click button below for printing info) to install it as an art exhibit in your church or community. Distribute copies of the Companion Guide for participants to read and reflect as they journey through the Stations. Companion Guide includes the scripture, visual prompts, an artist reflection, and prayer for each Station.
Stations of the Cross by Lauren Wright Pittman
[Individual Price: $10]
This resource offers poetry reflections (to be offered as spoken word in lieu of a traditional sermon) on three elements present in the narrative of Jesus' final hours: water (foot washing), bread (the Last Supper), and silver (Judas' betrayal). Poetry reflections are integrated within a full Maundy Thursday order of worship.
Poetry & Liturgy by Sarah Are
Poetry Reflection: WATER (excerpt)
"So as water slowly filled the basin,
I wonder, did Jesus remember those spaces—
those spaces where water had breathed new life,
and the spaces where water took with might?
I wonder if he thought of my baptism day,
and of the water in Flint, and of hurricanes.
I wonder if he could see the joy of summer rains,
and how winter snow heals our busiest days. . ."
Poetry Reflection: SILVER (excerpt)
"Thirty pieces of silver—that’s all it took.
Blood money paid to say Jesus was a crook.
Blood money to say, “He doesn’t matter to me.”
Blood money for the man who’d just washed them clean.
It’s hard to believe that in just one night
Judas could go from washed and cleaned,
forgiven and known, loved and seen,
to then turn around so easily
for a small cash payment ending in brutality. . ."
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
"For me, visually, Easter has been full of beauty, joy, and wonder—eclipsing the devastation of Good Friday. Here, I surrounded Jesus' head with a halo of lilies, causing beauty and pain to collide." —Artist Hannah Garrity
Let There Be
"I decided to create rippling rings of creation, one building on the next, to show that the work of creation is not finished with God’s rest—the work continues. . .Our act of continuing God’s creation is the act of bringing justice into the world. Beauty begets beauty.” —Artist Lauren Wright Pittman
[Individual Price: $20]
This is a pair of prophetic visuals for Holy Week, one specifically for Good Friday, and the other for Easter morning. Download includes files for print and web so you can use them for projecting images and slides in worship, printing on bulletins, study materials, and church publications, and advertising your worship on your website and online.