One of my favorite childhood memories involves my family preparations for Easter. Now, we always dressed up for church – it was just something we did, and I still remember that first Sunday at a new church when we could wear jeans. I felt like I was breaking the law and can’t tell you the first thing that happened in the service – I was too nervous. Even when that became our new normal, Easter Sunday still meant a new shirt that was special for the day.

MIAMI VICE — Pictured: (l-r) Don Johnson as Det. James ‘Sonny’ Crockett, Philip Michael Thomas as Det. Ricardo ‘Rico’ Tubbs (Photo by Frank Carroll/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Around 1984, I remember going to the store and my mom fitting me for a suit. Now, this was no normal boring suit. This was central Florida and these were the days of Miami Vice. So mom decided I needed the pushed-up sleeves, the pastel shirt, and the pink jacket. Somewhere there’s still a picture of me in this get-up, and while I didn’t know what Miami Vice was, I sure did my best to sport the Don Johnson look.

Dressing up for Easter isn’t a big deal to a lot of folks, but it was for mom. Now, so many years later, I get nervous about this time of year and about what we’re gonna wear for Easter. It’s silly (especially for me since I wear a robe every Sunday) but it is something I feel deep in my gut that just needs to happen. Even this year, when it looks like Palm Sunday and Easter will be celebrated “online” due to the coronavirus, I still have that itch to pile the boys in the van and try to find their Easter outfits.

Over the years, I have learned the value of preparing for Easter, but I’m not talking about an outfit. I’m not talking about making sure the kids have Easter baskets. I’m not talking about making sure our Sunday brunch or feast is going to be spectacular. As a pastor, I’m not even talking about making sure I have my “best sermon” ready to go for all the visitors.

The preparations I need to make begin on Palm Sunday and are a week-long opportunity to deepen and grow. Good Friday was always a special day in my tradition, but the rest of the week was just another set of days that took place between the Palm Parades and the Easter Shouts. But when I went to seminary, I learned that Holy Week matters so much. I learned that the week of preparation was still important. I learned that if I “set my face toward Jerusalem” like Jesus did, then Easter became even more powerful.

Palm Sunday begins with the parade. It has all the excitement you could want in a day. Crowds shouting – singing – religious people worrying – the powers that be keeping an eye out – and even the threat that rocks could start crying out. By the end of the day, Jesus had returned to Bethany and things were quiet. Depending on the Gospel, Jesus either cleared out the temple that day or on Monday – in either case, the week starts with a pow!

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are quieter days with teachings and challenges from the religious leaders. At some point, Judas Iscariot slipped away and began conspiring with the priests. All in all, those days must have been a mix of strange emotions and a level of expectancy that no one could have quite gripped. To use a giant theological word – it must have been so weird.

Thursday, Jesus invited his friends to celebrate a meal with him. Some, including me, believe it was a seder or Passover meal. They gathered in a borrowed place where a few disciples prepared a meal that every person in Jesus’ entourage had shared every year of their lives.