This week is a time when Christians set aside space for silence and contemplation in the face of Christ’s death — why it had to happen and what it did to change the world.

What does it mean, this sacrifice? How did Christ’s death on the cross offer us a way out of the mess that we have made for ourselves? What does it mean, that this death opened the door to salvation? As you contemplate the events leading to Jesus’ death on the cross, we invite you to take some classes that address these topics. They are available for groups, as all of our classes are, but Holy Week brings many opportunities for prayer in groups. This week, you might profit from taking these classes at home on your own, to support your personal devotions.

Consider taking David Lose’s three-part series on Making Sense of the Cross. In Making Sense of the Cross, Part I, David talks about understanding Christ’s sacrifice on the cross through experience rather than through theories about what it means. In Making Sense of the Cross, Part II, David discusses the four gospels and their perspectives on the cross.  In Making Sense of the Cross, Part III, David leads students through three of the most prevalent theories about what the cross means for Christians.

You might also consider taking Praying the Stations of the Cross with Kathrin Burleson. In this class, artist Kathrin offers a brief discussion of the liturgy of the Stations of the Cross and then discusses her fourteen paintings depicting stages in Jesus’ journey to Golgotha.

Another class invites students to contemplate the man at the center of the events that we remember at Holy Week and Easter. Take Who Is Jesus? with Jason Fout, who argues that the best way to understand who Jesus was and what he means in our lives is to look at him through the lens of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Finally, please remember that this is the final week that our Lenten series on building racial justice, created in partnership with Trinity Institute, will be offered for free to anyone who wants to take it. Consider these instructors’ wise words on resisting racial injustice in our world as we contemplate the necessity for Christ’s death and resurrection.

We hope that you have a blessed Holy Week.