Last Sunday, we read the St. Matthew's Passion as our Gospel during the church service.
As we do every Palm Sunday, we used a narrative form of the gospel.
The script calls for a Speaker, a Narrator, a Chorus, and Jesus.
This year I was asked to be the "Narrator".
I've done this several times over the years and have always enjoyed it.
The priest spoke the words of Jesus and the Speaker did Pilate, Peter, etc.
The rest of the congregation spoke the words of the Chorus or the crowd's words: "Crucify him!! and so on.
Reading this gospel as a narrative with speaking parts gives an entirely different perspective to the story of the passion.
It deeply involves each person in the meaning and the action of the story.
A few years ago, a woman did the Narrator's part and she broke down and cried as she was reading about the scourging and crucifixion and she could hardly finish the reading.
Even on Sunday as I read my part, I could feel the emotion of the story and I am certain everyone else did too.
We will do this again on Good Friday.
Others will take the parts and of course, it will be a different Passion.
Holy Week = Karwoche
Narrator = Erzähler
Good Friday = Karfreitag
Bild: St. Elizabeth Church in Richmond, Virginia: St. Elizabeth of Hungary
