Happy Holy Week!Free Access

Rebecca Raves



 

During my time at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, my favorite tradition was the annual Easter Pageant which is held on Holy Wednesday leading up to Easter Sunday. In this pageant, UMHB students portray the life of Jesus Christ during Holy Week starting with his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and ending with his resurrection. The pageant is directed, produced and perfomed by UMHB students including music, costumes, makeup and set design. Each year, students are picked by UMHB staff to direct the pageant and portray Jesus, Mary and Joseph. My freshman year, I only watched the pageant, but then I participated as a crowd person my last three years and it was the most memorable part of my time at UMHB.

The hardest part about being a crowd person is screaming and yelling at Jesus as He is nailed to the cross and cheering as He dies. However, I knew I had to do my part to get the message across to the audience because in reality, we are each a crowd person. We get angry at God when we don’t get what we want or when we feel like He isn’t listening to us. We scream and yell at the top of our lungs like the crowd did at Golgotha 2,000 years ago. No one is perfect, not even Christians. I am a flawed Christian, and I am not ashamed to admit it. March has been a very trying month for me and I haven’t understood why. I won’t go into personal details, but the Tenth Avenue North song, “Worn,” best describes how I have been feeling. The song opens up with these lyrics:

Brianna (Helmer) Addington, who portrayed Mary, and me after UMHB’s 77th Annual Easter Pageant in Spring 2016.

Brianna (Helmer) Addington, who portrayed Mary, and me after UMHB’s 77th Annual Easter Pageant in Spring 2016.

“I’m tired.

I’m worn.

My heart is heavy,

From the work it takes to keep on breathing.

I’ve made mistakes.

I’ve let my hope fail.

My soul feels crushed,

By the weight of this world.”

With this week being Holy Week, I am starting to realize my trying month has something to do with my faith. I have waivered in it without realizing and it took me having a mental breakdown on Tuesday morning to realize it.

But you know what?

The beautiful thing about the Easter Season is that we are reminded of how good of a Heavenly Father we have. One who sacrificed His own life so that our sins can be forgiven. We can always run back to the Father, even when we stumble in our faith. He is waiting for us with open arms, ready to love and welcome you in. It does not matter who you are. Christ is waiting for both you and I.

I encourage you to join me in watching UMHB’s 82nd Annual Easter Pageant online today, Wednesday, March 31. If you are friends with me on Facebook, I will share the link to my page. You can also watch it on the “University of Mary Hardin-Baylor” Facebook page or by going to umhb.edu/easter-pageant. Show times are at 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” – Matthew 28:6

REBECCA PESQUEDA is the News Editor of the Pleasanton Express. You may reach her at rpesqueda@pleasantonexpress.com.

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