A Week of Reverence and Praise - Holy Week 2026 @ CCMC
- Elaine Tan & CCMC Communications Team
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
From 29 March to 5 April, Holy Week was a time of spiritual reflection on God’s boundless love for us.
Palm Sunday
Raising our palms on Palm Sunday!
On Palm Sunday, as we gathered in reverent worship, CCMC’s Pastor-in-Charge Rev Kenneth Huang beckoned us to respond with confident faith in Jesus. He urged us to draw closer to God and worship Him with sincerity and heart’s devotion.
With the cross displayed prominently on the altar as a sacred symbol of reflection, Rev Huang gently reminded us to prepare our hearts by contemplating the divine nature of God. As we lifted our voices in worship songs, the message was clear: to fix our gaze upon Jesus, whom God sent to redeem us, and to deepen our communion with Him.
During the Holy Week activities announcement, beginning with Palm Sunday, Rev Huang emphasised that Holy Week is a transformative spiritual journey—an invitation to reflect deeply, encounter Jesus intimately, and experience divine renewal.
Our guest preacher, Rev Dr Chiang Ming Shun, shared three focus areas on Palm Sunday:
1. Remember the eternal truth of God's Word.
2. Stand firm as His witnesses—pray for divine guidance to bring others into His loving embrace.
3. Run eagerly to meet Jesus—seek Him prayerfully and surrender all to His loving care.
Maundy Thursday
The Maundy Thursday service opened a sacred space for the congregation to meditate on God's divine nature.
Rev David Ho’s sermon, titled ‘The Way Of The Towel’, illuminated Christ’s sacrificial love demonstrated through His act of humility. He reminded us that Christ loved us to the very end—a servant King who cared unconditionally for all, including Judas, whom He knew would betray Him.
On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, even Judas’s, knowing the betrayal that awaited Him. Rev Ho reflected on the story of Peter, who hesitated when Jesus offered to wash his feet. This prompts us to examine: do we truly know how to receive God's grace as well as give it?
We are called to allow Jesus to cleanse and love us, especially in areas we resist revealing. Are we willing to accept His purification? Where do we rely solely on our own strength?
Embracing His grace is vital for our spiritual transformation.
Rev Ho guided us through a re-enactment of the gospel—a foot washing that powerfully symbolised Jesus’ sacrificial love for His disciples on the eve of His betrayal and crucifixion.
Toward the end of the Maundy Thursday service, we observed the sacred ‘Stripping of the Altar,’ where objects displayed during the service—such as the bouquet of flowers and the altar cloth—were gently removed by our pastors. A black cloth was laid upon the cross as a solemn symbol of our deep reflection on Jesus’ death and crucifixion, inviting us into contemplative prayer.
Good Friday
As we gathered the next morning to honour the sacred observance of Good Friday, our pastoral team called the congregation to meditate deeply on the profound sacrifice Jesus made for all of us. Our spirits were irresistibly drawn to the cross on the stage, symbolising Jesus' unwavering and limitless love for humanity.
Our guest preacher, Rev Dr Norman Wong, challenged us to open our hearts wide to those around us who are burdened by loneliness and isolation, urging us to be the hands and feet of Christ in their lives.
We are continually called to take up our crosses daily, following Jesus with unwavering devotion and embracing His divine path of righteousness.
Even in the face of injustice, humiliation, or rejection, we are reminded to respond not with evil, but with love and grace. We are encouraged to accept suffering with faith, trusting that Christ suffers with us and that every pain we endure has a divine purpose and meaning.
Each of us possesses a darker, faltering side that requires daily surrender to God's loving grace. Rev Wong reminds us that through earnest prayer and heartfelt repentance, we seek His purification and divine grace. This sacred act of carrying our cross daily is the vital path to walking faithfully in His footsteps and experiencing His transformative power.
Easter Sunday Service
This year's Easter Sunday Service at CCMC was an incredibly joyful and heartfelt celebration. Held on 5 April, our congregation gathered with hearts overflowing with happiness, gratitude, and deep reverence, as they united in worship after a week spent reflecting on God’s boundless love and Christ’s profound sacrifice on the cross.
This year, the anticipation for the Easter service was truly palpable, and it was held at the meaningful venue of M E Lau Hall on the third floor of Methodist Girls’ School.
We began the service with a rousing Choral Introit by the Gospel Choir, who were joined by young members of our Covenant Kids ministry. It was a great start to a service steeped in a light, joyful atmosphere, as we began to celebrate the joy we find in our risen Lord.
(L): Rev David Ho leads the congregation in the call to worship. (R): Rev Rufus Chan praying.
Rev David Ho led the congregation in a heartfelt call to worship, followed by a joyous session of worship through songs, led by the worship team.
Rev Rufus Chan then took to the chancel for pastoral prayer, through which he thanked our Lord for newcomers, returning members, and faithful attendees, highlighting the unity felt during Easter.
He also prayed for those impacted by war, where fear, grief, and loneliness persist, asking us to demonstrate Christ’s love in our communities and for God to raise leaders dedicated to justice and hope.
In his sermon, Rev Huang described how distressed Jesus’ disciples must have been in the days following the crucifixion.
The account of Jesus' Resurrection is filled with movement and activity:
Mary Magdalene & Mary, the mother of James, saw the stone rolled away.
John saw the burial linen lying by themselves.
Mary was weeping and did not recognise Jesus.
If it had happened to us, would we have understood the significance of what we just witnessed?
Two ironies of Easter reveal the truth of Easter.
The first irony:
The tomb needed to be empty so the disciples' lives could be filled with faith and the truth of the Scriptures that Jesus had risen.
Once they realised what a difference this made in their lives, Rev Huang posed a question to the congregation: When was the last time we remembered that Jesus had died and risen again for us, and it moved us to tears?
We must truly love Jesus with all our hearts.
We must ensure our love for Christ does not go cold. We must ensure our faith in the Risen Jesus remains strong. Will the truth of the empty tomb make a difference in our lives? It must.
The second irony:
The second irony is that deep love is revealed through deep pain. This could be seen through Mary Magdalene’s weeping, which reflected her profound love for Jesus.
Her immense grief shows that, the greater the weeping, the greater the love. Her love was so strong, it clouded her recognition of both angels and Jesus.
The questions we must constantly ask ourselves are: do we love Jesus deeply? Do we love Him enough that we are moved by His death, and eventual resurrection? Are we able to express our love for Him?
Christ has Died, Christ is Risen
The above words express the core truth of Good Friday and Easter. Rev Huang noted that when we first become Christians, we may not fully appreciate the meaning or impact of these words.
This is why we must remain students of Scripture, reading His Word to be continually growing in understanding. By doing so, we learn to not take for granted the importance of the words, “Christ has Died, Christ is Risen”. We are reminded to keep our love for God, and our faith in the Risen Jesus, always strong and increasing!
Two Truths
To help us to do so, let us remember two truths the Risen Jesus taught us:
Jesus has a special relationship with God, whom He addresses as “My Father”
God is not only Jesus’ Father, but our Father too.
Because of these wonderful truths, we know that God is our Father too, and He loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Therefore, He will share with us His purposes for His Kingdom, and will be with us to strengthen and enable us as much as He did with Jesus, during His earthly life!
Do we truly appreciate that God is our Father and we can know Him in Jesus? We must.
The Risen Jesus Knows Us Personally
The sermon concluded on the point that we are truly and personally known by Jesus. This is seen in how Jesus came to Mary in her greatest time of need, calling her by name and being there for her personally.
God our Father does know us, He cares for us and hears us when we pray to Him. The appropriate response is the same as Mary’s - acknowledging that He is our Teacher and Lord, and being grateful for His presence.
The two ironies of Easter reveal what our faith is really about. The two truths that the Risen Jesus teaches us, will help us live our faith in Him, with full confidence.
Can we strive to continue to experience the Life that only the Risen Jesus can give, as we place our faith in Him?
Holy Communion
The service continued as we observed the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
Instead of the usual self-pickup of Communion elements by congregants, Communion Trays were passed from one person in each row to the end.
This was to bring more solemnity to the conduct of the Sacrament, and to encourage the feeling of ‘serving one another’, as we picked up the elements and passed the tray on to the next person.
Indeed, humble service to one another is what we are called to do as disciples of Christ.
Christ is risen! He is Risen indeed!
We concluded the service with a powerful Easter Affirmation, where we declared:
"Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!"
Fellowship over Easter Sunday Lunch
Following the services, we gathered for lunch as one CCMC family. The MGS canteen, where the lunch was held, was filled with people eagerly queuing for a warm meal after a rousing service.
As the adults queued for the food, the children were treated to ice cream and a fun Easter Egg Desk-Top Hunt.
But, perhaps the highlights from the lunch were not the food or the games, but the smiles, laughter, and engaging conversations we shared, in fellowship as a church family.
As we continue this Easter season, may we reflect and acknowledge the truths that Jesus is our Risen Lord and Saviour, and therefore live a life where we continually strive to increase in Confident Faith in Him.
To God Be The Glory. Alleluia!
(Photos by Elaine Tan, Roland Tan, Joyce Chew and CCMC Comms)
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