Nanjing Union Theological Seminary conducts a meditation or a service every day during Holy Week and Easter Sunday.
From April 2 to 9, the seminary held celebrations to remember the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, according to the seminary.
A Palm Sunday service took place in the auditorium on April 2nd, with students from Class A in Grade Four officiating. Based on Matthew 21:1-11, Rev. Liu Lingwei of the college preached a sermon with the title "Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem", leading attendees to reflect on their faith to prepare their minds for Holy Week. After the communion service, Pastor Liu held the commission service for the congregation.
The Spiritual Department of the Student Union organized students to participate in a prayer meeting on Holy Monday, morning meditation on Holy Tuesday, and candlelight meditation on Holy Wednesday.
After the evening prayer meeting on Maunday Thursday, students carried out a foot-washing ceremony, imitating Jesus by serving and loving others.
Besides worshipping God on Good Friday, students carried the cross to walk the 14 stations of Jesus’ path to the cross, the route of which was designed in advance by the Student Union. Accompanied by the hymn "Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed", each class took turns to bear the cross, according to the order of grades. Graduate students took the first step with the cross from the auditorium, and students and faculty members stood still at each station, chanting scriptures collectively.
After all the people returned to the auditorium, a student named Nissi Zhuang shared a sermon with the title "Turn Thorns Into Crowns".
In the afternoon, all the students watched "The Passion of Jesus" in the lecture hall.
Following the morning service on Easter Sunday with a sermon from Rev. Zhao Chengyi, students presented each other with white calla lilies
In the early morning of Easter on April 9, the "Easter Morning Service" was held in the small square in front of the teaching building. Rev. Zhao Chengyi delivered the sermon and gave blessings. Students presented each other with white calla lilies, conveying the good news of Christ's resurrection.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
