The Wesley Center will close Easter weekend, but they plan to host Easter events before and after the holiday.
The main event is a Good Friday tree planting service to remember Jesus’s death on the cross. Anyone is welcome to attend the service at noon Friday on the lawn outside Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel.
“The tree symbolizes the fact that when Jesus was killed, someone had to cut down a tree to make it an instrument of death,” said the Rev. Dr. Rodney Newman, university chaplain and director of student religious life. “We host this brief but significant service to plant a tree as a symbol of life.”
After reading scripture, students will throw handfuls of dirt into the hole around the tree, symbolically taking the things in their life they want to bury with Jesus in hopes of resurrection, Newman said.
The two chapel services around Easter also will reflect the season.
The Rev. Dr. Charles Neff, vice president for university-church relations, will present “Reflections on the Road to the Cross” during chapel worship at 1 p.m. Thursday in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel. A resurrection celebration with music and liturgical dance will occur during the chapel service March 31 at the same time and place.
“If students don’t have a church home or can’t get home for Easter, I recommend they do a little research online and find a congregation nearby to attend that morning,” Neff said. “There are churches of almost every denomination within just a few blocks of the OCU campus.”
Despite opportunities around Oklahoma City, one student feels she cannot celebrate Easter away from home.
“I couldn’t imagine missing Easter Sunday at my church, so I will go home to Fort Worth and celebrate with my Mom and little brother,” said Jenny Johnson, religion freshman. “Easter is honestly my favorite holiday, so I couldn’t be more excited.”
Neff offered suggestions of nearby Holy Week services for students, faculty and staff who are not going home.
Easter services are available around OCU at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Mosaic United Methodist Church, which meets in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel, and Wesley United Methodist Church at 1401 N.W. 25th St., Neff said.
Cornerstone United Methodist Church, 2604 N. May Ave., will host several services, including a Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, which occurs the night before his death, according to the Bible. Cornerstone UMC will also host 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Easter services Tuesday.
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