The Meaning of a Place During Holy Week

During this Holy Week 2012, I asked my students to consider a scene from the life of Christ during Holy Week and ponder upon the meaning of the place. Suggestions included Jerusalem as Jesus rode into the city on a donkey; the Upper Room as Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples and instituted the Lord's Supper; the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father and was betrayed; Golgotha where Jesus was crucified; or the open tomb on the day of Resurrection. Students were instructed to write an original piece in their preferred genre. Possibilities included drama, poetry, essay, personal narrative, or news article.

Shelby Sanderson and Nicole Grant chose to write about The Meaning of a Place: The Garden of Gethsemane.

Shelby wrote a poem in free verse employing rhyming lines:

As Jesus watched the olive trees sway
He bent down on His knees to pray;
As He prayed, He was led to say,
"Dear God, if there is another way..."
Jesus watched as the disciples lay
Down in the green grass to sleep;
As betrayal and arrest neared, Jesus started to weep,
Knowing that, when morning came
He would take the blame
For our sins upon the cross.

Nicole Grant wrote an acrostic poem about Gethsemane:

God's betrayal destination
Exceptional love demonstrated for us in the passion of Christ
Tears flowed freely from His eyes as He prayed to His Father
His body was beaten and scourged for our sake
Severe anguish was visible as He prayed
Earnest commitment to completing His task was evident
Mercy and grace were given to sinners through Jesus' sacrifice
Accepted His betrayal and arrest without resistance
Never wavered in the fulfillment of His mission
Everlasting life was won for us through Jesus' death and resurrection

Kelly Bertrand wrote "The Meaning of a Place: Easter at my Grandparents' House."

Getting the eggs ready to boil
Ready to die them in colorful oil;
Making them pink and blue
Coloring them like we always do;
As my cousins finally arrive
And the clock strikes five,
We get ready for dinner --
My dad makes a statement that we are all a winner.