By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

Easter Week is one of the most sacred in Christianity. It begins on Palm Sunday and continues with services on Maundy Thursday, which commemorates the night of the Last Supper of Christ, Good Friday, the commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and culminates with Easter Sunday and the celebration of the resurrection of Christ.

Several local churches are holding Maundy Thursday services but only one – La Crescenta Presbyterian Church (LCPC) – will roll a 600-lb. boulder in front of its church doors on Good Friday. The boulder is a reminder of how the tomb of Jesus was sealed following His crucifixion and, on Easter Sunday it will be discovered that the boulder has been rolled away to reveal an empty tomb.

According to Michelle Fernandez, Communications Team moderator at LCPC, the church first had an Easter boulder in the mid-1990s. The current boulder was constructed in 2011 by church member Paul Hofmann, who is currently the head of Digital Support at the church.

“Paul claims he is not an experienced carpenter, but he did a phenomenal job creating this boulder and it has lasted for the past 12 years with little maintenance,” said Fernandez.

The boulder was constructed out of chicken wire, wood, recycled plastic fencing and old wallpaper. Hofmann had to build it a few times because the first one, made mostly of wood, was too heavy. He consulted a movie set designer who gave him some suggestions, and the final 14 foot, 600-pound stone was created.

The stone is built in two halves that are stored all year in the church’s underground storage garage. The two halves are then rolled up the east driveway, down the sidewalk on Montrose Avenue and up to the front of the church. The halves are bolted together on the afternoon of Maundy Thursday (this year on April 6).

“It takes about seven men to lift the boulder up and place it next to the front entrance,” Fernandez said, adding this is usually done around 4:30 or 5 p.m. when the team can get there after work.

On Good Friday there is an evening church service at 7 p.m. This year’s message will be delivered by Jesiah Bozich, the director of Children’s Ministries. 

At the end of the service (around 8 p.m.), the congregation will file out of the front doors and gather in silence in front of the church as the boulder is rolled across the front doors by about five men, symbolizing the sealing of the tomb that occurred after Jesus’ death on the cross. After the boulder is rolled, a Good Friday campfire vigil is held in front of the church from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. that includes worship, prayer, testimonies and Scripture reading. In addition to the Good Friday service, the community is invited to the campfire vigil. Chairs will be provided to sit on and an onsite fire pit will be used for the vigil. Stories will be shared of what Easter means to those gathered.

The boulder then remains blocking the church entrance until it is rolled away early Easter morning before people arrive for the Easter services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

“Our boulder serves as a tangible reminder to the community that the true reason we celebrate Easter is the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus, our living savior,” said Fernandez. She added that one reason that the boulder is brought out at Easter every year is to remind the community the holiday is not just about Easter eggs and bunnies.

“There’s a bigger reason behind Easter,” she said. It’s a strong visual reminder of what Easter is all about.

Interim Pastor Dr. Mike Harbert will be preaching at the Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, and at both Easter services on Sunday, April 9. LCPC is located at 2902 Montrose Ave. in La Crescenta.