Around the Tristate, there will be men in loin cloths, and women weeping at Jesus' grave.

        Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, and hundreds of the more than 2,000 area churches will recount the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

        The Rev. Jerry Zehr didn't want to do a typical passion play at his church, Florence Christian.

        He felt that sometimes people see the scraggly beards and sandals in such a drama and decide there's not much relevance to their lives.

        But the Biblical era doesn't have a corner on the Easter themes of betrayal and resurrection. Just look at the Enron scandal.

        So the Rev. Mr. Zehr coupled his interest in theater with his life purpose into a musical, I Am Not Ashamed. He wrote the screenplay and incorporated songs by other composers.

        The musical shares the lessons of the Easter story through the experiences of two stockbrokers. One betrays the secret of a co-worker to score a promotion.

        This modern-day Easter drama reminds us that “before you know what happened, you've started down a road you never intended,” says the Rev. Mr. Zehr.

        Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the church, 300 Main St., Florence.

        Contact: 859-647-4000.
       

150th anniversary

        The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati kick off a year-long celebration Sunday of their 150th anniversary.

        The invitation-only vespers service will include specially composed music by two of the sisters. Another sister created a santos, a Southwestern-style painting of the founding mother of the Cincinnati group, Mother Margaret George.

        The sisters' history in Cincinnati dates to 1829, when four sisters from Emmitsburg, Md., got off the boat in the Queen City. For two decades, the women and their successors focused on education and working with orphans.

        Political differences led to the founding on March 25, 1852, of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. Today, nearly 550 sisters serve in 25 states and four foreign countries.

Relationship help

        Two upcoming Christian-based programs are aimed at people wanting to make their relationships work.

        • Melody Maker Ministries is sponsoring a “Single with a Vision” conference Friday and “Married with a Mission” on Saturday. Both are designed to strengthen and incorporate spiritual goals in relationships. Information: 852-9883.

        • A ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International will hold two FamilyLife Marriage conferences April 12-14 and April 19-21. Information: 1-800-358-6329 or www.familylife.com.

        For more religion listings, check out www.enquirer.com, keyword: events.

       Send religion news to rthompson@enquirer.com or contact Richelle Thompson at 755-4144.

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