HOLY WEEK IS HERE

On Monday, I hope you read (John 12:1- 11) about Jesus going to visit Mary, Martha and Lazarus in their home in Bethany. We believe Jesus left Jerusalem Sunday evening after visiting the temple and stayed as a guest in Bethany. Mary anoints Jesus’ feet and much conversation happened because of what she did. If Mary had anointed Jesus’ head it would have been a prophetic sign of his kingship, but Mary felt called by God to anoint his feet. Jesus tells those who voice an objection, that she was keeping it for the day of his burial. This cryptic response will soon be fulfilled, although at the time no one understood just how quickly events would unfold.

Holy Tuesday’s assigned gospel reading seems to indicate that Jesus and the

disciples once again made the trip to Jerusalem and while they were there some

Greeks (likely gentiles) came hoping to talk with Jesus, but it is unclear from the gospel

text if they ever spoke to Jesus. Instead Jesus launches into a commentary when a

voice from heaven speaks to Jesus and this time Jesus says it is for the benefit of the

crowd so that they might believe that he is from God. But it seems the crowd and even

the disciples did not understand, so John tells us that Jesus departed and hid from

them. The mystery deepens.

Holy Wednesday’s readings, used at our 11 am service, are a section of John’s

gospel (John 13:21-32) which gives us a glimpse into the betrayal of Jesus. Judas was

not and is not the only betrayer of Jesus as we will find out. Each of us also betrays

Jesus by our actions and words which obstruct or oppose God’s will for our lives. It can

be subtle acts of inaction or overt acts of defiance; but we too daily fail to stand with

Christ in the frantic pace of our lives. Pray, Jesus will say to the disciples. Pray that

you may watch with Jesus and see the light of God in your own lives.

Maundy Thursday night at 5 pm we will have a children and family service for this

special day and at 7 pm we will have a service in the church with choir, foot-washing,

and communion. The end of this service is the stripping of the altar which has

ceremonial actions helping us remember the sacrifice of Jesus which will unfold this

night in his arrest and trial. Stripping the altar of the fair linen reminds us that Jesus will

be stripped of his clothes as he is beaten and abused. We remove and extinguish the

sanctuary candle as a sign that the “light of the world” will soon be condemned to death.

Good Friday April 3 rd there are two services - noon and 7 pm. This day is called

“good”, not because the crucifixion was good; but this day is called Good Friday

because Jesus’ act of obedience and sacrifice saves us, and that is good. We hear of

the followers of Jesus getting permission to remove his body and place it in a tomb; but

the Sabbath is approaching and they must hurry.

Holy Saturday, although we have no formal worship at the church, I invite you to

consider what happened this week. Darkness has fallen on the earth. Jesus, the

healer, the teacher, the one proclaimed "God's beloved Son" is dead. His followers have run away. Courageous women watch from a distance and think that all hope has been extinguished. From now on, they will be living only with the memory of his love

and his words. It has been a dark day and a terrifying night.

Friday just before sunset, the women watched as Joseph of Arimathea

accompanied by Nicodemus and probably some other men took Jesus’ body and

wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. The women followed the men as they quickly took the

body to Joseph's own tomb, a cave in a rock close to the city. The men must hurry for

sunset marks the beginning of the Sabbath and no one can do any work.

In their terrible grief, none of the disciples seems to have remembered Jesus’

words of hope and resurrection. So all they could do was care for Jesus’ body, but

even that would have to wait for they must get back to the upper room before sunset.

The women must wait until after the Sabbath, so they will have to return at dawn on

Sunday to finish preparing Jesus’ body for final burial.

In this time of waiting, the Church tells us that Jesus no longer in our earthly

linear time descends to the dead, he goes to hell where those estranged from God were

stranded and he shares God’s self with them. He shows the love of God to them as

clearly as possible and they still face a choice. Their free-will remains and some

perhaps chose life and God’s loving embrace and others may have turned away. For

those committed in life and death to live apart from God will find the perfection of God’s

love to be an abomination to them. So it is that while the disciples waited in grief and

sorrow, God began a new work in joy and love.

It is a part of life to mourn and to wait. The difference between us and the early

disciples is that we have been assured of the coming light and the coming resurrection.

We wait knowing that Easter will come. Even in this time of unrest, war, political

divisions and anxiety, we remember that God will act to bring new life to the world.

May this day bring you comfort and strength as we too await the dawn knowing

God is at work in the world.

Join us Easter Sunday morning at 6:30 am to discover the joy of the resurrection

and the lighting of the new fire which reminds us that although the world often tries to

extinguish God’s light and love; that God will always renew and restore us. Our second

Easter service is at 10 am where we will join together to celebrate all that God has done

for us and to offer our praise to God.

Blessings as you journey with Jesus through this most holy of weeks.

Mo Pat+