Holy Week 2020

Because it was such a nice, bright day yesterday, I took the long way home from the church building after live streaming our Palm Sunday service. I passed more than one field that have been freshly worked, so I could smell the rich soil with my windows rolled down. I’ve said before, though there will be many things different about this Spring—things we’ll always remember—the season will continue to come. Preparations for planting will continue. The flowers of the season have already begun to poke up into the air. In some ways our mood this year perfectly reflects what this week represents. It’s the move from darkness, fear, strife, and death into light, hope, peace, and life.

This Holy Week will be different. We won’t be gathering for Maundy Thursday, as is our custom. We won’t be having the Community Service for Good Friday. We will be sharing some resources this week which offer some ideas how we might remember these special nights with those in our homes.

We will all certainly miss gathering together physically for Easter. I know we would like to find some way to do this, but it’s important right now, more than ever, to follow the recommendations for trying to slow the spread of this virus. This does not simply mean that we find some way to get as close as we can. What we’ve been asked to do is to stay in unless there is an essential reason that we need to go out.

We will be live streaming a short service again. We are planning to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together on Easter Sunday morning. This week try to think about something that you’ll be able to use in your home to represent the body and blood of Christ. Some juice and a small piece of bread or some crackers would be ideal. Try to be creative to think about what you might be able to use for these symbols. Have those ready when we begin our live stream on Sunday morning at 10:10 am. I’d encourage you to also have a candle to light at the beginning of our service. Several did that on Palm Sunday and shared pictures to give us a sense of our connection.

I shared the beginning of Psalm 46 yesterday during the message. This is a passage that has brought me a lot of comfort. I share it with you hoping it will be a blessing to you as well: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3, NIV)

Notice that the promise is not that we will be protected from the earth giving way, the mountains falling, or the surging of the sea. The promise is that God will be our refuge, our strength, and our ever-present help.

Again, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have need.

I love you all.

God bless,

Brian