From Your Synod Executive

Back in 2015, I wrote a devotional book called Crossbound exploring several passages from the Gospel of Luke that detail all that Jesus undertook to show his love for us during that original Holy Week.  For this month’s column, which will arrive during Holy Week, I thought it might be helpful to share a couple of passages from the final chapter, entitled “Celebrating Holy Week.”

“Christians celebrate Holy Week and all of the different days that it comprises:  Palm Sunday, when Jesus marches into Jerusalem;  Maundy Thursday, when Jesus transforms a Passover meal into the Eucharistic feast; the seemingly misnamed Good Friday, when Jesus’ hands and feet are nailed to the tree; and Easter Sunday, when Jesus gives hope by conquering human pain and sorrow.

“During Holy Week, we Christians can make any number of mistakes with our various celebrations.  For instance, we can go from the joy of Palm Sunday to the praise of Easter and miss the depths of betrayal, denial, and death in between.  On the other hand, we might focus on the drama of Good Friday so much that we never turn the corner to the hope of Easter.  Alternatively, we might celebrate all of these holidays superficially, never really entering into the passion and the meaning of any of them.” (p. 51-52)

“As we celebrate Holy Week, we pray that the Holy Spirit will reinvigorate us to take up our own crossbound journey.  The journey of putting others before ourselves and serving the world is daunting, if not threatening utterly to overpower us.  Yet as we struggle to be faithful, we do so in the light of the resurrection, which redeems all of our toils along the way.  The power of the resurrection is ‘far above all rule and authority and power and dominion…not only in this age but also in the age to come’—and this ‘immeasurable greatness of [God’s] power’ is available ‘for us who believe’ (Ephesians 1:19-21).  Glory to you, Lord Christ!” (p. 57)

Let us pray.

“Holy Spirit, as we come to the close of Jesus’ journey to the cross, we thank you for his faithfulness.  We thank you that the cheers from the crowds and the pain of the crucifixion did not deter him.  We give you praise that his resurrection redeems and transforms his death and empowers us to follow him in putting others before ourselves.  We long to be faithful.  Give us the power by which you raised Jesus from the dead so that we might join his crossbound mission to the world.  We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.”  (p. 51)

Note:  if you happen to be interested in purchasing a copy of Crossbound, visit ppcbooks.com and/or contact customer_service@presbypub.com.

I appreciate and admire your hard work to serve Christ this Holy Week. 

Grateful to be your partner in ministry,

Rev. Charles B Hardwick, PhD  

Executive    

chip@synodofthecovenant.org   

309-530-4578