HOLY WEEK AT HOME

In an act of faith and solidarity, we are called to spend Holy Week without the usual presence of one another. Each day throughout this week, though, we can continue to come together in spirit with these daily devotionals as we are called to gather, reflect, pray, and act.As always, reach out! To each other, to your neighbors and friends. Gather your family around the table for a time of reflection or join with others on FaceTime or Zoom to do the same. Allow this experience to transform you in Christ and embolden you to express the love of God in new ways in this new time. While we are, in fact, all in this together, we specifically come together in manifest spirit to gather, reflect, pray, and act, as led by Christ.

GATHER

Have a member of your household lead or, if alone, read it as a silent meditation. If you connect via social media, have two or three people share the reading.

LEADER: The season of Lent can be barren and lonely,

ALL: but God goes with us through the wild wilderness.

LEADER: Our lives are lived in seasons of transitions and transformations.

ALL: Lent is a time to ponder God's providence and persistence.

LEADER: Together, we seek fruitfulness, for it has been promised to us;

ALL: the barrenness of Lent will give way to the fruitfulness of Easter.

LEADER: In this season of penitence and pondering, let us gather before God.

ALL: We come, as a family, to wait for the Lord with strength and courage.

inspired by Luke 13:6-9

REFLECT

Read the scripture below as a silent meditation, have a member of your household read aloud, or have two or three people share the reading.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40  NIV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19 ESV

PRAY

Holy Saturday has always been a strange day for me.  The Messiah is in the grave, those who were closest to him where scattered, scared, and hiding. We know the ending, but they were stuck in the pain, in the darkness. Nowadays, however, in America, many community Easter egg hunts are held without much time and thought given to the actual day. I’m not saying we are doing it wrong, I’m just observing, but I can’t help but look at the similarities of this particular day and that first Holy Saturday.  We are separated, many of us are scared and we don’t know the future. But, in fact, we do! The amazing thing about being a Christian is we know what is ahead. We know the ending. 

Through scripture we are told that the narrow road is hard, there will be trials and tribulation… there is sickness, pain and hardship for those who follow. But then, we know that the King is to come again.  We know the ending because it is written. John tells us, "But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” We read the book of Revelation and we know that our King is returning to take back the earth, to bring life and to crush death.  We know that there is another Easter morning coming, we don’t need to be afraid because we walk with Christ.

So, as we observe another Holy Saturday, let us rejoice that we are not in the darkness, we know all the joy that is to come!! 

Let us pray for those who do not know Jesus; those who are living in fear and don’t know the saving grace that is offered through Christ. Pray for those who are separated, scared and feel as though they are without hope. Pray that we all might be lights in the world, light that can shine into the hurt, into the pain, into the darkness. 

ACT

Consider these ideas to extend acts of service, mercy, or grace to those around you and for your own well-being. 

• Find rays of hope in your days. It's not healthy to force yourself to feel happy or ignore difficult feelings and it's okay to feel a whole host of emotions, and Jesus meets you there. But, you can practice gratitude and find comfort by focusing on the good. We can go about our days, good or bad, with gratitude for the moments of beauty and comfort and light that can serve as a reminder that the sad times, the lonely days, the dark moments are a part of a cycle and there will be relief soon. Today is Easter Saturday, but Sunday's coming.

• Join us for online church in the morning to celebrate Easter Sunday together at 10:30 a.m. Whether you choose to show up to watch in your Sunday best or your pajamas, find joy in it! We are glad we get to come together in spirit with you to celebrate the great joy and hope of Easter Sunday.

• Enjoy the Virtual Easter Egg Hunt this afternoon by searching #onebasket2020 on Facebook or Instagram.