We are nearing the climax of the season of Lent. This Sunday is Palm Sunday. We celebrate, and often RECREATE, Jesus entry into Jerusalem. This Sunday and this week is a time when we can let God work to RECREATE us into those who can greet with joy Easter’s message.
This year, many of us may not have the comfort of the familiar in-person experience of processions and palms and lovely music. We may still be in isolation to protect ourselves and our neighbors from the spread of COVID19.
We can still walk the Way of the Cross with Jesus. Perhaps it will be an even more intentional Way this year as we find new avenues to share and experience the Holy Events.
Next week, I'll be posting a study Walk with Jesus: Holy Week 2020. Along with reading scripture relating to Jesus life and ministry, there are questions and activities to help us consider Holy Week in light of social distancing and self-isolation. You can download the entire study, or just visit this page every day next week. (If you download the pdf, you should be able to print it 2 pages to a sheet (8.5 x 11) if you set it to landscape.)
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I am always struck by the whiplash of events during the Palm Sunday service. We open with the triumphal waving of palms and shouts of ‘Hosanna!’ Then, we hear the Passion Gospel and respond with our own cries of ‘Crucify’. Just like the people in Jerusalem during that first Holy Week, we are confronted by our own humanity and our regrettable tendency to go along with the crowd. Whether they shout Hosanna or Crucify, we don’t stop to think about what’s happening.
As we pray the collect today, might we think about how God might work to RECREATE our hearts so that we pause and think and listen before echoing the crowd. It may be the voices on social media, or on the nightly news, or on Twitter, or in our neighborhoods that need to be checked before responding. It may be that we need to let God RECREATE our hearts to respond with love and peace rather than with words that inflame and exacerbate some situation (which may or may not even be true).
That response may very well cause us to ‘walk in the way of his suffering’ as we are laughed at or even reviled. Yet, we may also become instruments to RECREATE and restore and reconcile our corner of the world. Our response may be to Walk the Way of the Cross in prayer and intentional time with God this week.
LENT BOX
Our Lent box (a small box, plastic bag or storage container) is almost done. This week, add a cross as a symbol of Good Friday and Christ’s sacrifice.
Hold the cross and pray during Holy Week that your heart can be RECREATED on Easter.
Living Lent
Use the cross to meditate on the sacrifice of Jesus that gives us new life.
Meditate on the new creation Christ’s death brings
Throughout the week, use this prayer, the daily prayers for Holy Week, or others to help you focus on the day by day progression from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday to Good Friday to Holy Saturday.
