What makes this week holy? There are two meanings for the word holy.
One— sacred, hallowed.
Two— set apart for service to God.
We call the week leading up to Easter Holy Week because of each of these definitions.
This week is sacred. Christians consider it holy ground when we immerse ourselves in the events from Jesus’ last week of life.
With a sense of reverence we remember the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples. We call this Maundy Thursday. Maundy is latin for commandment. It was during this meal that Jesus shared his final commandment with his disciples— the command to love one another.
With a sense of mystery and grief, we remember the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. We call this Good Friday. On the surface, nothing about this day is good. Jesus, the author of life, is brutally killed on a cross. We may be tempted to call this Horrible Friday! But we call it good because of how God transformed an evil event into a redeeming action.
With a sense of joy and celebration, we arrive on Easter morning. The tomb is empty. Jesus is dead no longer. He is risen! And what God did for Jesus through his resurrection, God promises to do for us one day as well.
Yes, this is a sacred, holy week.
It is also a week that is to be set apart.
Do not be fooled— this is no ordinary week. This is the most important week of the year. The world around us will continue to spin and you no doubt still have a calendar full of meetings and obligations. That’s ok. Mine is too.
Even so, let us set this week apart and intentionally experience the events of Holy Week. Perhaps that means coming to one of the services especially focused on these events.
Maundy Thursday Service— 7 pm in the sanctuary. Communion will be served.
Easter Sunrise Service— 7 am at the Wongs house (8522 Pine Lake Rd— right on the lake).
Easter morning celebration— 9:30 and 11 am in the sanctuary.
Perhaps that means reading through the events of Jesus’ last week on your own. I recommend reading Luke 22-24. This section begins with the Last Supper and continues through Easter morning.
I encourage you to discover some way to set this week apart and make it holy.
I’ll see you on Thursday and Sunday!
-Pastor David
