What Are Your Holy Week Reflections?: pstrmike
What are your Holy Week reflections?
Yesterday, I felt like I can’t wait for Lent to be over. It has been a difficult observance for me, and I don’t think I took on anything overly strenuous. I realized today the difficulty in observing Lent has helped me reflect on Holy Week just a bit deeper than I have in the past. I have spent more time thinking about the Passion, and in our present state, has drawn all of us a bit closer to the fellowship of His sufferings.
And it has stirred me to worship the One who demonstrated the greatest love.
The week began with the Hosannas; a willingness to let Jesus be King, but on their terms, not His. He knew their hearts, just like He knows ours. The week moves forward as we walk towards a final Passover with the establishment of the new covenant, a King washing his follower’s feet, a betrayal, intense emotional and spiritual wrestling in prayer while His companions sleep, a denial, horrendously unjust legal proceedings, merciless physical and mental torture, culminating with the execution of a just and righteous man, who in the end, commits Himself into the hands of the Father.
I know I have missed some observations. I want to provide space for you to add your own here as we walk together and give thought and worship to our Lord and King, Jesus.
As Michael would say, it’s all yours………
Two observations…if you haven’t been following Kate Bowler this week, you’ve missed some great stuff.
Second…the same crowd crying Hosanna was the crowd that later shouted for crucifixion when Jesus didn’t meet their political expectations…Jesus wasn’t the kind of king they wanted.
When the current group of politically minded Christians realizes that same truth I wonder what the response will be…
Third observation…I’m just now realizing that He’s exactly the King I want…but it took a while…
My Holy Week observation has been a rather crude pne..
Lord, how i pray you come soon!
Playing back up to an over worked nurse, who owns 2 horses, 2 aged cats and one brainless hunting dog… running the gauntlet of a flock of turkeys with big, aggressive toms protecting their ladies (ladies i have zero interest in), clearing up winter clutter.. Lord either you return or i am checking in the old folks home!
But seriously, partly due to reading the Phoenix peeps and partly due to green hills and a wonderful CD of singing Roman Catholic priest s that i play as i drive, this has been a week of real awareness of Eternal realities – i am blessed
Amen, Michael, Jesus truly is the King we want…
One of the things that I love about Bible Project, is Tim Mackie’s frequent reminders that the Kingdom of God is ‘an inverted kingdom” and that Jesus our King didn’t conquer by taking power, but by laying down His life..
This week, I am reading my late former mother in laws 1954 Book of Common Prayer for Holy Week… Sobering. Serious.
You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depths of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty, enthroned above
And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand (and kneel) in awe of You.
My reflections on Holy Week..I’ve been immersed in the study and reality of the Gospel of Grace..reading Brennan Manning’s “The Ragumuffin Gospel.” Re-reading the Gospel of John. Reveling in having a relationship with my Abba, which I only could ever have because of the Son of Abba..Abba’s amazing, truly incredible formulation of a plan to save the whole entire human race, all simply because He loves us. My heart exults in this wonderful story of a humble King. I love Him so much, because He first loved me. Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!
My reflection thus far in Holy Week is rather dark. I very much appreciate so many good pastors and priests streaming services, homilies and all the rest. It seems to me, however, that a great deal of effort is going into “making Church”. This may have to do with many of us having forgotten simply how to “be Church”… The current crisis may be a teaching moment.
The work of putting church services online is visible, but I am also seeing God’s people getting on with the work he calls us to. My dad ringing up people to check they’re OK and planting vegetables in the church garden. Friends on fb helping each other. See Julie Roys’ site for some larger scale stories of Christians working in response to current needs.
Duane’s reflections reflect mine, which places me in good company.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed on this thread.
“The current crisis may be a teaching moment.”
That would be my hope. I was talking with a friend yesterday, and I mentioned that this year has been different in that we haven’t received all the cheesy church promotions that hype their attendance. No Easter egg hunts, free breakfasts, or my favorite, those “bring this card back and receive a free gift!”
Holy week is dark, and thereby much more personal. I’ve found a richness of the fellowship of sufferings. There are times that you have to sit with the memories of spiritual abuse, the depression, the lack of any sense of purpose. My God, my God, why have you forsaken us. The answer the Almighty gives is Jesus.
I want to share some of the work of one of my favorite authors, the priest-poet Malcom Guite. These day, poetry is my sermon of choice.
Thanks to The Contemplative Writer for posting the link to Guite’s work on The Stations of the Cross. https://thecontemplativewriter.com
Here is a link to Guite’s work on the first 12 Stations of the Cross, which is an excerpt from his work on the Christian Calendar https://canterburypress.hymnsam.co.uk//product-display?isbn=9781848252745
It’s a penetrating work, and one that I prefer to read in solitude.
https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2020/04/10/good-friday-the-first-12-stations-of-the-cross-4/
Here is a portion, that is based on Christ’s second fall on the way to the cross.
Through all our veils and shrouds of daily pain,
Through our bruised bruises and re-opened scars,
He falls and stumbles with us, hurt again
When we are hurt again. With us he bears
The cruel repetitions of our cruelty;
The beatings of already beaten men,
The second rounds of torture, the futility
Of all unheeded pleading, every scream in vain.
And by this fall he finds the fallen souls
Who passed a first, but failed a second trial,
The souls who thought their faith would hold them whole
And found it only held them for a while.
Be with us when the road is twice as long
As we can bear. By weakness make us strong.
Excellent resources, pstrmike…