06 Apr Almost Holy Week!
That’s an interesting thought…is this week “almost holy” or is next week “Holy Week” & we are “almost” into it? Think about that for a minute…
I meant that next week is Holy Week & we are almost there…because every week is holy now that Christ is risen, the Spirit poured out & we are raised to new life with him “holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” (Col 1:22) There is no such thing as “almost holy.” But what an interesting turn of phrase…and worth reflection. 😉
One more Zoom Bible Study Catch-up this term… (we’ll kick them off again after the Easter break)
Friday, April 8, 2022 @ 1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81176867898
We’ll be looking through the texts from last Sunday (Luke 10:1-17) but we’ll be talking some about the Easter season we are about to enter. I want you asking yourself the old Luther question: “What does this mean?” Or as today’s teens might phrase it…So what? Christ is risen indeed…So what? We are forgiven…So what? We are free from sin death & the devil…So what? You get the idea…What does it mean to you that there is a new reality for your life governed by, guided by, & destined for abundant and eternal life in God’s presence? What does it mean that the One living in you is greater than the one who is in the world? That sort of thing…what does it mean for your work, relationships, neighbourhood, city…?
Speaking of Holy Week…please be ready to help out in some way in worship if you are asked.
We’ll especially need a few extra readers because there are some extended scripture passages throughout the week that are always more effectively read in multiple voices. So…be sure to touch base with the other readers this week and put up your hand.
Make sure you are familiar with the Holy Week schedule so you can invite others to worship with you:
(Sue will have a few more flyers out for us…grab a couple & hand ‘em out around your street or at the coffee shop)
- Palm Sunday – 10th April @ 10:00 a.m.
- Maundy Thursday – 14th April @ 7:00 p.m.
- Good Friday – 15th April @ 9:00 a.m.
- Easter Sunday – 17th April @ 10:00 a.m.
We’ll be doing something special for morning tea both Good Friday & Easter…Ask around this week to see if you can help out here too.
After Easter…we’ll be starting a new worship & teaching series from the book of Revelation focusing on the new reality that is created by Christ’s resurrection…we’ll be looking at how our faith ancestors answered that “So what?” question I mentioned earlier…again…a great time for visitors to come get a sense of who we are as God’s people.
Finally…I was struck this morning reading again in the books of Judges & Acts…
If you’ve read the book of Judges, you might remember this verse…it seems to me an indictment of God’s people for living as god for themselves completely cut off from their relationship with Yahweh. In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. – Judges 21:25 (and 17:6) They have become the standard by which they measure their own behaviour. They’re living unresponsive & unaccountable to the Law God gave them & are completely ignoring the statues & ordinances that God told Moses to pass on from generation to generation. God’s Word was meant to be the source, rule, & guide for their lives…but they chose to live by their own standards & chaos ensued. Sound familiar? Yeah…I reckon the 21st century is written under that sort of heading…folks doing whatever it is they decide is right for them & everyone else can stay out of the way or get run over.
Acts paints a very different picture…check this out…
In Acts 7 Stephen becomes the first martyr to die for his faith in Christ and Acts 8 begins by naming Saul as a full participant in his death, and then: A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria…But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. What happens next is that as the followers of Jesus share the gospel wherever they go while fleeing for their lives, and whole communities are transformed by the power of the Spirit. As they proclaim the Risen Jesus Christ, the strongholds of sin & evil crumble like the walls of Jericho before Joshua & the trumpets…Lives & communities are literally made new. So there was great joy in that city. I bet there was. Imagine a whole community suddenly turned in faith to Christ. Imagine families restored. Imagine the vulnerable being cared for & the at-risk being nurtured. Imagine the problems that plague a town or village being confronted in love and wisdom beyond anything this world can offer.
You don’t have to imagine it…you can be part of it. Simply live sharing what you know of Jesus risen & ruling all things in love. Point people to the wholeness of living responsive to God’s death-destroying grace rather than deciding every day for yourself what’s “right in your own eyes.” When you do what our faith ancestors did…watch the joy take over!
There’s plenty of joy for us in the week ahead too…you don’t want to miss a minute and you don’t want your loved ones to miss out either.
Peace
John
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