But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ -Mark 16:6-7

Greetings, St. John UCC and St. Philip’s UCC!

Lent is in full swing, and we are quickly approaching Holy Week! Are we ready for it yet?

No, I don’t mean do we have the services planned, and the ushers lined up, and the refreshments organized, and the eggs painted, and… (BTW, nope, none of that is ready yet! ☺) I mean, are WE ready for it yet? Are our hearts and minds prepared for all that Holy Week entails? Have we searched ourselves and examined our own lives? Have we been fasting and praying? Have we been studying scripture and reflecting on God’s love and grace? Have we gotten ourselves ready to experience anew Christ’s triumphant entry to Jerusalem, Christ’s final meal with his disciples, Christ’s anguish and prayer and betrayal in the garden, Christ’s trial and beating and ridicule, Christ’s suffering and death on the cross, the time of uncertainty when the tomb was sealed, and, finally, the incredible joy when the tomb is found to be empty? Are we ready for that?

In a lot of ways, I don’t think we are ever really ready for it. How could anyone really engage in this emotional rollercoaster and not be changed by it? For some, Holy Week is just something that happens every year… something we go through the motions of before having some fun with family on Easter Sunday. Some folks skip the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, and sail right from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday—seamlessly from one celebration to the next. Often, folks don’t want to be “brought down” by the somberness of Holy Week. There’s enough suffering in the world already, so why dwell on it?

Well, here’s the thing: in the Mainline church, we don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about Christ’s death. We’re not big fans of the “bathed in the blood” imagery. We’d much rather focus on Jesus’ life, what he taught us, the good things he did. We’re much more comfortable talking about the birth, life, [death], and resurrection of Christ. And, there’s really nothing wrong with that. Except, Christ did die. And Christ died because he turned the world upside down, because he was a threat to those in power, because he was bold enough to tell people—everyone—especially those who had never heard it before—that God loved them, that they mattered, that they were beloved children of God. It’s what got him killed. It just may be what gets us killed one day too.

To be Christ’s disciples, we are called to take up the cross and follow him. And we can’t do that unless we know about the cross that Christ had to bear, and why he had to bear it, and what happened because he bore it.

Lent can be a difficult journey. But when you are journeying together, with friends and family, sisters and brothers in Christ, it becomes much easier. Stick with us friends, and together, we will make it to the empty tomb, and our joy will be so great, our sanctuary walls won’t be able to contain it! But before we get to the tomb, we’ve got to endure the cross. And the best way to do that is together.

Preparing and journeying with you,

Pastor Laura