Entering This Week of Easter
This week is widely held as “Holy Week.” As with all things holy, how do we enter it?
RESPECT THE TRADITION
This week was held with such gentle sacredness, that for many of the original Christians, it was the one time of year reserved for baptisms, baptisms reflective of death and resurrection.
Easter ranked far, far ahead of Christmas in terms of import. With gentleness and humility then, we approach the week, a “week” that for most Christians begins Thursday night.
FIND TIME FOR QUIET
We find God far more easily in the quiet, not in the hype. I really lack words here so my apologies, but maybe this – maybe try to quietly witness either you joining Jesus on this journey or Jesus joining you on yours. There is power, as the Catholic church has long known, following the Stations of the Cross.
This is a week where we can literally walk with Jesus.
THE BIG PICTURE
From a Christian New Church perspective, we hold that final moment, as it were, of Jesus’ earthly life, as where He was confronted by all of the hells with every imaginable temptation. A showdown with fear … and love prevailed.
It was not a soft love. This is the fiercest of loves. A steadfast love, remaining true through anguish and despair. Standing firmly in hope. Standing firmly in forgiveness. In other words, standing firmly in transformative, steadfast love.
What resulted was the fundamental re-ordering of earth, of heaven, of hell. A re-establishing of freedom. And the final bringing together of the Divine Human.
TAKE COMMUNION
Finally, I would highly recommend taking Communion this week.
So much of the time we talk about the Lord’s life. We hear the stories. Inspired, hopefully we live them as best we can.
Communion is different though. This is story we live. This is a story we re-enact in what is considered the most sacred of sacraments.
We practice, in the New Church, what is known as “an open table.” That means there are no barriers to those who would like to join – no baptismal requirement, no elevated moral standard applied to those who take part. All that is required is for you to join us!
Almost every Christian church of any denomination offers Communion this week. We will offer a special Communion Friday night at 7:30 PM via Zoom. Here is the LINK. Or you can email me for a Zoom calendar invite. (Email Pastor Chuck)