EASTER SUNDAY

HOLY SATURDAY

Saturday, April 7  

Lamentations 3:37-58

Psalms 27, 88, 95

Hebrews 4:1-16

Romans 8:1-11  

Hebrews 4:13

“And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.”

As we spend this day of waiting for what we know will be the glorious resurrection tomorrow, I have often wondered what state Jesus was in on this Saturday.  We all remember the telling words of Jesus from the cross in Mark’s Gospel -  “Today you will be with me in Paradise” – and I wonder if that is where Jesus was, even if only for a short time.  We too may hope to be for a short time in Paradise but there may be a big difference for us.  Before or perhaps after, we enter Paradise there is, according to St. Paul, a time when we must “render an account.”  This is indeed an awesome prospect.  Can we all explain satisfactorily the things we have done (or left undone), the things we have said or thought throughout our lives?

When I was young I was taught to think of God as omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (present in all things).  This idea is, of course, echoed in the opening collect of the Holy Eucharist service “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known and from you no secrets are hid.”  So God will already know what kind of life we have lived and whether we are worthy.  This should be yet another awe inspiring thought, that we can run but we cannot hide, as the saying goes.

On this Holy Saturday, as we prepare, can we find time to confess our sins, and to ask for forgiveness as if tomorrow was to be our day of our judgment?  We know that when we truly repent we are forgiven and so perhaps the process of “rendering account” may not be so terrifying after all.  That is my hope.

Ron Merrett

GOOD FRIDAY

Friday, April 6                   

Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-33

Psalms 22, 40, 54, 95

1 Peter 1:10-20

John 13:36-38 or John 19:38-42

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

- Traditional Spiritual

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Thursday, April 5  

Lamentations 2:10-18

Psalms 102, 142, 143

1 Corinthians 10:14-17, 11:27-32

Mark 14:12-25

Today is Maundy Thursday.  The passage in Mark describes the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his disciples on the first Maundy Thursday.  What a meal that would have been, a meal that would be remembered forever by Jesus’ disciples.  Even though the real significance of the meal was only revealed once Jesus had risen from the grave on Easter Sunday.  How did Jesus feel on Maundy Thursday?  Scared?  Alone?  Debating another path to take?

At a Bible study one day, we looked at a portion of Psalm 118.  We were told that parts of this Psalm may have been read as part of the Passover meal, the Last Supper.  Imagine Jesus saying these words the evening that He was to be abandoned by his closest friends and handed over to the authorities:  This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it... You are my God, and I will give you thanks: you are my God, and I will exalt you.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Psalm 118:24, 28, 29

Wow!  That seems impossible to believe.  That Jesus, on that night, knowing the horrible things that would soon happen, could rejoice and be thankful to God.  He had a vision and an understanding of the work that needed to be done.  He could see the big picture.  He knew that His death would give life to all.

Casting Crowns sings a song entitled, Voice of Truth.  When I hear the chorus of that song, I envision Jesus singing these words on Maundy Thursday:

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story

The Voice of Truth says do not be afraid

And the Voice of Truth says this is for my glory

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe

The Voice of Truth

Shari & Ian Watson

WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Wednesday, April 4           

Lamentations 2:1-9

Psalms 55, 74

2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11

Mark 12:1-11

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”  Psalm 55:22

It sounds so easy; just cast your burdens to God. He’ll take care of them. But, wait! It really doesn’t say that. It just says to give the burden to God and he’ll sustain you; and, “never permit the righteous to be moved.” There’s nothing there saying you will be relieved of your burden, just that God will help you carry it.  God expects us to labor on, but reminds us that His care can make our burden light.  Even his son, Jesus, was not relieved of his burden as he prayed in Gethsemane, instead He endured the humiliation, and suffering of dying on the cross calling for His Father to forgive His tormentors.

To each of us individually the burdens we are struggling with can feel insurmountable, and in many circumstances they are difficult.  Illness with a poor prognosis, inability to find a job, a marriage falling apart, or a juvenile who seems bent on self-destruction.  There are no easy solutions, and God reminds us of this, but He also reminds us not to turn away from Him.  Instead, He encourages us to follow Jesus’ example by praying for strength and guidance to keep moving forward.

In this season of Lent, the scriptures remind us that God expects us to carry our individual burdens, but to continue to look to Him for strength. Even God’s beloved son was not spared His fate, but died to fulfill the prophecy foretold.

Holy God, we have been blessed with an overwhelming abundance in our lives, but also with burdens we feel we are not able to carry any longer. Give us strength and renewed faith to allow us to carry on.  We thank you for the gift of your most precious Son and all that he taught us about your love.  In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Lyn Morris

TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Tuesday, April 3    

Lamentations 1:17-22

Psalms 6, 12, 94

2 Corinthians 1:8-22

Mark 11:27-33

 Psalm 6:4

“Turn, LORD, and deliver me;

save me because of your unfailing love.”

God is the King of the world and we are His.  Sometimes we forget who He is to us and where we stand in comparison to Him.  Jesus was questioned many, many times about who He was and who He was to tell us that there is a Lord and that He is the Messiah.  Was He questioned even after He performed miracles and helped thousands?  Yes.  Do we sometimes question or curse Him when something goes wrong?  How about that time you left for work/school late and then got stuck and traffic and your coffee spilled?  What about the time everyone else in your house used up all the hot water and you were stuck with a cold shower? God, just…just WHY would I get the cold shower…how come (so-and-so) took so long to finish up!?  What sin did I commit today to be cursed with this result??

When first reading these verses, another came to mind that I use in my prayers often.  “Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.” (Psalm 40:13)  Multiple times in the Bible, we are reminded that the rules God gives us are the most important rules we are given. “…And I tell you, there is no greater commandment than this…” (Mark 12:31) Remember that?  I’m not really one to talk about following rules, but I know that this year, I’ll use this to my advantage.  I’m going to look new commands in the Bible up and put them into immediate affect.  Would you take that challenge with me in this season of Lent?  We’ll all be able to experience these new ways together as we change for the better! 

Laurel Brown

MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Monday, April 2   

Lamentations 1:1-12

Psalms 51, 69:1-23

2 Corinthians 1:1-7

Mark 11:12-25

 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Paul really had an uphill battle on his hands when he set out to make converts in Corinth as it was a “wide open” city and the Greek verb “to Corinthianize” meant to live shamelessly and immorally.  So it is not surprising to learn from this reading that some of the converts’ behavior at the Lord’s Supper was unacceptable and that Paul was not a happy camper about it.

But then, as their teacher/shepherd, he passes on to the offenders the beautiful words we use almost verbatim in our Prayer Book for the present-day observation of the Lord’s Supper.  Just think, today, 2000 years later, we still follow Paul’s example of how to properly observe and celebrate Holy Communion.  I, for one, have sometimes taken the words for granted.  But while studying these verses to prepare for this writing, I experienced a spiritual renewal and gratitude for this wonderful tradition handed down from one of the very first Christian churches.  And it is just as fresh for today as it was when Paul said these words for the first time so long ago.

Virginia McGarvey

PALM SUNDAY

Sunday, April 1 

Zechariah 9:9-12 or Zechariah 12:9-11, 13:1, 7-9

Psalms 24, 29, 103

1 Timothy 6:12-16

Luke 19:41-48

Love Letters from Psalms 103

As I contemplate this Lenten devotional, I am reminded that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner….and it has me thinking.  There are many wonderful messages of God’s love for us in scripture.  In beautiful language we hear that we are His “masterpiece” and even that we are His “poem.”  Beautiful and amazing images that any valentine would love!  These are images to which we can identify.  Surely, we have all seen a masterpiece in our lifetime…in art, in nature, and most obviously in children.  And certainly we have experienced poetry, by hearing it, reading it, writing it or singing it.  These images are relatable…we take our human experiences and connect them to God’s feelings for us.

In Psalms 103, we have, I think another love letter from God.  David expresses beautifully, words of gratitude to our Heavenly Father, and in turn, gives us more images of His love.  Words like “heals, pardons, crowns and satisfies.”  That He is “compassionate and gracious and slow to anger.”  Again, words that conjure up images as to what love looks and acts like.  But there is one word, which astonishes me from this passage….  “redeems.”  In verse 4 we see that He “redeems our life from the pits”.

In verse 12, we are given an amazing truth.

¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Redemption!

Is this a love that you can imagine?  I don’t know about you, but I can’t…not in my wildest dream.  The kind of love, that causes a father to offer his only son as a sacrifice for us, is unimaginable.  I know it is true and I believe it is true, but imagine it... not a chance!  In verse 12 from this Psalms passage, we know that God, our Father, cast our sins as far as the east is from the west.  As Christ hung on that cross, imagine those hands extending infinitely in those directions.  THAT is the Father’s love for us…unfathomable!

On this Palm Sunday, my prayer is to begin to understand THAT kind of love.  To witness with new eyes, this Holy Week, the love that God felt for his “masterpieces” and “poems,” a love so strong and so powerful and so amazing that our sins were placed upon that cross and cast “as far as the east is from the west.”  God’s valentine to us, friends, didn’t arrive on February 14^th, it arrived on Easter Sunday. 

Melissa Peter