By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
Holy Week is about to quicken its pace. Our schedule is full of worship services starting on Wednesday. Each one is intended to help us enter into the story at a deep level. It is easy to skip over these services and point ourselves to Easter but what a loss that is. As I mentioned last Sunday, to enter into the story at a level where we suspend time and space, Holy Week can be transformative. It hits us at a visceral level, knowing that the words we say, the prayers we pray and the stories we hear are purposeful. They bring us to the historical reality that the Son of God was betrayed, denied, beaten and was executed. The prophets of old had told us that this would happen and explained why it would happen. Our sins placed Jesus on the cross and his love for us kept him there. What kind of love is this? We can only scratch the surface of understanding but the services of this week enable us to go a little deeper.
Our lives are full of activity. This week is no different than most weeks. There are school activities and the demands of work. But in so many ways this week is different. We do not take this journey of Holy Week alone. There are billions of other believers around the world who will take these steps and reflect on the profundity of God’s love. But God will be with us. It is his desire that we move beyond the superficial and enter into the depth of the story of his love for us.
While we know that we cannot literally return to the first century to experience those events that Holy Week commemorates, we can experience at a deep level what it means. I invite you to join we me and your church family as we takes those steps to the cross and empty tomb this week. Let the words of the old spiritual resound in our hearts.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh were you there when they crucified my Lord?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Well, were you there when the stone was rolled away?
Were you there when the stone was rolled away?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Were you there when the stone was rolled away?
Holy Week is about to quicken its pace. Our schedule is full of worship services starting on Wednesday. Each one is intended to help us enter into the story at a deep level. It is easy to skip over these services and point ourselves to Easter but what a loss that is. As I mentioned last Sunday, to enter into the story at a level where we suspend time and space, Holy Week can be transformative. It hits us at a visceral level, knowing that the words we say, the prayers we pray and the stories we hear are purposeful. They bring us to the historical reality that the Son of God was betrayed, denied, beaten and was executed. The prophets of old had told us that this would happen and explained why it would happen. Our sins placed Jesus on the cross and his love for us kept him there. What kind of love is this? We can only scratch the surface of understanding but the services of this week enable us to go a little deeper.
Our lives are full of activity. This week is no different than most weeks. There are school activities and the demands of work. But in so many ways this week is different. We do not take this journey of Holy Week alone. There are billions of other believers around the world who will take these steps and reflect on the profundity of God’s love. But God will be with us. It is his desire that we move beyond the superficial and enter into the depth of the story of his love for us.
While we know that we cannot literally return to the first century to experience those events that Holy Week commemorates, we can experience at a deep level what it means. I invite you to join we me and your church family as we takes those steps to the cross and empty tomb this week. Let the words of the old spiritual resound in our hearts.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh were you there when they crucified my Lord?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Well, were you there when the stone was rolled away?
Were you there when the stone was rolled away?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Were you there when the stone was rolled away?
RSS Feed