Holy Week begins tomorrow, Palm Sunday, March 28. Holy Week is the annual opportunity to simply live your life in the light of Jesus’ story more than you usually do. We know more about this one week of Jesus’ life than any other part of his life. All of the gospel writers thought it was the most important part. All throughout March and February we’ve been turning away from death and toward life, Jesus’ life—a life that goes through death—the only life that goes through death. So let’s live that life with him. Let’s live the whole week with Jesus.
Start here on the Daily Prayer each morning. Every day will offer a way to experience the story, on your own and in community.
Today’s Bible reading
Read Matthew 11:20-30 (The Message)
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
More thoughts for meditation
Jesus promises us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. This is another surprise that requires us to reevaluate our point of reference. If Holy Week is living freely and lightly, what is actually heavy? Could one of the mysteries of Holy Week be that Christ’s passion is not so heavy as the alternative? The burden of disobedience and sin is death. I suppose that IS a lot heavier than Jesus’ promise of eternal life.
But to know this is not a matter of logic or mere change of attitude. We have to walk our way into it. Working with Jesus on his project, watching how he speaks, responds, listens, loves and serves in the Gospels. Practicing the unforced rhythms of grace, trusting him for what is best, even when we don’t understand. Staying with him through his life, our life, his death, our death. This is his way of teaching us not to be surprised by just how different the scales really are. Expect the unexpected. Hope beyond hope. Trust for life through death.
Suggestions for action
What will prevent you from walking with us in our communal rhythm of Holy Week? Can you anticipate problems and take action now to do what you are planning to do and not be thwarted?
Again. Each day of Holy week starts here on the Daily Prayer, includes a video on YouTube that you will be able to find here in the morning and watch any time during the day. To make the experience more communal, you can also wait to watch with others each night at 8 p.m. and join a Zoom Afterhang immediately after that together-watch of the observance. Lots of ways to be together in this story. All the details at circleofhope.net/lent. How will you walk with us?