Holy Week

Holy Week has always been my favorite week of the year. Strange I know. My favorite week is the week in which Jesus is crucified. BUT I have always loved the services of the week and the emotions and the connection to God I feel each and every Holy Week. Last year, I had the blessing of my sister and her family visiting me, but since we had a 1 year old, we missed out on most of Holy Week except Easter Sunday. This year, Kenny is home, and we are getting to do all of Holy Week in our church here in Washington (that is teeny tiny compared to my church in VB). So tonight we headed to Maundy Thursday services with my friend Candie filled with a little bit of anxiety over what the service would be and hoping it would not disappoint. Maundy Thursday Service is like the BEST service next to Easter and Feast of Lights in my book. The readings are so powerful. The washing of feet is so moving. The stripping of the altar always gets me choked up. I had some tough standards to live up to. Well Christ Church did NOT disappoint. First we started with a meal which we blessed together, and then as we ate, people stood to read passages from the Bible. When the 8 year old that I have been working with at church stood up and read with great confidence his passage, my heart just swelled. This little man who has so many personal struggles just showed the power of God's love and strength through his reading. Then three of my high school girls read their passages in front of the dinner guests. It was powerful to hear these young women speak of Moses and Jesus and the wonder that is God's love. Then Kenny read a passage from Exodus about God protecting Moses and his people from Pharaoh's army. It gave me shivers. So the night started off great and got better. Sprinkled throughout the readings were quotes from church figures, historical figures, and everyday people about the power of God's love and the purpose of being Christian. Well the history nerd in me rejoiced!
Now, we did not do foot washing which to be honest is fine with me because I never get my feet washed. I am a more watch and see kind of girl when it comes to that, but I always love seeing the priests whom we look up to begin the foot washing and then pass it along to others. However, Christ Church did discuss the importance of foot washing during the time of Jesus.
Then we went outside to hear the reading from Mark when Judas betrays Jesus, and then we walked silently into the church and watched as the altar was stripped of the candles, linens, crosses, etc. Now, this sanctuary is about 1/3 of the size of my home church so it didn't take nearly the same amount of time, but as they dimmed the lights, the message was still there. When Jesus was arrested and his disciples fled, he was alone and in a dark place, yet he was not. God was with him like he is with us always. He will sustain us through those dark and lonely moments and rejoice with us during those blessings. During Holy Week, may you remember your blessings in life and that God is always with you even when you feel abandoned. We are His and in Him we are one...

We sang this tonight and it always moves me. May you enjoy it as well....

One bread, one body, One Lord of all,
One cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth,
We are one body in this one Lord.

Gentile or Jew, Servant or free,
Woman or man, No more.

One bread, one body, One Lord of all,
One cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth,
We are one body in this one Lord.

Many the gifts, Many the works,
One in the Lord, Of all.

One bread, one body, One Lord of all,
One cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth,
We are one body in this one Lord.

Grain for the fields, Scattered and grown,
Gathered to one, For all.

One bread, one body, One Lord of all,
One cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth,
We are one body in this one Lord.

Here is the link to the song if you'd like to hear it!