Dear Caldwell,
I imagine a few of us are a little bleary eyed today after staying up to watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. It was give and take, back and forth until the end. Whether he actually said the words or not, it was another moment when broadcaster Jim Nance might have employed that old sports cliche’, “It all comes down to this ….” At the end, Kansas had three more points on the scoreboard than UNC, but a colleague mentioned today that Kansas is being investigated for NCAA infractions. So, for diehard Tarheels fans, it may not be over yet.
We in and of the church have our own “it-all-comes-down-to-this” moment this Sunday, Palm Sunday. We will wave palms as they did two millenia ago, hailing Jesus who rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed colt, a show of humble power that contrasted so sharply with the usual entry parade custom. That “triumphant” moment was only the beginning of the week that defines so much about our faith, and Holy Week invites us to take each step with Christ.
This morning, as the staff reflected on our shared Lenten journeys of “making the path by walking it,” I shared that it’s been so uplifting to me to see the church buildings full and busy on Sundays. We’ve seen more of each other in the last few weeks than in the last few years. Thanks be to God. In that spirit, I hope you will mark your calendars and take part in these events of Holy Week.
- Palm Sunday: We invite children to lead the entry into worship at 11 (arrive a little early), waving palms and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
- Maundy Thursday: We gather at 7 p.m. for communion, offering the washing of hands and feet and the reading of the Passion Story, ending the service in the darkness of the closed tomb. This is one of our most memorable and meaningful worship services, one that invites us all to pause and consider how far our Lord went for us.
- The Vigil: After Thursday’s service, we will hold a 24-hour vigil of prayer, meditation and reflection. From 8 p.m. Thursday night until 8 a.m. Friday morning, the vigil will occur online. At 8 a.m. Friday, the vigil continues in the santuary until 8 p.m. If you’ve not participated in our vigil before, I encourage you to do so this year. You won’t regret this quiet time with God and your siblings in Christ. Click here to sign up to hold watch.
- Easter Sunday: All are invited to the return of the Sunrise Service in Romare Bearden park uptown, about 7 a.m. C.N. Jenkins’ Rev. Jerry Cannon will preach and a range of folks gather for community. We are asking members of multiple congregations to provide refreshments, so please check out that way of helping here. Later that morning at Caldwell, come early with flowers to help deocate the cross with as we claim resurrection and new life in Christ.
On Sundays this Lent, we’ve made our path by reading the Gospel of Luke, which speaks to us in particular ways. Luke emphasizes worship and prayer as well as Jesus’ ministry to those who are oppressed, excluded or otherwise disadvantaged by society. Women figure more prominently in Luke than in the other synoptic gospels (Matthew and Mark).
All of Luke, however, leads to Jerusalem, where the ways of Jesus clash with the ways of the world. There Jesus weeps for the city that rejects him … but, as we know, that is not the end. That’s where we will pick up the story on Sunday morning.
It all comes down to this …. But it starts with a parade.
In Christ,
John