Holy Week Reflections

With all my years in ministry, I have many memories of Holy Week.  This morning one particular one came to mind.  The church I was serving had a tradition of having seven midday Good Friday services based on the last words of Christ.  For three hours, beginning at noon, the pastor and I took turns leading the twenty minutes services.  People, both members and those from the community, drifted through.

 

One year as I concluded the last service, a young man approached me smiling.  “I made it through,” he announced.  I suddenly realized that he had been present at every service that I had led.  His commitment was to be present for the full three hours.  I was somewhat familiar with the young man who was both a husband and father.  The pastor and I had prayed for him and his family.  He owned his own business and the long hours had taken a toll on his personal life.  Nice house, fancy car and a marriage that was on the brink of collapse.  He and his wife were casual members, showing up once or twice a month.  I suspected his commitment to attend all seven Good Friday services was an attempt to turn things around.  Unfortunately, the young man was like man Christians.  In a time of trouble and turmoil, he cried out to the Lord and wanted to renew his commitment.  In this case, the commitment was short-lived and in time his marriage failed and we lost track of him and his wife. 

Holy Week is a sacred time, as we contemplate the cross and the price Jesus paid for our sins.  On Easter we celebrate the Resurrection victory and the eternal life we have gained.  But the observance of Holy Week is not a panacea for what trouble us and our world.  That only comes through an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ.  That is the message we must share with the world.  Every week should be a Holy Week, just as every day must be Holy Day.  Our ongoing relationship with Jesus is what should set us apart, in a good way I might add, from the rest of the world.  There should be no room for negativity and fear.  The cross is still sits on the hillside and the tomb is empty. 

Pass the Torch and celebrate Jesus with those you meet this week… especially with those millennials who might happen to stop by on Easter.