This Holy Week, I find myself in need of a pause—in need of an intentional halt of all the things that make the days non-stop and seem perpetually in motion. I remember how in the first months, maybe even year, of the pandemic doing everything from home freed up so much time previously spent getting from one place to another. The change over the last months has been significant. I now spend much more time coordinating schedules, figuring out travel times and routes to make the most of time, and driving around. Honestly, sometimes I think back to those days of staying home, and, while I do not wish for what made them necessary, I value the element of calm they offered. A moment of pause or rest can help us see the important and necessary things of life.
So it is with Holy Week. While the world moves on in its hustle, this week calls for a pause. This week calls for a realigning of our attention and a recentering in the story of our faith. A moment to remember who we are and who God is. I pray you will join in this pause.
Today, Maundy Thursday, we will gather for hybrid worship in the sanctuary. Maundy is a word that comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means commandment. On this day we remember Jesus saying, “I give you a new commandment” and his act of washing the disciples’ feet. (The term maundy has come to mean washing the feet of the poor.) We will engage in acts of remembrance this evening. The service is for all ages.
Maundy Thursday leads us to the Paschal Triduum, the days that we recall Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. We will observe this period with a prayer vigil beginning at 4pm Good Friday, continuing through Holy Saturday, and ending on Easter Sunday at 6am.
May God’s blessing be upon us as we pause, remember, seek, and receive God’s holy presence and love.
Blessings,