Today may feel like an ordinary Tuesday.
It is not.
You are in the midst of Holy Week. Many of your normal routines and appointments will continue as usual. You’ll still go to work and cook dinner and pick up kids from school.
Yet within all the ordinary, look deeper.
This is the week where we focus on the last week of Jesus’ life. We began this past Sunday by remembering Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem– Palm Sunday. Little did his disciples know that by Friday Jesus would be dead.
This year, I’m choosing to read the stories of Holy Week through Matthew’s Gospel as a part of my devotions. If you’d like to join me, follow this schedule:
Holy Week Reading Guide
Today: Read Matthew 21– Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem
Wednesday: Read Matthew 25– Jesus teaches in Jerusalem
Thursday: Read Matthew 26– The Last Supper and Gethsemane
Friday: Read Matthew 27:1-54– The Crucifixion
Saturday: Read Matthew 27:55-66– Sealing the Tomb
Sunday (Easter!!): Read Matthew 28– Jesus’ Resurrection
You are also invited to a series of services that will deepen your understanding of these stories.
Maundy Thursday
Come this Thursday at 6 pm to the Fellowship Hall. Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples on the night he was betrayed. Our service will be modeled after a traditional seder meal. We will explore the ways Jesus celebrated Passover while in Jerusalem.
Kids are invited too! Please drop them off in the CYC for their own programming. We will gather all together at the end for dinner.
Good Friday
Seven phrases are recorded as being said by Jesus when he hung on the cross. We will gather at St. James United Methodist (2155 St James Church Rd, Denver, NC 28037) at 7 pm. Pastors from seven different churches will participate in the service. Each pastor will explore one of the last phrases of Jesus. I’ve been asked to preach on “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”
Easter Sunday
Sunrise
A group of women arrived at Jesus’ tomb just as the sun was rising. Each year, we host a sunrise service to remember this event. The Wongs live on the lake near the church and will host the service. Join us at 8522 Pine Lake Road at 6:45 am.
Our 9:30 and 11 am services will be times of celebration and joy. Christ is risen! Hallelujah!
This is your opportunity to slow down and embrace the traditions of Holy Week. I pray these services will be meaningful times of connection with the God who chose to give everything for us.
–Pastor David
