Holy Week
Welcome to Holy Week, 2020!
In the midst of this strange season of disruption, we have a unique opportunity to lean more fully as a church family into Holy Week. Day by day we will seek to connect with Christ and one another through Scripture readings and activities designed to help us reflect on what was happening chronologically within Holy Week. Nothing overwhelming, not a to-do list… just an opportunity to find and follow Jesus together as we remember his final week leading up to resurrection Sunday.
The resource that we will use to guide our shared daily scripture reading each day this week can be found at: The Gospel Coalition.
Monday: “A House of Prayer”
On Monday of Holy Week we remember Jesus clearing the Temple of the moneychangers and vendors, declaring that the house of God was to be a house of prayer.
So many of us in this season feel a longing to do something productive to help, and yet at the same time are limited and frustrated by logistical constraints. This is a unique opportunity for us to actually practice believing and living out the truth that God is powerful and the One working at all times and in all ways for healing and transformation. Our action for today is to seek the Lord and ask our good God to act on behalf of the people everywhere who need Him in powerful ways right now.
Let’s pray these prayers together, today.
Tuesday: “Reaching Out Without Going Out”
In this time of social distancing and sheltering in place, it’s critical that we remember that those around us need faith, hope, and love more than ever. Today, go back over the 20 prayers that we prayed yesterday, and the people for whom we prayed. Ask God to lead you toward someone specific to reach out to from that list. It can be as creative or simple as you feel led!
Wednesday: “Spring Cleaning”
With roots in the Jewish custom of cleansing the house of any yeast in preparation for Thursday’s Passover feast, spring cleaning is an outward expression of what we can do internally to prepare for the upcoming events in our faith history. Yeast is often associated with sin in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 5:6), and so on this day we will chose a room to clean in our house. While cleaning, we will be asking God to examine our hearts (Psalm 139:23-24) and clean out the sin that so easily entangles.
Thursday: “A New Commandment” and “Keep Watch”
Today holds the option of two activities:
1) The first is a remembrance of the Last Supper (Passover Feast) that Jesus ate with his disciples. On this night he gave them a new commandment, that they love one another as he loved them (John 13:34-35). Then, he showed them the extent of his love by washing their feet (John 13:1-17). Tonight, after sharing a meal with your family or housemates, take turns washing each others’ feet.
2) Immediately after the meal, Jesus and his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and keep watch. Even though Jesus specifically asked the disciples to remain with Him, they all fell asleep before even an hour had passed. Tonight we will form a prayer vigil from 7 pm until 7 am. If you would like to participate with us, please sign up for the hour during the night in which you commit to keeping watch with Jesus and praying.
Sign-Up Sheet
Friday: “Good Friday” Worship Service
The Friday of Holy Week is Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified and sealed in the tomb. On Friday at 6:30 PM, we will join together on Facebook Live for a worship service. During that online service we will take communion together, so you will want to gather your elements ahead of time. It’s customary to use bread alongside wine or grape juice. Have those items, as well as four candles, ready beforehand if you’re planning to join with our church family in this remembrance.
Saturday: “Silent Saturday”
Saturday, being the Jewish Sabbath, would have been a day of rest from work and many typical daily activities. On the Saturday after the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples were mourning the loss of their rabbi, Savior, friend, brother, and greatest hope. Some were probably living in the agony of thinking that Jesus’ last memory of them was one of betrayal. Today our activity will be to rest, reflect, and be still. Perhaps abstain from typical pleasures. Today should be a solemn day, imagining what that day would have been like without the hope of what is to come tomorrow.
Sunday: “He is risen – He is risen indeed!!”
All of Sunridge is invited to a sunrise celebration on Easter morning! Early on Sunday morning, grab some blankets and head outside in your jammies to greet the sun when it rises (6:21 am). Read the Biblical accounts of Easter morning and bring something sweet (like a donut!) for each person to eat while we welcome the sweetness and light of Christ back into the world. Snap a picture that morning and share it using the hashtag (#sunrisewithsunridge).
Then, join us at 10:30 am for our Facebook Livestream Easter worship service!