Entering Holy Week

Sunday we begin Holy Week shouting “Hosanna” and waving our Palm leaves. Our children will be singing in both services as we celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. It is the beginning of the end.

On Thursday night, we will reenact Jesus’ love for neighbor by helping at Night Light Tulsa. Macy has said that the vans are full but you are welcome to meet us at 5:30 pm to caravan down. You can also meet us downtown at 6:15 pm. Please wear a blue Faith shirt if you have one! By serving the community on Thursday you will see people through the lens of Jesus’ reckless love and truly love like he did.

On Friday night our worship service at 7 pm will be a little different. We will begin with Holy Communion. Both the choir is singing and our bell choir is playing. And we will have the traditional nailing of our sins to the cross. This is always a powerful service and we invite you to wear black. Our readings will lead us through the story from the Last Supper to the death of Jesus.

I know that you all want to celebrate on Palm Sunday and then celebrate again on Easter but I encourage you to do better. By walking through the reading of the last week of Jesus’ life, you will have a deeper understanding of the significance of his death. Every year when I hear those hammers striking those nails, it gives me pause. Often people ask, “what is good about Good Friday?” I recently read that it is “the day that wrath and mercy meet at the cross.” Most commonly we consider it good because even though Jesus is unjustly suffering, he still offers us forgiveness. Christian language about being “washed in the blood” means that we are set free from the bondage of sin by the death of Jesus. Through his death, the new Covenant with our creator begins. It is a wonderful thing to celebrate Jesus’ triumph over death on Easter, but it is even more significant when we recognize what he went through before the resurrection.

Prayerfully,