Holy Week: It Gets Better

Dear Friends,

You’ve heard the saying, “It has to get worse before it can get better." Here's another one, “All sunshine and no rain makes a desert.” Both of these sayings help us understand the Lenten season and particularly, Holy Week, a little better.

Lent is traditionally a time of repentance, recognizing and turning from our sins, remembering and reflecting on the passion of our Lord, and searching within ourselves for a renewed faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The Lenten season in general, but specifically, Holy Week (which begins this Sunday), is often a somber, reflective, and perhaps even a depressing time for us. That’s intentional. The Lenten season, and the Passion of our Lord, calls us to realize that as it happened for Jesus, it happens for us. Meaning, that life will at times, have to get worse before it gets better. In fact, we have the promise and the assurance in our creeds, of “on the third day He rose again.” We know it gets better.

This upcoming Holy Week is an opportunity for you to trust in that promise. As you walk those last days and hours with Christ, open your hearts to experience again the pain and suffering He endured as he was led up that mountain to the cross. We can do this. We must do this. We know the end of the story. We know that the journey did not end at the cross. We know it gets better.

So, I encourage you, in that confidence, to participate in our Holy Week services - Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. By fully participating in these services you will appreciate and experience more fully, the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday Morning. The Arab proverb is true, isn’t it? “All sunshine and no rain, makes a desert.” We've had a lot of rain this week. We appreciate the rain when comes - especially this time of year.

The passion of Christ this coming Holy Week, is rain that we can appreciate. Rain brings new life and growth. So as we journey this Holy Week together, I pray you can trust that this long, dark, rainy, and sometimes difficult walk, will indeed, get better - on the third day.

See you in church!

Pastor Dale

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