Now Holy Week has begun, and with it, the countdown to the agony in the garden, the horror of the crucifixion, and the glory of the Lord's victory over sin and death. My devotional guide suggests the following prayer for the days of Holy Week:
O Holy Jesus, eternal and immortal Son of God and yet partaker of our flesh and blood, become like unto us in all things except sin, merciful and faithful high priest and captain of our salvation, made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, fill our hearts and minds with the constant remembrance of Your redeeming love, for we make this prayer in Your precious and most sacred name and by the boldness of Your Holy Spirit, with whom and the Father You live and reign, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
I think that next year, in preparation for this holiest of weeks, I want to learn more about and then practice the disciplines of Lent. I think that Holy Week is sort of ignored by many Protestants, and I have been guilty, too. While I have tried to be more "prepared" this year, I think I have allowed the preparations for our Eggstravaganza event (and even the worship services to come) to overwhelm the depth of personal preparation I had desired.
Today marks the day that Jesus cleansed the temple, exemplifying the mounting tension between Him and those who were plotting His death. In contemplation of the events of Holy Week, I think today's remembrance calls us to the purification of our own "temples" (I Cor. 3:16) that the richness of the rest of this week might be fully received.
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