Week 7: Celebration

Spiritual Discipline: Celebration

This week is referred to as Holy Week. It is a week traditionally filled with such a wide variety of emotions. The first Palm Sunday exuded triumph and celebration. Maundy Thursday was encompassed with anticipation, teaching, and preparation. The first Good Friday carried shock and disbelief while mourning and sadness followed. And then darkness and despair covered the entire earth. But then on Easter morning, the world was changed forever.

Everything had truly changed! The early followers of Christ had reason to celebrate! They had witnessed the persecution, death and most importantly the resurrection of their Savior! Questions were answered, pains resided, insecurities were erased. Their worship was filled with thankfulness for the cross, amazement of the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the acceptance of the grace and love of the Father.

How about today? Does the truth of Easter lead us to rejoice? Of course we still have grief, suffering, and pain. But rest assured that Jesus knows our pain and our suffering like no other man; in all of history, Jesus is the most betrayed, the most wrongly accused, the most beaten and broken human on earth. During this time of Lent we remember the pain and anguish of the cross. But let us not forget that we have the glory and power of the resurrection to celebrate! Our God is not dead! He’s alive and his grace, love and mercy abound to us, his children! Amen!

Oh death! Where is your sting?

Oh hell! Where is your victory?

Oh Church! Come stand in the light!

The glory of God has defeated the night!

Oh death! Where is your sting?

Oh hell! Where is your victory?

Oh Church! Come stand in the light!

Our God is not dead, he’s alive! he’s alive!

Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with him again

Come awake, come awake!

(Christ Is Risen by Matt Maher © 2009)

—Lynn Stob

All Ye That Pass

All ye that pass by, to Jesus draw nigh;

to you is it nothing that Jesus should die?

Your ransom and peace, your surety he is:

come see if there ever was sorrow like his.

For what you have done his blood must atone;

the Father hath punished for you his dear Son.

The Lord, in the day of his anger, did lay

your sins on the Lamb, and he bore them away.

He answered for all: O come at his call,

and low at his cross with astonishment fall

But lift up your eyes at Jesus’ cries:

impassive, he suffers: immortal, he dies.

He dies to atone for sins not his own;

your debt he hath paid, and your work he hath done.

Ye all may receive the peace he did leave,

who made intercession, “My Father, forgive!”

For you and for me he prayed on the tree:

the prayer is accepted, the sinner is free.

That sinner am I, who on Jesus rely,

and come for the pardon God cannot deny.

My pardon I claim; for a sinner I am,

a sinner believing in Jesus’ name.

He purchased the grace which now I embrace:

O Father, thou know’st he hath died in my place.

His death is my plea; my Advocate see,

and hear the blood speak that hath answered for me.

My ransom he was when he bled on the cross;

and losing his life he hath carried my cause.

Written by Charles Wesley, from the Methodist Hymnal, 1779, Public Domain

Songs of Reflection

O Praise the Name (Lyrics)

King of Kings (Lyrics)

Forever (We Sing Hallelujah) (Lyrics)

For Kids: Celebration!

Inviting: Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! ( John 1:29).

Stilling: In the silence, ask the Holy Spirit to help you pay attention to God.

Bible Reading: Psalm 24:7-10; John 12:12-15

Open wide, you gates.

Open up, you ancient doors.

Then the King of glory will come in.

Who is the King of Glory

The Lord, who is strong and mighty.

The Lord, who is mighty in battle.

Open wide, you gates.

Open wide, you ancient doors.

Then the King of glory will come in.

Who is he, this King of glory?

_______

The next day the large crowd that had come for the feast heard Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. So they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet him. They shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:25, 26)

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. This is just as it is written in scripture.

It says,

“City of Zion, do not be afraid.

See, your king is coming.

He is sitting on a donkey’s colt.” (Zechariah 9:9)

Dwelling: I wonder why people waved palm branches? I wonder what Jesus thought about all this?

Praying: Jesus, you are the King of glory. You are strong and mighty, humble and gentle. As we shout our hosannas today, make us ready to walk with you this week to the cross and to the empty tomb.