Dear Pastoral colleagues and all leaders in the
church,
Here we are once again in that week we call Holy
among all others. Yesterday began the sacred
'roller coaster' ride of this week, with its palm strewn
parade and Hosannas shouted over the whispered deadly
threats. Thursday we gather at table to remember
the story of friendship and betrayal, violence and
submission. And then comes Friday, stark and
painful in what the world does to love
enfleshed. Saturday we almost hold our
faith-breath---dying eggs, anticipating the end of
Lenten disciplines, hoping that once again 'Sunday's
coming'. And then it comes---bright and new, the
story re-told, the hymns and alleluias trumpeted and
sung and we all get to walk in the garden with the
living One who loves us!
And through it all, the church presses on.
This week is our story, our life. This week we
reaffirm our engagement with the world and all its
grimness and reality and meet it again with our good
news of love conquering hate, life surpassing death,
hope overcoming despair. This week is who we are,
dear friends, and through us God is again offering a
gift our broken world badly needs: God is love and
God is alive!
Many in our time are writing and reading books
about becoming atheists, about their non-belief.
The thing that saddens me so is that I do not believe in
the god they do not believe in either! I do not
accept the religion they seem to be rejecting (that has,
for instance, tolerated abuse by clergy....) .
Both their rejected god and religion are harsh, unjust
and exclusive. Friends, Holy Week reminds us
that we have a very different God from the one many
rightly reject. As we re-tell our story and
re-live the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God's
gift of love in the real world, may we be
re-schooled and re-empowered to tell our story and
introduce our children, our neighbors and our world to
the God of love, peace and justice.
I know that this is a hugely busy time for
communion preparers, lily displayers, pastoral liturgy
planners, sermon developers---all who will help your
congregations experience the depth and richness of Holy
Week. You are all in my prayers as you lead
congregations through this sacred story and send them
again into the real world with real news of a very real,
living God whose love gives life and hope.
With You in Prayer,
