Dear friends in Christ,
In a week and a half, it will be Holy Week. With the chaos of our world, it would be easy for us to get distracted away from this most sacred time. I encourage you to set aside time to attend the services of Holy Week, and perhaps to spend a bit more time in scripture as we recall the events and meaning of ancient and eternal events.
There are plenty of places (including Forward Movement’s prayer website) to read the assigned scripture lessons for upcoming celebrations and fasts. You might like to dwell with poignant and complex scripture readings a little while before coming to church for the liturgies of Holy Week. If your church offers resources to support you through this solemn journey, I hope you’ll take advantage of them.
Services such as Palm Sunday and Easter Day are especially good ones to invite a friend. If you’re not sure who to invite, pray, and perhaps God will lead you to someone who has been yearning for an invitation to be a part of a church.
I can’t say for certain what is right for you. But I can tell you that I’m looking forward to Holy Week more than ever this year. In the midst of chaos, moral disarray, and increased violence, the celebration of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection is just what I need to put everything — literally everything — into perspective. That’s not an escape from the world’s pain, but rather the grounding I need to confront evil. And, in the end, Holy Week reminds us that evil doesn’t get the last word.
Yours faithfully,
Scott Gunn
Executive Director
More from our ministry:
Today at 12pm ET: Defining Discipleship webinar with Nurya Love Parish
Go deeper into the gospel text: A Journey with Matthew Bible Challenge
Coming soon: Free video course on the sacraments
Prayers and contemplation for the liturgical year: Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book