Many of the hymns and prayers we use on Sunday mornings plead with God to abide with us. We ask for God to be known. We ask for divine intervention. We ask for God to inspire peace in our hearts and in our world. Despite this plea how often do we take it upon ourselves to draw near to God? Dwelling in the shelter of the Lord, abiding in God’s shadow, what might that look like?
We know that there is nowhere we can go where God is not present. We also know that there are times and places when we have felt especially close to God. Often, we feel closest to God when we are going through hard times. In hard times, we are more reliant, and thus more aware and grateful for the grace that surrounds us. We are more aware of the fragility of life, in that awareness our senses are heightened, and we began to cherish the lives we have, and as we do we see live for what it is – a gift.
The season of Lent teaches us this. We began the season with Ash Wednesday with crosses marked on our foreheads, bidding us remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. During Lent we take extra time and engage in extra disciplines in the hope of eliminating some of the distractions, some of the noise in our lives, in order to be brought closer to God. Lent is designed to bring us back to dwelling in the shelter of the Lord, abiding in God’s shadow.
Lent lasts for 40 days of the year. It’s only a season among others. We do not routinely walk around with ashed on our foreheads. We do not live in a state of perpetual grief. There is nothing wise nor holy nor right about seeking hard times to experience God’s presence. How do we move from Lent, the reminder of our mortality, to Easter, the promise of the resurrection? We do so as we move through Holy Week, the most sacred week in the church year.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. On this day, we celebrate the triumphant entry of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, into Jerusalem, riding a donkey. On that day, the people laid palms before Him, a gesture reserved for triumphant leaders. We celebrate this day by distributing palms which some church collect, burn and then distributed at next year's Ash Wednesday services.
The next major event in Holy Week is Maundy Thursday. After washing his disciples’ feet and giving them a new commandment, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. This is the night Jesus was betrayed by Judas. After supper, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and prayed. After he prayed Jesus was arrested.
The next day is Good Friday, the day, we commemorate the trial, punishment, and crucifixion of Our Lord. On that morning, Jesus was brought before Annas, a powerful Jewish cleric who condemned Jesus for blasphemy. From there, Jesus was presented to Pilate for trial. Although Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, he agreed to have him crucified to appease the crowd of people and prevent a riot. Late that afternoon, when Jesus breathed his last, the centurion who over saw the crucifixion, was the first to confess that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus’ body was quickly taken and laid in a borrowed tomb, in accord with Jewish law, which required the dead be buried by sundown before the Sabbath.
Holy Saturday, also known as the Easter Vigil, is significant because it was a great act of faith on the disciples part to be still, pray, and believe that what Christ said would happen after his death would come to pass. Today the Easter Vigil is a day where we too can be still, meditate, and reflect, preparing our hearts for the celebration of Easter Sunday, the day Jesus was resurrected, triumphing over death once and for all time. May you dwelling in this shelter, the shelter of the Lord, abiding in God’s presence, now and forever.
Have a Blessed Easter,
Pastor Dan