Hello everyone! I wanted to remind you that part of our Holy Week celebration begins tonight with our “Maundy Thursday” dinner at 5:30 with our service beginning shortly after we eat. Our “Good Friday” service will be held at 12:00 tomorrow afternoon and our Sunday “Resurrection” Service is at our normal worship time.

These services are to help us remember what has happened in the death and resurrection of our Lord, but also to give us a vision of our future. It is easy to get overwhelmed with life, certainly there is much we all have in our lives. Often times we put our heads down and grind out our days going from one activity, appointment, or commitment to another. It is quite easy to burn out through all the details and burdens and seek relief. Often I hear of people needing a vacation or taking time for self care. There is nothing wrong with these solutions, but often it is right back to the grind and it can feel like a temporary release but not a deep rest. I believe that is where the resurrection can offer us something when all the vacations or self care regiments fall short. The death and resurrection of Jesus reminds us that in this life we are to expect difficulty, de construction, and disappointment. Our culture hates this idea, we think life is supposed to be a series of wins as long as you keep grinding. But that is because our culture believes this life is all there is, and is skeptical of anyone who claims to know what could happen in the next. The Christian is committed to a different approach to reality. We know that this life leads to death, but not ultimate death. The resurrection tells us that death has been defeated, and ultimately we go to the grave in order to receive life. Our rest will ultimately not come till later, and so we can rest in this life from trying to achieve perfection, wins, and self preservation. In a sense, in order to gain life we must loose it to the Lord. Or as Jesus said, “If anyone would follow after me, they must learn to die to themselves and live for me.” (Ben’s paraphrase: Luke 9:23) Holy Week is an important rhythm in our discipleship process which prompts our hearts to remember that we are on the road with Jesus to death and ultimate resurrection.

One note from our security team. On Sunday mornings we are going to try and experiment with locking the front doors to the church at 10:15, but have a sign asking someone to knock if they would like to join. We think that this might encourage people to not enter in the church late thereby disrupting our worship service. I know with the summer approaching there are a lot of out of town people who like to come in check out our sanctuary, which is great, but during our worship times we ask that people would join us at 10:00 or be ushered in by knocking on the door after we have begun. If this is going to be a hardship for you, please let myself or one of our ushers know and we will try to accommodate in any way possible. Our glass doors on 3rd will continually be locked 15 minutes after the worship service begins and remain locked until 11:30 for child safety reasons.

Ben Melli