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Facing the week ahead . . .

Palm Sunday 2020.

It feels “off” this year. Everything feels “off” right now.

 

Our church sanctuary sat empty today. Yours, too? Within its walls there were no palm branch-waving children placing their bounty at the foot of the cross. No songs of hosanna. No communion. No reading of Scripture.

 

The great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel! (John 12:12-13)

 

No black drape hung as a symbol of the days of darkness and mourning in the week ahead.

 

 

Especially this year, when there’s already so much uncertainty and grieving brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be tempting to skip this week.

 

This Holy Week.

 

News reports tell us this week ahead is likely to be a very difficult one with numbers of cases rising exponentially—and more deaths to come.

 

But there’s nothing we can do other than stay at home, keep a positive attitude as much as possible, love on our families, and pray without ceasing!

 

If you’re an “essential” person during this crisis—and if you are, I seriously doubt you’re reading this because you’re overwhelmed and exhausted—you are appreciated more than I can express!

 

As much as we’d like to, we can’t race to the end of this pandemic. We can’t rush through the uncomfortable, the agony, the heartache. We must embrace them. We must keep loving those around us.

For now . . . we must wait.

 

The same could be said on the first day of this unusual Holy Week. Even as we sing our private “hosannas” of gratitude, we know there is darkness and mourning ahead. May the passion of Christ weigh heavy on our hearts, and may we live in the hope of his resurrection.

 

May we be intentional about not “missing” Easter, no matter what’s going on in our world. Personally, I cannot imagine facing this week were it not for Easter.

 

He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces;

he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 25:8

 

How are you doing, friend? Send me an email with your phone number if you need someone to talk to. I’m here for you! We’ll all get through this together.

Related posts:

Palm Sunday Blessings CANCEL EASTER? Maundy Thursday Reflections THINKING AHEAD: What will coming together look like when #stayathome ends? FACING FORWARD in 2013
5 Apr 2020
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Encouragement
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Comments

  1. Rita C at Panoply says
    April 6, 2020 at 7:20 AM

    Somber, yet grateful. Thank you for your closing words of hope.Happy Easter, Susan, to you, your Renaissance Man, and your family. I hope all are well.

  2. Patricia Netherton says
    April 6, 2020 at 12:48 PM

    Our neighbor who doesn’t attend church posted something he had seen on FB
    If we still can’t go to church on Resurrection Sunday, let’s all step out on our porches at 10 am and sing Amazing Grace?

    Jim and I saw him on his porch yesterday after a walk. We went over and told him we would sing with him. He said he couldn’t sing but he would play his guitar.

    One tint step forward in reaching out to him.

  3. Lisa notes says
    April 7, 2020 at 7:05 PM

    “Personally, I cannot imagine facing this week were it not for Easter.” What a good way to put, Susan. We need Easter as much as ever. It will be different for sure, but it will still be wonderful.