Now Enter We Into Holy Week

I celebrated the beginning of Holy Week yesterday with the children in my church as I led them in singing, dancing, and moving before the Lord with all their might, as we attempted to teach and learn with them through the story of Jesus' triumphal entry that praise can and should be with our entire bodies and our entire being. An important thing, praise.

My prayer this Holy Week is simple: "Spirit of the Living God, lead me to where You are."

I recently joined my church adult choir. After spending my freshman year of college as a music major, I swore off sheet music for a few years. Now it is finding its way back into my soul. On Good Friday this week, my church choir and I will sing a little diddy called "Song of the Shadows." A beautiful arrangement of great pieces, the emphasis is allowing the Spirit to draw us into the shadows of Holy Week and there to learn what can only be learned in that dark and difficult place. So it should be real fun and chipper.

As I am walking through this beginning of Holy Week, I am seeking to be more attuned to the Spirit than I try on a day-to-day basis. You know, gotta get my holy fix. But I really want this year to be special.

After joining my friend on our "Jellybean Tour" of seminaries this past week, I realized how little I have sought rest in the last few weeks. I finally crashed after the tour and - get this - SLEPT. Haven't done that in forever. And I rested. That parable I keep bringing up of Mary and Martha? Yeah, still running around like Martha.

I got my big full-length keyboard out of storage in my basement recently and hooked it up tonight for the first time in months to play. I sat down with my Upper Room Worshipbook. A really fabulous work of art.

I was brought to the song "God of Day and God of Darkness," which is followed on the next page by an alternate set of lyrics, entitled "Come Away from Rush and Hurry." Wow, how the Spirit works.

The first stanza of the "Come Away" reading says this [the tune is "Come All Christians, Be Committed"], "Come away from rush and hurry to the stillness of God's peace; from our vain ambition's worry, come to Christ and find release. Come away from noise and clamor, life's demands and frenzied pace; come to join the people gathered here to seek and find God's face."

This Holy Week, take the time to be holy. I'm not just quoting an old song; I'm serious. Take time to step away from everything and find your Lord weeping for you in the shadows. Find the Spirit there, who lifts up the Sacrifice and gives him strength to press forward. Hear the silence. Hear the pain. Hear the agony. Let the need to constantly be happy and always in good light fade away as the darkness surrounds you.

Therein find your God. Therein find your salvation.




Blessings to you this Holy Week,
Michelle