This week is
probably my most favorite of the year.
It is Holy Week. Yes, I know its
March Madness time, but nothing compares to the maddening irony of Jesus
entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in triumph as a king, yet is part of his
journey to the cross. The shouts of
“Hosanna!” would soon turn to “crucify him!”
One of the greatest things, I
believe, that an observance of Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and
Good Friday) does for us is center our lives in and around the person and work
of Jesus Christ. After all, as believers
and followers of Christ it only makes sense that all of our lives would
completely center in Him! But Holy Week
uncovers to us that our lives have been too much centered in self, in many
other things with competing lords and masters.
A few weeks ago I went on a
week-long prayer retreat, as I try to do every year. Whenever I get away and engage in the
disciplines of solitude, silence, fasting, contemplation and prayer it does not
take me long to discover that most of my life is being lived in an unhealthy
rhythm that centers round a grueling schedule with many responsibilities and
demands.
Perhaps the greatest gift we can
give to God is the precious gift of time – unhindered, unfettered,
unadulterated time with no other agenda except the enjoyment of the
divine. What is more, maybe the greatest
gift church leaders can offer a congregation is the gift of having truly met
with God which spills over into a heart of compassion for people.
Clarity is a rare quality in today’s
Christian ministry leader. Yet it can
only come at the cost of extended time listening to God. It is no wonder that pastors and ministry
staff burn-out so quickly and become so easily discouraged. Blessed is the Christian who eschews the world’s
values of extreme busyness and constant activity in favor of walking, even
slowly sauntering in the way of Jesus.
If Holy Week teaches the contemporary
Christian leader anything, it is that we have lost our way. After all, if we have given any credence to
the season of Lent we will discern that our lives are off-kilter. We must come back to re-connecting with our
vocation of soul-craft and using words, being wordsmiths of the gospel in such
a manner as to doctor people to grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Tedious, patient construction of souls is our
divine task.
May the remembrance of Christ’s
death, and the hope of His resurrection inspire and renew your spirit toward
centering all of life around Jesus.
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