HOLY WEEK 2021
MONDAY DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE: Mark 11:15-18
Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.
REFLECTION
The Gospels portray Jesus as on a collision course with the Jewish Temple and its rulers. His first act after his arrival in Jerusalem was to “clean house” at the Temple. In his eyes the Temple had become a national “Golden Calf” that subverted the the practice of true religion. There is no record of Jesus participating in Temple sacrifices or rituals. His healings and declarations of sins forgiven were a challenge to the religious establishment. Temple priests were the only ones authorized to declare people cleansed of disease or forgiven of sins, and those could be expensive. The chief priests, rabbis and scribes were among the wealthiest residents of Jerusalem because the Temple was their “Cash Cow.” Jesus threatened their livelihood by doing their work at no charge out among the common people. The Temple was a holy place off limits to most people. Jesus wanted to open up the Temple and make it a House of Prayer for all people, because his God was a Father to all nations.
Today the global church is the spiritual manifestation of that Temple. Thanks be to God.
PRAYER
Blessed are you, God of our salvation, for the victory of Christ our peace. Jesus has entered through Zion’s gates, and the children of Israel are filled with joy, and even the stones burst forth in praise. Your Temple has become a House of prayer for all nations. Hear our prayer, O God, for all Christians that this holiest of weeks may be a season of true renewal, and this journey with Jesus through his final week will draw us deeply into the mystery of the cross. Amen
ONLY ONE KING
In arrogance and vanity kings sculpture regal words and creeds on granite,
That posterity, may marvel at their mighty deeds of war and conquest.
Time and rust grind these memorials to dust.
Only one king came scorning power, and walked with the humble of the land.
He served mankind in his humble hour,—and he wrote only on the sand!
by John Richard Moreland
HOLY WEEK 2021
TUESDAY DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE: Mark 11:27-28
Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?”
REFLECTION: THE QUESTION
After Jesus engaged in a “one-man protest” in the Temple Courts against the moneychangers, he was asked, “By what authority are you doing these things?” Notice that he did not answer their question. Jesus always let his way of life speak to each person’s heart. His ministry was not about self-promotion. When Jesus began his teaching ministry all who heard him were struck by the fact that he taught with authority, and not like other rabbis, whose opinions were derived from rabbis of earlier generations. Jesus authoritative style is on display in Matthew 5:21-48, when he says, “You have heard it said to those of ancient times..., but I say to you,...
Jesus spoke with authority but he was not an authoritarian. There is a lesson here for the Church today. Over the course of its history the Church tended to become more and more authoritarian, and less like its Master. Let’s let our love do our talking. The world will know we belong to the Father by our love for one another and our love for the world.
PRAYER
Our Heavenly Father, we recall the words Jesus spoke from the cross. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
O Lord God, Jesus was fully devoted to doing your will. He suffered as your servant leaving us an example. When he was verbally abused he did not retaliate or threaten revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to you as our just judge. He showed love even for his enemies, asking you to forgive them. We pray for the grace to do the same. Amen.
STILL THOU ART QUESTION
We place Thy sacred name upon our brows,
Our cycles from Thy natal days we score.
Yet, in spite of all our songs and all our vows,
We thirst and ever thirst to know Thee more.
For Thou art Question and Mystery still,
Even as we see Thee lifted as a sign
Drawing all men unto that hapless hill
With the resistless power of love divine.
Still Thou art Question—while rings in our ears
Thine outcry to a world discord beset.
Have I been with Thee all these many years,
O world—dost Thou not know me even yet?
Author Unknown
HOLY WEEK 2021
WEDNESDAY DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:1-12
A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. Finally he sent his beloved son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Scripture says: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’ When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd.
REFLECTION
The story of the vineyard tenants is an allegorical overview of the perpetual clash between Israel’s kings and God’s prophets. God sent his prophets but they were beaten, stoned, and killed. Finally God sent his beloved son, whom they also killed. Therefore, the kingdom will be taken from the privileged temple priests and ruling classes who were at ease in Zion. They understood Jesus was talking about them, but it only made them angry. It’s our task as his disciples, to recognize ourselves in this story. Being Christian is no guarantee against becoming like the Temple priests and Pharisees, who trusted in their own righteousness. We have been saved by grace, not of our own doing, it is a gift of God.
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, today we remember the words spoken from the cross by Jesus to the thief crucified beside him. Today you will be with me in paradise.
In Jesus’ words we see your amazing grace. Awaken us to the sin that clings so easily to our words and deeds. Give us the assurance that Jesus gave to this sinful, dying man, that your kingdom is a gift, and whatever we have done, nothing can separate us from your love. Amen
THUS SPEAKETH CHRIST OUR LORD
Ye call Me Master and obey Me not,
Ye call Me light and see Me not,
Ye call Me Way and walk Me not,
Ye call Me Life and desire Me not,
Ye call Me wise and follow Me not,
Ye call Me fair and love Me not,
Ye call Me rich and ask Me not,
Ye call Me eternal and seek Me not,
Ye call Me gracious and trust Me not,
Ye call Me noble and serve Me not,
Ye call Me mighty and honor Me not,
Ye call Me just and fear Me not,
If I condemn you, blame Me not.
Author Unknown
HOLY WEEK 2021
THURSDAY DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:13-17
Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “show me a denarius. Let me see it.” And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose image is on it, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and give to God the things that are God’s.”
REFLECTION:
The question the Pharisees posed to Jesus was designed to make him choose between loyalty to Caesar or loyalty to God. God demanded total loyalty, but so did the emperor, whose coins bore his graven image, and an inscription that declared his divinity. Jesus said, “show me the coin used for the tax.” He refused to touch it because Roman coins were idolatrous according to Jewish law. Jesus’ answer, “Give the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and give God the things that are God’s,” did not mean we should divide our loyalty equally between God and Caesar. Everything belongs to God. We owe God 100% of our loyalty. If we give God what belongs to God, there is nothing left to give to an emperor,—even one who thinks he is a god.
Let’s resolve to give our all to God.
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, we remember the words of wisdom spoken by Jesus, No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Our Father in heaven, you alone are God, yet there are many gods vying for our loyalty. We sanctify you in our heart as Lord, and Jesus as your one and only Son,—and our Savior. Amen.
GRACE AT EVENING
Be with us, Lord, at eventide,
Far has declined the day
Our hearts have glowed along the road,
Thou hast made glad our way.
Take Thou this loaf and bless it Lord,
And then with us partake,
Unveil our eyes to recognize
Thyself, for Thy dear sake.
by Edwin McNeill Poteat
Blessings to all,
Pastor Norm
The is the link to view the YouTube video of Pastor Norm's Tenebrae Service: https://youtu.be/FpmUO_aMaQA
HOLY WEEK 2021
GOOD FRIDAY DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:38-44
Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. Then he sat down opposite the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
REFLECTION
When Jesus saw a widow drop her last penny into the Temple treasury, he said to his disciples, “this poor widow gave more than all the others because their large gifts were but a small portion of what they have. But she gave everything she had to live on.” This may have been her last act of devotion before she found a quiet place to lay down and die. If I had been her friend I might have tried to talk her out of doing what she did, saying, “Don’t be a martyr. Don’t be a hero. The fat cats who run the Temple don’t need your penny. The big temple donors are the very ones who foreclosed on your house. Spend your last penny on yourself. No one will notice if you drop your last penny in the treasury. Buy a little bread so you can live another day.” Instead she chose to donate it and commit her spirit into the hands of God. Jesus noticed what she did, and singled her out as a hero of faith,—someone who had faith to her last penny.
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, we remember Jesus’ dying words spoken from the cross, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.
Jesus died fully trusting in you. May we have the same confidence in the hour of our death. May we know that the power of your love that conquered death in Jesus, is also at work in us. Amen
THE MARTYR
And all the while they mocked him and reviled,
And heaped upon him words of infamy,
He stood serenely there and only smiled
In pity at the blind intensity
Of hate, for well he knew that love alone
Can cure the ills of men—of nations, too—
Though unregenerate men their prophets stone,
And crucify the gentle Christ anew.
So he but smiled, and drained with quiet grace
The bitter cup for lips too eloquent,
And, dauntless, took the soul degrading place
Designed for thieves—this Prophet heaven-sent!
And when the throng at length had hushed its cry,
Another cross loomed dark across the sky.
by Natalie Flohr
Blessings to all,
Pastor Norm
HOLY WEEK 2021
SATURDAY DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE: John 2:18-22
The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
REFLECTION
When the Temple rulers asked Jesus to show them by what authority he had chased away the moneychangers he gave them no answer. There was an answer, but Jesus refused to say. In the years between that event and John’s insightful telling of it, he learned what the answer was, and he chose to make it explicit in Jesus’ answer to their question. Jesus’ resurrection was the ultimate proof of his authority over the Temple. The Jerusalem Temple was the dwelling place of God. It was destroyed and never rebuilt. After the resurrection it became clear to his disciples that Jesus’ body was the true Temple of God. Like the Jerusalem temple, he was destroyed; but he was “rebuilt” by the power of God in three days. The risen Jesus is the new Temple. His body is the Church, and we are its living stones. The Temple is now what Jesus said it should always be, a place of refuge and prayer for all nations.
Glory be to God.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, give us such a strong clear vision of Christ’s risen glory that we may rise up from all our distress and despair, and take heart again. Fill us with the power of his risen life that we may know that nothing can separate us from your loving purposes, or finally defeat your will. Amen.
I SAW GOD
I saw God bare his soul one day
Where all the earth might see
The stark and naked heart of him
On lonely Calvary.
There was a crimson sky of blood
And overhead a storm,
When lightning slit the clouds
And light engulfed his form.
Beyond the storm a rainbow lent
A light to every clod,
And on that cross mine eyes beheld
The naked soul of God.
by William L. Stidger
Blessings to all,
Pastor Norm