Dear Caldwell,
Holy Week is upon us. The journey to the cross feels more palpable and immediate than ever this year. Sadness. Sorrow. Grief. Fear. We feel it all. Sometimes in enormous waves. Sometimes in gentle ripples.
Friends, I pray that you remember that you do not walk this Holy Week journey by yourself. Your Caldwell family is here. And more than that, I pray that you know that your loving and tender-hearted Lord is with you there.
Join us tonight for the Preacher’s Porch. John will lead us in a discussion of John 20:1-18, which is the Scripture he will preach from on Easter morning. The link for the Preacher’s Porch is in the email that brought you to this page. If you would like to call, here is the number – +1 929 205 6099.
On Thursday, we will gather at 7:30 pm for our Maundy Thursday service. I will bring a brief meditation based on Luke 22, verses 31 and 32. The link for this service is in the email that brought you to this page. If you would like to call into that meeting, please dial this number – +1 929 205 6099. Please plan to bring bread and cup, or something along those lines, to partake of communion at your table where you are – with all of us.
Following the Maundy Thursday service, we will enter into our 24 hour prayer vigil. Please click here to sign up for timeslots to pray. And on the church’s website, at this link, you will find resources for prayer. Use them whether you sign up for the vigil or not – but I hope you will do both: sign up for the prayer vigil and make use of these resources.
This is a somber week – in the history of our faith and in the history of our world. This is the week in the life of Jesus when death took the upper hand – and it may feel like death is taking the upper hand right now as well – but only temporarily, friends. Only temporarily. Let us hold onto the greatest truth of all of human history, the truth that we will shout aloud and celebrate as never before on Easter morning – death could not and cannot keep our Lord in the grave. Get ready to shout it aloud, friends. Get ready to rejoice, give thanks, and sing.
In the meantime, let us travel these days and hours of Holy week together.
Grace and peace, Gail
PS. If you need links to the services referred to in this blog post, please refer to the email you received on Tuesday, April 7th, or reach out to me at gailnhb@caldwellpresby.org.