Easter Sunday

Alleluia! Amen!

If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human, for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in its own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  _{1 Corinthians 15:19-26, NRSVue}

         Fill the air with shouts of joy!
           Christ, who died, is living!
         No more mourning, guilt, or pain鈥�
           all is now thanksgiving!
         With one stone now rolled away,
           every tomb is open
         and we live the certain hope:
           Sin’s death-grip is broken!

         Sing the songs of jubilee,
           hymns of restoration:
         from the depths of Adam’s curse
           Jesus brings salvation.
         Even as one selfish act
           doomed us all to misery
         so one selfless gift of life
           raises us to glory.

         Dance and leap with all your might!
           Set the church bells ringing!
         Celebrate the wondrous news
           timeless grace is bringing!
         One bright morning saw the light
           of creation’s new birth,
         now each dawn affirms the plan:
           God restoring our worth.

        鈥淎lleluia鈥� is our cry:
           鈥淧raise our mighty Maker!
         Praise the Breath who gives us life!
           Praise our raised Redeemer!鈥�
         One the shout of joy we raise;
           one song sounding again;
         one grand dance of faith empowered.
           Alleluia!  Amen!

Copyright 漏 2001, The Leupold Foundation, Colfax, NC. Used by permission of the author.

Prayer:
         In your rising, you have restored our life.
         Where, before, we had only a fate, now we have possibilities.
         Lead us to foster life wherever we are,
         through our actions
         through our relationships,
         through our economics.
         In your living among us, you have transformed our life.
         No longer does our survival need to be our chief focus, our chief end.
         Challenge us to live for others,
         and, in living for others, to live for you,
         and to have you live eternally in us.

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Holy Saturday

A Holy Pause

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, 鈥淪ir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 鈥楢fter three days I will rise again.鈥� Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, his disciples may go and steal him away and tell the people, 鈥楬e has been raised from the dead,鈥� and the last deception would be worse than the first.鈥� Pilate said to them, 鈥淵ou have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.鈥� So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone. _{Matthew 27:57-66, NRSVue}

Like last year, I felt led to reflect on the day before Easter, Holy Saturday. This reflection is for the writer and the reader.  For me, I get to reflect and refine my theology and psychology of the Holy Pause. For you, I again offer a strategy for addressing the stress and strains of life.

I recall the first time I mentioned the Holy Pause of Holy Saturday to a dear friend. He replied, 鈥淭hat is Catholic, and it is not in the Bible.鈥� But there are two Holy Saturday texts in Scripture: Matthew 27: 57-66 and Luke 23:56.

In Matthew 27:57-66 we are privy to a powerful portrait of the first Holy Saturday.  Jesus is entombed. Jesus is between life to death. The disciples must navigate loss and gain. The church gets a front row seat to the drama of defeat turned victory. Matthew 27:57-66 presents a journey through the valley of the shadow of death. A journey that we now know leads to the mountain top.

What do we do before we reach the mountain top?  What do we do on those days and times when life deals us a losing hand? What do we do when our dreams have been crushed by the leaders within our faith tradition? What do we do when our hopes have been stated as inadequate and sterile by a kangaroo court? What do we do when our future promise is murdered by the empire? What do we do when we are forced to bury our dreamers, our hopes, and our future promises?

We take a Holy Pause on these Holy Saturdays. We revisit Holy Saturday!

Last year I suggested that you鈥�

• humble and empty yourself,
• look for the Gracious Givers,
• wrestle with the 鈥渕atters鈥� of inquisitive guards, and
• choose with righteousness the righteous path.

This year I invite you to鈥�

1. Accept that Jesus鈥� death was a part of God鈥檚 plan, which was foretold by Jesus. To accept the death of Jesus Christ as a part of God鈥檚 plan, reenforces, reiterates, and reminds the believer that human weakness and errors are a part of life. God does not always remove us from the sin, sickness, evil and suffering but walks with us through it.
2. Practice silence and experience God鈥檚 silence. Labor to internalize the knowledge that God鈥檚 silence is not inactivity and inaction. Meditate on the sting of denial, persecution, and death. Sit with the sadness of loss. Do this while knowing your silent God is active and will act.
3. Reflect and anticipate the insecurity of Holy Saturday. Who were your Pilates? Who was your High Priest?  Who were your denying disciples?  Who were your mothers and sisters who never left your side? Who were the crowds that shouted for another to be hired or fired in your place? Use the answer to these question as fuel to power you across the deadly thresholds of life.  
4. Descend into the Hades of your community and proclaim liberty to those captives there (1 Peter 3:19). Make this a time where something significant happens 鈥渦nderground鈥濃�攊ncognito, undeserved, and unexpected. Work to set the captive free.

– Micah L. McCreary
  John Henry Livingston Professor of Theology
  President of the Seminary

Prayer:
         Gracious God, on this solemn day,
         we remember the sacrifice of the Incarnate One.
         We stand in awe of Jesus鈥� willingness to suffer for the cosmos.
         Help us to understand the depth of Your love,
         revealed through all events surrounding the cross.
         May we carry the truth of Jesus鈥� sacrifice in our hearts,
         living lives of gratitude and grace.
         Through Jesus the Christ, our Redeemer, we pray.
         Amen.

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Good Friday

Reflection

So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross by himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, 鈥淛esus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.鈥� Many of the Jews read this inscription because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, 鈥淒o not write, 鈥楾he King of the Jews,鈥� but, 鈥楾his man said, I am King of the Jews.鈥欌�� Pilate answered, 鈥淲hat I have written I have written.鈥� When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, 鈥淟et us not tear it but cast lots for it to see who will get it.鈥� This was to fulfill what the scripture says, 鈥淭hey divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.鈥�

And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother鈥檚 sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, 鈥淲oman, here is your son.鈥� Then he said to the disciple, 鈥淗ere is your mother.鈥� And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), 鈥淚 am thirsty.鈥� A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, 鈥淚t is finished.鈥� Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. _{John 19:16b-30, NRSVue}

Today, we stand at the foot of the cross. Good Friday is a day of paradox鈥攕orrow and hope, suffering and redemption. In the shadows of Calvary, we remember the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus The Christ. Through the words of Isaiah, we hear of the Suffering Servant, bearing the iniquities of many, despised and rejected. His wounds are our healing, and His chastisement brings us peace (Isaiah 53:5).

Psalm 22 echoes the agony of Jesus on the cross: 鈥淢y God, my God, why have you forsaken me?鈥� These words, cried out by Jesus, remind us of the depths of His suffering and the burden of sin He bore. Yet even in the despair of that moment, there remains a trust in the Creator’s will.

The letter to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus鈥� sacrifice opened a new and living way for us. Through His obedience and suffering, Jesus became the source of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9). Because of this, we can approach God with confidence, assured of God鈥檚 mercy and grace.

John鈥檚 Gospel takes us step by step through the Jesus鈥� Passion. We see His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. We hear the bitter cries, witness the humiliation, and feel the weight of the nails. Yet, we also glimpse the unwavering love that held Him to His convictions and to His cross. In the final words of our Lord, 鈥淚t is finished,鈥� we find the completion of God鈥檚 redemptive plan.

Reflection Questions:

1. How does Jesus’ sacrifice challenge your understanding of love and forgiveness?
2. In what ways can you respond to the gift of salvation in your daily life?
3. How can you extend the grace you鈥檝e received to others around you?

May this Holy Friday be a time of reflection and renewal as we remember the cross and look forward to the resurrection.

– Micah L. McCreary
  John Henry Livingston Professor of Theology
  President of the Seminary

Prayer:
         Gracious God, on this solemn day,
         we remember the sacrifice of the Incarnate One.
         We stand in awe of Jesus鈥� willingness to suffer for the cosmos.
         Help us to understand the depth of Your love,
         revealed through all events surrounding the cross.
         May we carry the truth of Jesus鈥� sacrifice in our hearts,
         living lives of gratitude and grace.
         Through Jesus the Christ, our Redeemer, we pray.
         Amen.

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Maundy Thursday

The Lord鈥檚 Supper

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 鈥淭his month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the Passover of the Lord.  _{Exodus 12:1-4, 11, NRSVue}

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 鈥淭his is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.鈥� In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, 鈥淭his cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.鈥� For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord鈥檚 death until he comes.  _{1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NRSVue}

The Hebrews had waited for more than 400 years for God to respond to their cries. Crushed under the weight of Egyptian bondage the people waited for deliverance. God would rescue a baby who would rescue God鈥檚 people鈥擬oses, the one drawn from the Nile River. God would use Moses to triumph over a hard-hearted pharaoh. God would use Moses to gain the release of God鈥檚 people. Ten plagues would devastate Egypt before Pharoah let God鈥檚 people go. As the people prepared to leave the land of bondage, they would inaugurate the first Passover where a slain lamb, and its blood, would mark a meal and a message. A meal of unleavened bread and lamb eaten hastily at midnight, a symbol of God鈥檚 Passover, the night God delivered the people from Pharoah鈥檚 hand by passing over every house that had the lamb鈥檚 blood over its doorposts.

Many centuries later, descendants of the Exodus found themselves also waiting for a deliverer, one who would free them from the yoke of Roman oppression. And, once again, God would send a deliverer, not to save the people from human aggression, but to save them and all who would come after them from themselves. The incarnate Christ would enter this world as a baby, live with and among the people. He would seek and save the lost, set captures free, bind the brokenhearted 鈥� save them (and us) from sin. The people wanted a warrior, but God sent a Savior. And as his earthly ministry came to its destined end, he too would share a meal and a message with his disciples, where they would partake in a different Passover, a final meal to mark the slaying of another lamb, God鈥檚 only son – Jesus, the Lamb of God.

On Maundy Thursday, we the people of God remember and commemorate the Passover over, the institution of the Lord鈥檚 last supper, Jesus鈥檚 last night with his disciples. Just as Jesus invited his disciples to share in this last meal with him, we too are invited to sit at the table. We too are invited to examine ourselves. We too are invited to remember his sacrifice and ask ourselves where and what sacrifices we can make on behalf of others. Jesus will be crucified the next day following that meal. We observe Maundy Thursday during Holy Week so that we never forget that a meal preceded a message 鈥� a message of God鈥檚 love and God鈥檚 sacrifice.

– Terry Ann Smith
  Associate Dean of Certificate Program
  Associate Professor of Biblical Studies

Prayer:
              This Maundy Thursday we express our sincere gratitude
              to join with others who will remember and commemorate the Lord鈥檚 Supper,
              your last meal before you would fulfill your purposes on this earth鈥攖o save us.
              Thank you, God, for your sacrifice that continues to bear witness
              to your love for all humanity as we remember what the Lord鈥檚 Supper represents,
              your broken body and your shed blood,
              reminded that each time we partake of it,
              we commemorate your death until you return.
              In the name of our Christ, we pray. Amen.

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Wednesday in Holy Week

Witnessing

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart. _{Hebrews 12:1-3, NRSV}

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, 鈥淰ery truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.鈥� The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples鈥攖he one whom Jesus loved鈥攚as reclining close to his heart; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, 鈥淟ord, who is it?鈥� Jesus answered, 鈥淚t is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.鈥� So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, 鈥淒o quickly what you are going to do.鈥� Now no one knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, 鈥淏uy what we need for the festival,鈥� or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. _{John 13:21-29, NRSV}

Being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses isn鈥檛 always all it is cracked up to be. There were Jesus and Judas, surrounded by the other apostles and anybody else in the upper room that night. Jesus had been telling them all for weeks what was going to happen. Jesus told them that he would be betrayed by the one to whom he gave the bread, and then he did it, right in front of them all, and they didn鈥檛 make the connection. They were the cloud of witnesses, yet they didn鈥檛 see, and Judas gave up on running the race where everything is given up for new life. And then it was night. Darkness fell on the world because good people couldn鈥檛 bring themselves to see.

Darkness falls upon the world because people can鈥檛 bring themselves to see. We can鈥檛 bring ourselves to see how our buying and selling, our desire to save a bit of money, traps people in sweatshops half a world away. We can鈥檛 see how our desire for inexpensive fresh fruit feeds into a system that oppresses workers whom we depend on yet never notice. We don鈥檛 see how the great orators making good trouble while standing up to people recklessly threatening our democracy lose their moral authority when they silently acquiesce to the bombing into extinction of people who aren鈥檛 in their voting constituency and who happen to be caught between the terrorists and the zealots. We don鈥檛 see, and they fall short of who they can be. And we fall deeper into night.

But Jesus stood faithful through the darkness, then stretched his arms out on a tree to draw all the world in and die for us. Jesus stands through the darkness, and stands with us, and helps us to see what is really going on. All we have to do is keep on watching, never looking away, never growing weary in our souls or losing heart. Cheering each other on to run the race.

– James Hart Brumm
   Director of the Reformed Church Center and the Theological Writing Center
   Assistant Professor of Reformed Church Studies

Prayer:
              God of light:
              help us keep running the race as the darkness grows,
              help us be clear-eyed witnesses to what is truly there
              so we can cheer one another on toward greater good,
              seeing the way toward justice for everyone.
              As your Christ draws the world to himself,
              help us lift our crosses and proclaim your love and justice.

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Tuesday in Holy Week

Waiting in Patience

Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother鈥檚 womb he named me. Isaiah 49:1, NRSV

For you are my hope, O Lord God, my confidence since I was young.
I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
from my mother’s womb you have been my strength; my praise shall be always of you.
I have become a portent to many; but you are my refuge and my strength.
But I shall always wait in patience, and shall praise you more and more. Psalm 71:5-7, 14

Jesus said to them, 鈥楾he light is with you for a little longer.
Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you.
If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going.
While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.鈥� John 12:35-36

In Lent in general, and in Holy Week in particular, we are obliged to walk with Jesus through the trials, tribulations, self-denials, and humiliations all while contemplating the morbid reality of his ultimate suffering in betrayal, isolation, crucifixion, and death. And yet, this Holy Tuesday the appointed scriptures resonate with the greatest other certainty of human life: birth. And amid the solemn observance of Holy Week we are reminded of how utterly one we are with God, not only in death, but in life, from even before our very births, and through knowing Christ are born even into eternal life.

Having a precious infant daughter at home, as I reflect on the words of Isaiah, the Psalmist, and John, what stands out most to me are the references to childbirth. Our family truly had to 鈥渨ait in patience鈥� (Psalm 71: 14) as our baby was not born until eleven days after her 鈥渄ue date.鈥� We were reminded of God鈥檚 time is often different that our own. I welcome the reassurance of Psalm 71:6: 鈥淯pon you I have leaned ever since I was born, from the womb of my mother you, you took me out, my praise shall be always in you.鈥� We must indeed praise God, more and more. Lent and Holy Week can bring an acute darkness and dampened mood, but Jesus admonishes us to believe in the light, 鈥渟o that we may become children of light鈥� (John 12:36).

My hope this Holy Tuesday is that all mothers and their little ones may fully know you, and fully know and feel that they are loved by you as well as welcomed into the world as members of the human family, the body of Christ, and not be stymied by labels of alien, migrant, outsider, or Other, for God 鈥渋s the source of our life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption鈥� (1 Corinthians 1:30).

– T. Patrick Milas
   Director of Gardner A. Sage Library
   Assistant Professor of Theological Bibliography and Research

Prayer:
              Knowing God became truly human in the person of Jesus,
              and that his mother experienced
              all of the bodily changes and pangs of childbirth that mothers do,
              we pray that mothers who have hoped and prayed for their expectancy
              may continue to be comforted by the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.
              May we all abide with Jesus this day,
              and abide in his wisdom,
              that despite the trials of Lent,
              we may truly glory in the righteousness, the sanctification, and the redemption
              that Easter will soon surely bring anew!
              Amen.

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Monday in Holy Week

Not Yet Today

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry out or lift up his voice
    or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
    until he has established justice in the earth,
    and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
    I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,^[]
    a light to the nations,
    to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
    I tell you of them.         _{Isaiah 42:1-9, NRSV}

Not yet today.  Or so it appears.  Nor was it for Jesus in his day, according to tradition.  On this day, Jesus overturned the temple, cursed the fig tree and was questioned about his authority.  We look around today, and scarcely find hope that justice is improving, let alone advancing.  Daily, governmental policies around the world bruise reeds by the thousands. Failure of basic human kindness to one another snuff out more dim wicks than can be counted.  And yet, Isaiah鈥檚 vision for the age of justice prevails: the Creator who spread out the earth will take the 鈥渟ervant鈥� by the hand and establish justice to the far ends of the earth.  Through God鈥檚 servant 鈥淚srael,鈥� to God鈥檚 son Jesus, the Christ, and now to us, the church, as Christ鈥檚 Spirit-filled agents of hope, grace, and love, the vision of justice prevails.  God will not stop until justice is fully realized.  God will not stop until all sing a new song of praise to the Lord from one end of the earth to another!

Not yet today.  But we are still working, still growing, still praying, and still faithful servants of God.  As we begin this Holy Week looking forward to the resurrection, we look not with eyes that only see what is broken.  No. We see that justice has already come in some measure, that justice is still coming day-by-day, and that justice will yet come in all its perfection.  May our daily actions be infused with the hope of Isaiah鈥檚 prophecy and in its affirmation in and through Christ.  Today, may we listen to Christ鈥檚 Spirit鈥檚 call on our lives to be agents of that justice whenever and however we are called.  May our ears be attuned to hear the cries of the bruised reeds and the smoldering wick in our circle of influence.  May our eyes be opened to truly see them.  May our minds be ready to gain wisdom about how to serve them.  And may our hands be ready to act in their behalf.

Not yet today.  But by faith, we know that God is at work to bring justice to reign in all its fullness!

– Charles M. Rix
  Interim Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs

Prayer:
              God who created the heavens and stretched them out,
              who give breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
              call us into righteousness,
              take us by the hand,
              give us as a covenant to all people,
              that we may open blind eyes
              and bring prisoners from the dungeons and darkness.
              Show us your new things, not yet today,
              but by faith may we declare them.

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Palm Sunday

The Eastern and Western Gates to Jerusalem

Jesus and his followers came up to Jerusalem from Jericho, and so would have entered the eastern gate of the city. Pontius Pilate would have come up from Caesarea Phillipi with a contingent of troops to enforce peace in Jerusalem during the Passover, entering by the western gate.

Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, 鈥淕o into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 鈥榃hy are you untying it?鈥� just say this, 鈥楾he Lord needs it.鈥� 鈥� So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, 鈥淲hy are you untying the colt?鈥� They said, 鈥淭he Lord needs it.鈥� Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

鈥淏lessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!鈥�

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, 鈥淭eacher, order your disciples to stop.鈥� He answered, 鈥淚 tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.鈥�  _{Luke 19:28b-40, NRSV}

Out of the west came Pilate
   on horseback, flags unfurled,
to hold Rome鈥檚 power inviolate,
   unchallenged in the world.
He came to keep things peaceful,
   preserve the status quo,
to keep the locals mindful
   of how life ought to go.

The eastern gate met Jesus,
   upon a donkey鈥檚 back
to show he meant to save us
   (a calculated act!).
The peace he brought subverted
   the status of this place
where God had been abandoned
   in favor of false truce.

With Pilate came foundations,
   accountable and sure,
to make these messy nations
   one empire, stable, pure.
Authority brought order,
   unquestioned, quick, and clear,
each well-seen, well-known border
   enforced by gold and spear.

But Jesus knew true concord
   was oneness with God鈥檚 will
and wept, for we could be more
   than what we buy and sell.
A riot in the Temple,
   creative disarray,
was proof that he brought trouble:
   this rebel had to die.

What convoy might we follow?
   Are strength and certainty
the qualities we value?
   Or would we dare to try
the path of brave surrender,
   sedition siring loss
when we share Christ鈥檚 meek splendor
  by taking up our cross?

Copyright 漏 2009, The Leupold Foundation, Colfax, NC. Used by permission of the author.

Prayer:
              Help us, O God, to follow the way of Jesus,
               the way that challenges the brutal certainty of the world, 
              that rejects oppressive safety for brave surrender.
              Walk with us through this Holy Week
              as we seek the way of your cross in all of life.

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The fifth week in Lent

From Anglo to Hispanic: A Rebirth Toward Justice in Bergenfield

One hundred years ago, in the midst of the roaring twenties, as immigrants arrived who were not from northern Europe, white Protestants fled Hudson County and New York City and found quieter places away from the Jews and Catholics who had become the majority of new immigrants. Among many places, a large number moved to the Fields of Bergen, which became Bergenfield, NJ. There they established a rural Protestant bastion and established the Clinton Avenue Reformed Church. The church thrived for one hundred years, but during the last thirty years the town changed. Orthodox Jews, Filipinos, and immigrants from Central and South America came into that town. The white Protestants of that church, courageously decided to reinvent the congregation. Rather than die as a small white church in a town that was no longer white, they chose to be reborn.

In 2023, on the cusp of the one hundredth anniversary of the congregation, a new immigrant, Hispanic church planter was hired to begin a new congregation. This one would be composed of recent immigrants who spoke native Spanish. Christ鈥檚 church in Bergenfield was reborn that year with Christians of a different culture, but just as zealous for Jesus.

In a nation that frequently rejects immigrants, Clinton Avenue Reformed Church has embraced them. At times, churches with institutional racism would reject the idea of forming a non-Anglo new church start, but this congregation invested in immigrants of a different culture and showed they saw the Church of Christ with a broader cultural vision than many of their contemporaries.

Today, in the midst of Lent, we celebrate the Clinton Avenue Reformed Church that has been reborn. May we all follow their example of justice and vision.

Prayer:
               Lord Jesus, your ministry extended the Father鈥檚 love beyond nations and cultures.
               Even his disciples bristled at the love and justice that he showed 
               to those whom they considered outsiders.
               Yet, Jesus鈥� mercy transcends such earthly constructs.
               This Lent and Resurrection Day, may we have the heart of Jesus
               in overcoming cultural differences and seeing Jesus鈥� face in everyone we meet.
               In Jesus鈥� name we pray. Amen.

– Mark William Ennis
  MDiv graduate, 1984

Reflection for the rest of the week:      The final three Ascent Psalms: 132, 133, 134
                                                                               The Ascent Psalms were sung by pilgrims heading for Jerusalem.

Prayer:                 
              Gracious God, you鈥檙e not the God of confusion or discord,
              But the God of concord and peace:
              so join our hearts and affections that we may walk as kindred in your house,
              in charity and love as members of the body of Christ.
              Let your Holy Spirit refresh us with anointing grace,
              that we may obtain eternal life through your Son, Jesus Christ.
              Amen.                                                              _{Adapted from the prayer for Psalm 133 in the Scottish Psalter of 1595}

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The fourth week in Lent

Feeding Neighbors, Building Community

Food insecurity is hiding just beneath the surface of many communities. Loneliness is usually lurking there with it. A number of years ago, First Reformed Church of Wynantskill, New York, began to face this problem head-on. Every Wednesday evening from October to May, the congregation hosts a simple, free dinner: spaghetti, green beans, and dessert. It鈥檚 a consistent, reliable meal every week. Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay, church membership, or anything else. Everyone can come and eat. Everyone who wants to can talk and laugh and share. Donations from the congregation and community make is all possible.

Prayer:
               God who accepts the hospitality of friends and strangers,
               who feeds the hungry wherever possible:
               keep us ever aware of those who need a meal to eat
               and a friendly face across the table,
               and help us to offer them both,
               that we may also feed and be fed by you.
               Amen.

Reflection for the rest of the week:      The next three Ascent Psalms: 129, 130, 131
                                                                               The Ascent Psalms were sung by pilgrims heading for Jerusalem.

Prayer:                 
               Mighty God, who resist the proud and gives strength to the humble;
               don鈥檛 let us lift ourselves up in pride for ourselves or our good works;
               but help us be humble, making no pretense of pride before your divinity;
               and let us humble ourselves more and more
               so we may continually feel your loving favor, mercy, and assistance,
               hrough Jesus Christ, your Son.
               Amen.                                                              _{Adapted from the prayer for Psalm 131 in the Scottish Psalter of 1595}

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