Easter is Coming!
He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
This last week I read the following from the author of the book I’m using for my daily morning liturgy in this season:
“Pascha, more commonly known as Easter, always takes me somewhat unawares — not because I am ignorant of its significance or imminence each year, but because I do not really know how to prepare for it. Being raised in an evangelical church…any observance of Easter was more perfunctory than purposeful.”
I share a similar experience. I was raised in a tradition that didn’t do much in the way of tradition. The milestones of the church calendar were foreign to me, likely because we were Protestants, and, you know, it was all those other churches that observed those days and times and feasts. They weren't for us.
But the older I have become, the more I’ve become familiar with the history of the church, and the observance of special times in its life. Further, that these times are of great value to our faith, and an appreciation for what the Father, Son, and Spirit have done and are doing among us. I love the time of Easter to Pentecost as a “fitting way to bookend the celebration of the Messiah’s person and work: at Christmas, we celebrate his birth; at Pascha, Ascension, and Pentecost, we celebrate his life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of his Spirit.” (J. Gibson)
So how might we arrive at Holy Week, ready to celebrate all that the Messiah has, indeed, accomplished? How might we meditate on God’s saving work in Jesus? What will be the texts we should read, the songs we should sing, the prayers we might offer up, the confessions we should express? What might be a guide to us so that Holy Week won’t surprise us, without having made any preparations beyond maybe what we’ll have for lunch on Easter Sunday, or an egg hunt for the little ones?
One solution would be to find a guide. I’d like to offer two.
First, you could acquire Jonathan Gibson’s wonderful new book, O Sacred Head, Now Wounded: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Pascha to Pentecost (click here to purchase at Westminster Bookstore). Mr. Gibson provides a wonderful structure of prayers, songs, readings, catechisms and confessions, ancient and modern. I commend it highly!
Second, you could purchase Russ Ramsey’s moving book, The Passion of the King of Glory (click here to purchase at Westminster Bookstore). It’s a powerful retelling of the story of the life, death, and resurrection of our King Jesus, the Messiah. Russ tells the story in bite size chunks to work through leading up to Easter, and vividly displays the familiar narrative in fresh ways that will capture your heart and engage your mind.
However you choose to prepare for Holy Week, please, prepare. Our King is worth ponderings that will lead to freshly fueled praise on resurrection Sunday morning.
Growing one step closer to Jesus with you,
Pastor Matthew
