Ten Minutes for Teachers
Apr. 1, 2007
Vol. 8, Issue 1
Worship Texts: Ps. 118; Isa. 50:4-9a; Luke 19:28-40
Worship Theme: The Things that Make for Peace
Other Texts: Phil. 2:5-11
Reminders:
Easter Egg Hunt: there will be an Easter egg hunt following our second service on Sunday – so stick around for the chance to either collect eggs or delight in children scurrying about in the warmth of spring.
Holy Week: Be sure to check your bulletin this Sunday to learn about all the opportunities for worship, fellowship, and ministry this upcoming week as we collectively find ourselves following the path our Lord and Savior walked so beautifully so long ago.
Devotion:
Three years ago – about this time – The Passion of the Christ (directed by Mel Gibson) was making its splash at the box office and beyond. However, long before the debate began about the value or harm the movie could do for Christians and others, there was another debate that Mel Gibson wrestled long and hard with: should the movie include English subtitles? Should it include written words?
In other words, Gibson was trying to decide if people needed to read The Passion or if it was sufficient for people to simply experience The Passion by watching the emotions play out on the faces of the actors. After much debate, the final decision was to include subtitles.
Still, I can’t help but wonder: couldn’t someone – in fact – create a depiction of the last week that includes no words, but rather relied solely on expressions and sounds that words cannot capture – like cries, shouts, and laughter?
Written words, of course, are the means by which we learn about the final week of Jesus – including this upcoming Sunday, Palm or Passion Sunday. But, it is important to note that these “words” of scripture are much more than simple vessels to carry information. The words employed by Luke (and by the other gospel writers) are intended to create scenes – images, sights, sounds, smells – that bring the story alive in our mind and allow us to come alive in them as well.
In reading the text this week, you might be particularly mindful of the sounds of this story. As Seasons of the Spirit comments, “There are cries of anguish, trust, thanks, [objection] and hope as we follow Jesus into Jerusalem.”
And, as Jesus so aptly put it, even if the human race fell silent during this final week of Jesus’ life, “the stones would shout out” (Lk. 19:40). One way or another, God’s voice was going to be heard – words or no words.
Something to Chew On:
Spiritual Practices: This Sunday is Palm Sunday, which begins a week of heightened spiritual awareness for many of us – culminating in Easter Sunday. Like Christmas, our “spiritual” antenna seems more alert and aligned.
But, what do we do when we don’t have obvious church occasions to remind us of God’s redeeming love and gracious activity? How do we stay tuned into God’s will and ways?
Throughout the history of the church, many faithful men and women have found that several practices do much to help keep us attuned to God’s voice. These “spiritual practices are activities that help us to intentionally seek the presence of God.” They are not practices we do to please God or set us on the path of spiritual elitism.
Perhaps you can look at spiritual practices like so: they are intentional methods (tried and true through thousands of years) that allow us to be shaped by God – like a potter shapes clay into a beautiful vessel.
I mention spiritual practices because there will be several opportunities to engage in some corporate practices this upcoming week, including:
- Morning prayer – weekdays, 8:00-8:15 am in the church chapel: a brief service of prayer, scripture reading and silence to form us for the day.
- Lectio Divina – Tuesday @ 6:30 pm in the sanctuary and Wednesday @ 11:00 am in the chapel: a chance to hear and “eat” the Word of God through speaking, listening, meditating and silence.
And, beyond those corporate opportunities, I invite you to begin other forms of spiritual practice, such as meditation, scripture reading, fasting, and time in silence each day.
Prayer for the day:
“God of faithfulness and mercy, stay near to us this Holy Week and fill our hearts with the assurance that we are yours forever. We give thanks for the great gift of love that is ours through Jesus, your Christ. Amen.” - Seasons of the Spirit: Ages 12-14. Pg. 33
