Holy Week - Monday
This morning, I was blessed to read a poetic prayer written by our conference minister, Rev. David Long-Higgins. He shares:
Loving God,
Grant grace for this week
Of walking the holy way
Of remembrance and risk
Of riot and resurrection.
Form the heart and mind
Of Christ in me
In daring commitment
To your will and way of love
No matter the twists and turns
Of roads trod or voices encountered.
Let no resistance
To Your love within or beyond
Be greater than the grace
And strength of Christ
Whose Jerusalem journey
Already reveals Your power
In what the world calls weakness.
Especially grant me strength
When temptations to run away
From Your demands of love
Call me to release my present
And future into Your loving embrace
Not knowing where the road
Of your renewal may lead.
Yes, Love,
Let me die to all the detours.
Of my own design and distraction
Trusting You will hold me
In life and death
And life beyond death
No matter the pressure
Or pain of the present moment.
At the last, O Love,
Interrupt again the inertia
Of a world gone mad
With vitriol and violence
Forming Your Holy renewal
With resurrection surprises
Too frequent to deny
And too beautiful to ignore.
Yes, Love,
By this week,
In this week,
For this week,
Write my story again
Into Your Holy story
And let it be.
More than enough.
I read this prayer this morning just after I was wondering about what I would personally be centering on during Holy Week. I am still doing my One Year Bible readings but those aren’t tied directly to the events of this week in the Christian faith. So I may stick with this prayer through the week and see what speaks to me each day.
For today, it was in the first two stanzas...”Grant grace for this week of walking the holy way...No matter the twists and turns of roads trod or voices encountered.”
When I went out this morning for my sermon crafting time this morning, I loved this moment that you see in the photo. I loved the sense of how the ground reflects the growth that is coming with Spring but the trees still reflect the winter that has been. I loved the twisting and winding path that doesn’t have the clear destination. I loved the moment of being out in creation and prayerfully talking with God about what to share about the Easter story come Sunday. As I stopped at this place, I felt secure, hopeful, and assured of the continuing work of the One who has gone before us and somehow still walks with us.