Holy Week
What makes something holy? Being divine? Being of God? Sacred? Something to do with the church?
Yes something is holy because it is sacred, but essentially when we talk of something being holy we mean that somehow it is different from the ordinary and set apart. The Bible is holy because its not like any other book. Baptism is holy because its not like any other bath. Ground is holy because it is set apart for sacred use. A week is holy because its unlike any of the other fifty-one, it is set apart for special devotion.
For me Holy Week has meant more time for worship, prayer, and the reading of Scripture. This week I will worship Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights. I will spend an hour Thursday night in prayer and an hour Friday afternoon in prayer. This Friday I will fast. This week my focus is on Christ, his cross, and what it all means for me and for the world.
This is a holy week. Every spiritual devotion I commit to this week is for the purpose of spiritual renewal and growth. It is Christ, who makes this week holy, who will produce such gifts within me.
Jesus speaks of himself and his followers when he says, "Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24) This is a week for producing seeds. First we remember that Christ died for us. But we move beyond remembrance when we allow this week to also produce holy seeds in our hearts... seeds that will feed us through the many weeks of ordinary.
Yes something is holy because it is sacred, but essentially when we talk of something being holy we mean that somehow it is different from the ordinary and set apart. The Bible is holy because its not like any other book. Baptism is holy because its not like any other bath. Ground is holy because it is set apart for sacred use. A week is holy because its unlike any of the other fifty-one, it is set apart for special devotion.
For me Holy Week has meant more time for worship, prayer, and the reading of Scripture. This week I will worship Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights. I will spend an hour Thursday night in prayer and an hour Friday afternoon in prayer. This Friday I will fast. This week my focus is on Christ, his cross, and what it all means for me and for the world.
This is a holy week. Every spiritual devotion I commit to this week is for the purpose of spiritual renewal and growth. It is Christ, who makes this week holy, who will produce such gifts within me.
Jesus speaks of himself and his followers when he says, "Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24) This is a week for producing seeds. First we remember that Christ died for us. But we move beyond remembrance when we allow this week to also produce holy seeds in our hearts... seeds that will feed us through the many weeks of ordinary.
No comments:
Post a Comment