Holy Week, Bombs & Being Together

Here we are. About to enter another Holy Week. About to enter the suffering of a God who we believe suffers with us.It's a tough week, if we take it seriously. If we make space to enter the suffering of Jesus, we find ourselves feeling discomfort, powerlessness & loss.   In a culture that resists death & even tries to defy it, we are much more comfortable staying at a distance or staying in denial.We can choose to stay in denial or we can choose to move deeper into the way of Jesus. That Way calls us to not only move deeper into the suffering & death of Jesus, but deeper into the suffering & death of the world.And, that should not be difficult to do considering all that's happening...Bombings in Syria continue a violent assault on an already devastated people. Eight executions in Arkansas are set to happen the day after we celebrate Resurrection. An unfathomable number of refugees are fleeing South Sudan or staying there & dying of hunger.Holy Week does not just tell us some irrelevant, ancient story - nor does it only invite us to remember the suffering of Jesus.  It reminds us of the world we live in & the cost of following Jesus in it. We, too bear crosses, fail to stand in solidarity, resort to violence & feel powerless to turn the tide. We, too hear the death march. We too long for resurrection.All are welcome to journey with us.

Palm Sunday & Stations of the Cross: Gather with us this Sunday as we share communion, pray & meditate on various Stations of the Cross. We come together at the Third & Main Event Center at 10 a.m. to share coffee, conversation & breakfast food. At 10:30, we begin our worship gathering. There will be activities for children during the Stations of the Cross.Sacred Stories Group: This group has been coming together throughout Lent to meditate on a Jesus story together & to hear the story of someone in our community. This Wednesday, we will begin with a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. & move into meditation & story-sharing around Matthew 26:36-46.Maundy Thursday Community Foot-washing: We are invited to join Church Without Walls for a community foot-washing in the parking lot of St. Philip's Episcopal Church (321 W. Union St.). We are collecting white socks to be shared with those in need (women's, men's & children's) as part of this gathering. You can bring them to any of our activities between now & April 12th.Easter Sunday: After Holy Week comes Resurrection Sunday. We will gather next to the Powell Apartments (317 E. 6th Street, by Three Layers) at 10 a.m. for a community worship gathering. If you are able, bring a lawn chair or blanket. We will have plenty of extra chairs. After our gathering, you are invited to Kevin & Susan's for brunch & an egg hunt for our children. You can sign up here to bring brunch food to share.