Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Rejoicing in the Opportunity to Observe Holy Week – The Most Important Week in HISTORY!

 

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

What do you think of when you hear the term “Holy Week?”  As a person raised in the church, I understandably think of the period of time from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.  More on that later. 

 

However, to a group of friends whom I have grown to know over the last 30 years, “holy week” (small letters) has a different meaning.  For this group of fishing friends, “holy week” is the third week in July on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska.  This group of guys, who love to fish, migrate from the lower 48 to the Kenai because the sockeye, or red salmon, start hitting the peak of their run for the year, usually around this time.  And if you are a fisherperson, I know a number of them, catching a 6-10 pound red salmon on a fly rod is a thrill.  The official count by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for 2023 is that 2,351,020 red salmon returned to just the Kenai River.  We have had a similar count for a number of years.

 

So, if you are an avid fisherperson, and if you are on the river at just the right time, you may have the opportunity to fight a fish every 2 or 3 or 4 casts.  But the key is “IF.” Sometimes fewer fish return.  Sometimes the fish come late, or early.  Sometimes a person can cast into the river for hours and have few hits, or even none.

 

Nevertheless, the last half of July, the fisher-PEOPLE return to the Kenai Peninsula almost like committed worshipers.  The FISH have their own schedule.  But, my friends have arrived every year for almost 40 years, full of faith and full of hope that the salmon will return.  When I think of the term “holy week,” I now also think of my fishing friends and our salmon fishing.  You may ask, “Jonathan, you are a PASTOR!  What does fishing have to do with Jesus’ church?” (Well . . . don’t get me going!) 

 

But, I do have a question for YOU.  If you have a passion, whether fishing, or sports, or sewing, or family, or reading, or something else, do you give the same attention to the events of Jesus’ last week before His crucifixion that you have for your hobbies and interests? 

 

Jesus is the Son of God whom our Heavenly Father, as early as Genesis 3:15, promised to send to save His children from their sin.  Jesus was born miraculously, through the Virgin Mary.  He lived a holy life of obedience and love, fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament about the Messiah.  As the Son of God, Jesus performed miracles which called people to faith, to trusting the Lord with their lives.  All history before Jesus pointed to Him as the fulfillment of our Lord’s promises.  All history since says that the events of Holy Week, the events of Palm Sunday, of Jesus disputing with the religious leaders in the temple, of Jesus’ foot-washing and instituting of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday, the events of Jesus’ arrest and His sham trial, His beating and whipping, and His crucifixion, these events are the most important events in the history of the world.  On the cross, Jesus, the Son of God and the promised Messiah, cried out as He bowed His head, “It is finished!” (John 19:30)  All the promises of God’s love and forgiveness and salvation were completed, were finished, during the original Holy Week. 

 

Perhaps you know that I am an avid fisherman.  I look forward to each fishing outing, whether on the river, or the ice, or the lake, or the ocean.  I relish the opportunity to enjoy our Heavenly Father’s Creation.  I enjoy the challenge to fill a freezer.  So, do Jesus’ followers look forward just as passionately to observing Holy Week, the most important week in history?  Will you be in worship on Sunday to wave your palms?  Will you celebrate the Lord’s Supper this year on the night Jesus instituted this gift of grace?  Will you watch with others on Good Friday, moved by the love of Jesus which led Him to die for our sins, and the sins of the whole world? Are you looking forward to remembering God’s love as you observe Holy Week this year???

 

When the Kenai River “holy week fishing” is really good, I can delight in filling my freezer by catching fish.  But, this coming week we observe Jesus’ last week of life, the week when he cried, “It is finished.”  Are YOU looking forward to the celebration of Holy Week 2024?  Will you observe these most important events in history?

 

A Child of God, Rejoicing in the Opportunity to Observe Holy Week – The Most Important Week in HISTORY!

Pastor Jonathan

 

 

 

 

P.S.  NEWS CONCERNING FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH - Gainesville.

 

 

MID-WEEK LENTEN WORSHIP CONCLUDES THIS Wednesday, March 20 with worship services at 6:30 p.m.  These services have been held at 6:30 each Wednesday in Lent, for the last 6 weeks. A Lenten meal is held each Wednesday evening at 5:00 p.m.  The Theme of our Lenten worship is “The Blessings of Suffering.”

 

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE – Here is the Holy Week Schedule for First Lutheran in 2024.

 

·       Palm Sunday Worship – We celebrate Palm Sunday on March 24.  Included in worship will be singing from our Open Arms pre-school children, and a baptism of Lucy Sykes!  Come and join us at 10:00 a.m.

 

·       Maundy Thursday

 

o   Maundy Thursday Noon worship  with Communion gives us a chance to “Do this in Remembrance of Jesus”, who instituted the Lord’s Supper on this day

 

o   PASSOVER MEALWe will celebrate a PASSOVER MEAL of lamb, green salad, charoseth (apple and raisin relish), unleavened bread, and wine or grape juice at 6:00 p.m. (This time gives people a chance to arrive from work.) There is a ceremony with this meal which helps us understand Jesus’ Passion and Easter victory.  The Recommended Donation is $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.  PLEASE SIGN UP IN THE NARTHEX AT CHURCH!

 

o   7:30 Maundy Thursday Evening Worship – This service, following the Passover Meal, should carry extra meaning.  In addition, 2 confirmation student, Ryland and Kennon Brown will receive their first communion.

 

·       Good Friday Worship

o   Good Friday Noon  - We remember Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice with a noon service.

 

o   Good Friday Evening - We also remember the events of Good Friday with a worship service at 7:00 p.m.

 

·       Easter Sunday Celebration!

 

o   8:30 a.m. Easter Worship - First Lutheran celebrates Easter on Sunday, March 31, first of all at 8:30 on Easter morning.

 

o   EASTER BREAKFAST – will take place after early worship, probably around 9:30 or 9:45 a.m.

 

o   An EASTER EGG HUNT will be offered for children on Easter morning at 10:00 a.m.

 

o   11:00 Easter Worship gives a second chance to celebrate Jesus’ Easter victory for us.

 

BASIC TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE / NEW MEMBER CLASSS –A new membership class began  February 11thafter worship in the Besalski Fellowship Hall. But, we have only just begun. There is still time to join the class.  This is also a good way to refresh you knowledge of God’s Word.  PLEASE NOTE,   JUST BECAUSE A PERSON ATTENDS THE CLASS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE COMMITTED TO JOINING FIRST LUTHERAN.  If you are interested in learning and growing, we would love to have you join us.

 

A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS continues on Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. in the Besalski Fellowship Hall.  We are studying Acts 12, and will begin chapter 13 this coming Sunday. 

 

WE CONTINUE TO READ THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025 using the Today’s Light Devotional Bible.  As of March 20 we read about the spies going into The Promised Land, in Numbers 13.

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL IS HELD EACH SUNDAY DURING WORSHIP.  PLEASE bring your children and grandchildren!

 

P.P.S.  PICTURES – AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

 

ROCKEY FAMILY CARIBBEAN CRUISE – I have added more pictures to the album of photos from our family Cruise, March 9-16.  Here is the link to the photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/wnT66W7QXUAZS37E9

 

BIGGER ROCKEY GATHERING – On Saturday, March 16, after our cruise, more family joined us at the home of Stephen and Lori Rockey in Wildwood.  Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/oyxR7MR1SjxTuUaA7

 

OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

·       I WENT FISHING ONCE, Sunday afternoon, March 17, on Rodman Reservoir.  In about 2 hours I had 3 bites and caught one 14” bass.  Here is a picture. https://photos.app.goo.gl/kDdEosSthY2VtMaN7

 

·       I went golfing on Monday, March 18 (previous plans fell through).  This guy was sunning himself in swamp on the golf course. https://photos.app.goo.gl/agS8VFy7iVBPhj3P8

 

*******

 

ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as full-time senior pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK.  I was writing a weekly devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."  When I retired many asked me to continue writing these devotions.  So I have continued writing.  However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God."  Since I am no longer senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who asked to receive it.  (Currently I am serving as Vacancy Pastor for First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL.)

        So, if you stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you understand.  And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution list.  My e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.

        My prayer is that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.

 

                                                                        *******

Jonathan Rockey

Child of God

Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather

Vacancy Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Gainesville, FL

Pastor Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer, AK



 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 a)

 

 

 


No comments:

Post a Comment