How would you
describe the events of Holy Week? Holy Week usually includes Palm Sunday,
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, sometimes Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday. People celebrate with palms, Easter eggs, and
Passover Meals. They celebrate with bunnies and candy, the Lord’s Supper,
somber worship, breakfasts, and songs of joy.
But, thinking back to that week in Jesus’ life, what words describe Holy
Week to you?
Some might
answer “history,” or “a myth or tradition.”
Yet, even acknowledging the events as historical fact seems to me to
separate us personally from the events of that week. Some might say “sacrifice,” or “surprising.” Imagine that God gives His Son for the
forgiveness and life of the world. Yet,
I believe personally that one simple word describes the events of Holy Week in
the life of Jesus, and for the world.
That word is . . . LOVE! The description of Holy Week is love.
Many times songs
and hymns communicate in ways which touch the mind and the heart. When a beautiful or haunting melody is paired
with surprising, or impactful words, those songs or hymns can cut right through
the clutter in our lives. One of the
Christian hymns which touches my heart in that way I learned in high school
during Young Life Christian youth gatherings in the homes of fellow students. That song is “What Wondrous Love is This.” Perhaps you know the tune. If so, hum the tune and please read these
words with me. Meditate upon what Jesus willingly faced during Holy Week, and
let His love seep into your life.
Verse 1
What
wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!
In response to
the proclamation of that verse from John, please consider the words of Jesus in
John 15. “12 "This is
my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his
friends.” (John 15:12-13) The love of Jesus which we witness again this
Holy Week IS wondrous. Jesus laid down
His life for His friends, for us. There
is no greater love.
Verse 2
When
I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When
I was sinking down, sinking down,
When
I was sinking down Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ
laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ
laid aside His crown for my soul.
The ultimate
truth of life is that God created the world; that our Lord created us in wisdom
and power and love. Yet, all human
beings, including ourselves, have acted in selfishness, in pride, in rebellion,
and in hatred. We deserve God’s just punishment. However, consider Romans 5:8. “. . . God
shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We deserve God’s punishment. Yet
Jesus DIES for sinners, for us. What we
see this week is . . . LOVE!
Verse 3
To
God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To
God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To
God and to the Lamb, Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
Consider these
verses from John 10, “11 I am the good shepherd. The good
shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . . 18 No one takes it
from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down,
and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my
Father." Jesus is the Good Shepherd who takes care of the lambs of
God. And Jesus is the Lamb of God who
takes away the sins of the world. Jesus willingly
dies to give us eternal life. That is
LOVE!
Verse 4
And when from death I’m free, I’ll
sing on, I’ll sing on;
And
when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And
when from death I’m free, I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.
Please meditate
with me on the unexpected words of 1 John 4:9-11. “9 In this the love of God was
made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we
might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved
God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” It is not that we loved God. He loved us. Jesus died to pay the price for
our failures, for our sins. What we see
when we again watch Jesus’ journey through the prophesied events of Holy Week
is LOVE, pure and simple.
I encourage you
to attend Holy Week services, to receive the love God intends for you, and to
worship Him with your heart, soul, strength, and mind. In the events of Holy Week, God gives you LOVE,
in Jesus!
A Child of God, Amazed
Again at the Wondrous Love of God in the Sacrifice of Jesus!
Pastor Rockey
P.S. I am now in Gainesville, FL, serving as assistant to
Pastor Chris Kollmann at First Lutheran.
First Lutheran Activities
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
Maundy
Thursday – April 2nd
5:30 p.m. Passover Seder meal in the
Fellowship Hall
Noon and
7:00 p.m. Worship Services with Communion
Good
Friday – April 3rd Noon
and 6:00 p.m Worship
Easter
morning – April 5th
8:30
and 11:00 a.m. Worship
9:30-10:30
Easter Breakfast
10:30
a.m. Easter Egg Hunt
·
STEPHEN MINISTRY - We started Stephen
Ministry classes at First Lutheran on Thursday, February 12. Stephen
Ministers are trained Christian care-givers. A Stephen Minister is not
a pastor, and not a counselor. But they are Christians who are
trained to bring Jesus and His love to another Christian person facing a
difficult time.
Open Arms Director, Angie Burr, is a trained
Stephen Leader. Susan Lucas will also begin training to serve as a
Stephen Leader for FLC.
We have 7 people who have committed to train
and serve as Stephen Ministers, as Christian care-givers. Training
happens on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. and will end in April.
Please pray for our Lord to use these
Stephen Ministers to serve His people.
·
SUNDAY BIBLE CLASSES - Pastor Kollman and I are
teaching separate Sunday Bible classes on Sundays at 8:45 a.m.
o
On Sunday, March 22, Pastor Kollmann began teaching
an Adult Member Class in the library.
o
I began teaching a separate class in the
Besalski Fellowship Hall.
§
We started with a study of Galatians. We are through Chapter 3
§
We will conclude with a Lutheran Hour Ministries
study of Christian citizenship, “We the People.”
·
Young People Activities at FLC
o
YOUTH ACTIVITIES - Our first youth
activity was held at the Kollmann residence on Sunday afternoon, February 22.
o
On SUNDAY, March 29, we took a trip to
Devil’s Millhopper state Geological site.
Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/PLfYALXRCwjuTcSo7
o
We plan to attend the Orange and Blue Game on
April 11. 😊 If your children are going into 3rd
grade, or older, please consider participating in these fun activities of
growth.
Other
Activities of Faith:
·
I have again started my two-year journey with my
Lord. On Wednesday, April 1, I read Numbers 28-30, concerning
festivals and vows. Feel free to join
me again if you wish. You may also contact me at 907-841-4066 if you
have any questions about these readings. Or send an e-mail question to jonrock53@mtaonline.net
I have received questions and comments about the readings. It is always
good to consider our Lord’s love and guidance. I will TRY to answer, but some
things only God knows!
P.P.S. Family
Fun and Fishing! - LAST WEEK WAS A TIME OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS
·
On Friday, March 27, Kathy and I visited with
long-time friends, Rev. Rick and Kris Armstrong in Clearwater.
o
We ate breakfast at the Seahorse Restaurant for
breakfast in Pass de Grille (St. Petersburg.) Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/yH6TQW79Ggzgtn9B8
o
This was the sunrise from the Armstrong’s porch on
Saturday morning, March 28, as we looked out over Tampa Bay. https://photos.app.goo.gl/vyb3rv4GLafpDxaE7
·
On Saturday, March 28, after leaving the
Armstrongs, we visited with Elaine Besalski, wife of former LONG-TIME First
Lutheran pastor, Rev. Robert Besalski. Here is a picture of Elaine and Kathy
and I. https://photos.app.goo.gl/3KsQ1x8PcRi7cjxe7
·
On Monday, March 30, my brother-in-law, Mark
Reaves, and I went fishing at the mouth of the Suwannee River. We caught quite a few fish. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZLR66NS7Xa84ecAx8
·
On Tuesday evening, March 31, the Florida Gators
baseball team played the Jacksonville University team. Unfortunately, the Gators lost. But it was a beautiful evening. Here is a
picture. https://photos.app.goo.gl/QJP6oFRtUya4mEKk9
·
I golfed on Wednesday morning, April 1. This guy was in the lake looking at my
ball! https://photos.app.goo.gl/48sCsoSbzYMBC41m7
·
Some of the Open Arms children helped make
unleavened bread for the Passover celebration.
Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/KBZ4ZWdYBMLYcHLf9
·
Here is the set-up crew for this year’s Passover
meal, Thursday, April 2, at 5:30 p.m. They
set up on Wednesday. https://photos.app.goo.gl/WETAgsPVq8At3H6v8
*******
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.
(However, I currently serve as Assistant to the 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
Assistant to the
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)
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