Saturday, April 16, 2022 - Lent Day 40- Holy Week Devotion
TODAY - Saturday, April 16, 11 a.m. - Community Easter Egg Hunt
This is a free event, all are welcome, invite your family and friends!
Though this event is free; donations are being received for “Believet”
Believet is an organization providing service dogs for veterans with disabilities.
Want to help? Join us at 10 a.m. to execute the final details! Thank you!
TOMORROW - Easter Sunday, The Resurrection Of Our Lord: “Easter Hearts, Alive And Anew!” Festive Worship, Sunday, April 17, 9:30 a.m.
Join us in-person and on Facebook
Festive Music, Children's Message, Holy Communion, and More!
Rewatch our other Holy Week Services:
Stay here and keep watch with me
The hour has come
Stay here and keep watch with me
Watch and pray
“When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember what that imposter said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead’, and the last deception would be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.”
Few things in life are as hard as waiting. Waiting for the doctor's report. Waiting for the court to rule. Waiting for the next dollar in hard times. Waiting while being put on hold. Waiting for the birth of a child. Waiting for news of a loved one's condition.
Waiting.......Waiting, keeping vigil, for what will happen next, is not easy. Waiting for what will happen next, even when you have a pretty good idea, is not easy. Things could change. It could take longer than you think. Things might not take place exactly the way you pictured them.
Today is about waiting. About staying here and keeping watch, remaining vigilant. Even in the midst of details for the celebration you expect to go exactly as you picture tomorrow, we are invited to remember Who is in control of what will happen next: The Same One who keeps his loving and saving heart on us; The Same One who has come to be in charge of all the details at the cross and the tomb; The Same One who is forever in charge of all the details, each and every day!
Those who loved Jesus took his body and prepared it and put it in the tomb. They did not exactly know what the days ahead held for them. Pilate and the guards thought they were in charge of the details, thought they knew what they were waiting for - rumor, conspiracy, nothing. The Lord, however, was waiting to surprise them.
May we trust The One who keeps his heart on us, will stay here and keep watch over us, as we wait to celebrate, as we wait in the midst of all of life's uncertainties, as we wait for the glorious return of the crucified and risen Christ!
Let us pray: Jesus, I do not like to wait. I need you to be with me while I wait in the midst of difficult times. Through your Holy Spirit, keep your loving and saving heart on me, bless me with grace as promised, help me keep this vigil for you, to stay here and keep watch this Easter weekend. Bless me while I wait for your grace alone. Give me such faith, I surrender to you, The One who is in control of it all, The One who is in total control of me, while I wait; while I wait for tomorrow, while I wait to celebrate Easter, while I wait for your glorious return one day, while I wait for what you will do and how you will grace me each and every day. In your name I pray and I believe, as I stay here and keep watch for Christ alone. Amen.
