2012 Lenten GuideWeek 6

Occupy: God with Us

It is time to take a deep breath. The Palm Sunday services have just concluded. The palm branches are laying at the foot of the cross. Christ’s journey to the cross has begun. As Christians, we celebrate the events of Holy Week so that we might embody and remember the experiences of Jesus Christ the last week of his life. We walk the journey to cross so that we might walk closer to our God. The events of Holy Week make us sit back and remember how God is with us and they beg us to call on the name of God, just as Christ did as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane and as he hung on the cross.

When Jason and I traveled to Italy we were able to visit the Pieta. The is a traditional image of Mary hold-ing her grown son. This sculpture, in all its glory, evokes many images and emotions. It reminds me that God holds me in my weakest hour, just as Mary held her son. This is one way in which we can al-low God to occupy us – becoming vulnerable in our weakest moments and allowing God to hold us. This is much like the vulnerabil-ity Christ displayed in his prayer in the Garden of

Gethsemane, “Father, if it be your will, let this cup pass from me.”

Several years ago, we had a Good Friday service at our church and I remember a prayer that the pas-tor prayed with the choir just be-fore the service began. He made a connection to “Christ hang-ing on the cross years ago” and a thought crossed my mind: some-times “years ago” doesn’t feel like that long ago. Foe example, I was married 8 years ago, yet it does not feel like its been that long. I can re-member my anxiousness when I got my first car and drove it home for the first time like it was yeaster-day, yet it was 17 years ago!

This simple pre-service prayer in-vited me to remove the distance between Christ and myself. Christ hung on a cross years ago. What if it felt like yesterday? What if I imagine that the roughly two thousand years spearating Christ’s life from my own were not as long ago as I tend to think? Perhaps I would live into the Way of Christ with more energy and gusto. Were I to remember Christ as if he were living yesterday, perhaps I would see more clearly, love more dear-ly, and follow more nearly, just as

the song from Godspell suggests. Perhaps such a stance would open my life further to God’s occupying presence!

Together, we have walked a jour-ney through Lent. We have been praying to God each week that we might listen to voices speaking through movements such as “Oc-cupy Wall Street,” that we might find the God in us, that we migh speak up and show up. Now we plea, O God, open us up. Occupy us, O Lord. Fill us . Move us. Use us. Amen.

Spirit of the Living GodSpirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me,Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.

Melt us, mold us, fill us, use us,Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.

O Come, O Come, EmmanuelO come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive IsraelThat mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appearRejoice! Rejoice! EmmanuelShall come to thee, O Israel.

John 1:1-5In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not over-come it.

Luke 24:13-29Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Em-maus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, look-ing sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and be-sides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. More-over, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’ Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them.

Mark 14:32-42They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are pos-sible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.’ He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.’

http://hyaets.orgseed@hyaets.org

704-391-8529inspire, enrich & embody community