March 31, 2020 Dear Saginaw First UMC Family,€¦ · Sacrament of Holy Communion virtually) ... I...

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First United Methodist Church of Saginaw 4790 Gratiot Road Saginaw, MI 48638 (989) 799-0131 [email protected] www.firstumcsaginaw.org Worship: 10:00am Sunday 7:00pm Wednesday Rev. Amy Lee Brun Terhune Senior Pastor [email protected] Dina Draper Administrative Assistant Sarah Graham Office Assistant/Custodian Rod Bieber Director of Music Bryan Latimer Organist Catherine McMichael Bell Choir Director Lance Coyle Praise Band Director Diane Maturen, Aimee Priem, & Carolyn Rottiers Nursery Supervisors March 31, 2020 Dear Saginaw First UMC Family, It pains me deeply to know that we cannot be together in person for the remainder of the Lent season and beginning of the Easter season. Easter Sunday is such an important day for Christ-followers as we rejoice in a risen Savior. It can feel frustrating to not be able to celebrate together as a church family. Yet. Our job as Christians is to care for the vulnerable in our communities. With the rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the severity of its outcomes, the best way we can show love and care for our neighbor – especially our vulnerable neighbors – is to not meet in person for worship. When we are given the green light to join back with one another in person for worship, we will have a grand, full celebration of resurrection, including flowers, breakfast, and all the wonderful music, for we will be a people who were once scattered and now reunited! In the meantime, we will continue to worship together virtually through the livestream on Youtube. You can watch it anytime by following this link. This Sunday is Palm Sunday. If you’d like a palm, we have placed them in a vase out on the bench under the portico. If you’re out getting groceries or a prescription, feel free to stop and pick up enough for your household. As for Holy Week and Easter Sunday, we have put together this packet of resources that we hope you’ll find helpful in your home celebrations! This is one of those “keep what you want, leave what you don’t” situations where not everything in this packet will be of interest to you, but our hope is that everyone who encounters this will find at least one thing per “holiday” that helps them celebrate its purpose, even while distant from the church body. I have included daily devotions from the United Methodist Communications, as well as some kid- friendly activities, information about a Love Feast (since we can’t do the Sacrament of Holy Communion virtually) and a walking Stations of the Cross. We will upload a Good Friday service of Tenebre, which recalls the story of Christ’s death and resurrection on Good Friday, April 10. We are also periodically uploading 12-Minute Devotionals onto the Youtube page, so check those out, too (see link above). When you undertake any of these activities, take photos and send them to us! We can share with one another how even though we are physically separate, we are still one body celebrating as one! In Christ, Pastor Amy

Transcript of March 31, 2020 Dear Saginaw First UMC Family,€¦ · Sacrament of Holy Communion virtually) ... I...

Page 1: March 31, 2020 Dear Saginaw First UMC Family,€¦ · Sacrament of Holy Communion virtually) ... I want Jesus to walk with me / I want Jesus to walk with me / All along my pilgrim

First United Methodist Church of Saginaw

4790 Gratiot Road

Saginaw, MI 48638 (989) 799-0131

[email protected] www.firstumcsaginaw.org

Worship: 10:00am Sunday

7:00pm Wednesday

Rev. Amy Lee Brun Terhune Senior Pastor

[email protected]

Dina Draper Administrative Assistant

Sarah Graham Office Assistant/Custodian

Rod Bieber Director of Music

Bryan Latimer Organist

Catherine McMichael Bell Choir Director

Lance Coyle Praise Band Director

Diane Maturen, Aimee Priem, & Carolyn Rottiers

Nursery Supervisors

March 31, 2020 Dear Saginaw First UMC Family, It pains me deeply to know that we cannot be together in person for the remainder of the Lent season and beginning of the Easter season. Easter Sunday is such an important day for Christ-followers as we rejoice in a risen Savior. It can feel frustrating to not be able to celebrate together as a church family. Yet. Our job as Christians is to care for the vulnerable in our communities. With the rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the severity of its outcomes, the best way we can show love and care for our neighbor – especially our vulnerable neighbors – is to not meet in person for worship. When we are given the green light to join back with one another in person for worship, we will have a grand, full celebration of resurrection, including flowers, breakfast, and all the wonderful music, for we will be a people who were once scattered and now reunited! In the meantime, we will continue to worship together virtually through the livestream on Youtube. You can watch it anytime by following this link. This Sunday is Palm Sunday. If you’d like a palm, we have placed them in a vase out on the bench under the portico. If you’re out getting groceries or a prescription, feel free to stop and pick up enough for your household. As for Holy Week and Easter Sunday, we have put together this packet of resources that we hope you’ll find helpful in your home celebrations! This is one of those “keep what you want, leave what you don’t” situations where not everything in this packet will be of interest to you, but our hope is that everyone who encounters this will find at least one thing per “holiday” that helps them celebrate its purpose, even while distant from the church body. I have included daily devotions from the United Methodist Communications, as well as some kid-friendly activities, information about a Love Feast (since we can’t do the Sacrament of Holy Communion virtually) and a walking Stations of the Cross. We will upload a Good Friday service of Tenebre, which recalls the story of Christ’s death and resurrection on Good Friday, April 10. We are also periodically uploading 12-Minute Devotionals onto the Youtube page, so check those out, too (see link above). When you undertake any of these activities, take photos and send them to us! We can share with one another how even though we are physically separate, we are still one body celebrating as one! In Christ,

Pastor Amy

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'Selah' Devotional - Holy Week 2020 By Derek Weber

Monday (April 6, 2020) Psalm 36:5-11 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and

animals alike, O LORD. 7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the

shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of

your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 O continue your steadfast love

to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart! 11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on

me, or the hand of the wicked drive me away.

Devotional: Fig Monday First, we might as well admit that the timing of various events during Holy Week are problematic. For the

purposes of this devotional, we’re going with the traditional names of the days and assigning events that seem

to fit the names – Fig Monday, the cursing of the fig tree; Temple Tuesday, the cleansing of the temple. They

both might have been on the same day; Matthew says so; so does Mark, but they put them in different order.

This walk through Holy Week is not designed to be a precise historical depiction of the events of the week.

Instead, it is an opportunity to reflect on some of the themes that resonate as we walk with Jesus toward the

cross and beyond.

So, Fig Monday. What was that about? Jesus was hungry. Matthew says he was hungry because he had just

cleansed the temple. Mark says he was hungry because he was about to cleanse the temple. He was hungry. He

saw a fig tree and thought a fig might be good. However, there weren’t any figs. Mark says it wasn’t the season

for figs. Despite that, Jesus curses the tree. “May no fruit ever come from you again” (Matthew 21:19). The

next day, the tree was “withered away to its roots.”

It’s hard not to feel sorry for the tree. It was doing what it always did. It seems a bit unfair on Jesus’ part, to

expect a fig tree to produce fruit out of season. There are, of course, all sorts of ways we can interpret this story:

as a sign of the human side of Jesus taking control; as some kind of prophetic symbolism that doesn’t have

anything to do with fig trees and hunger; ss a test for the disciples, a warning to the Pharisees, a description of

what he was about to do – or just did – in the temple. Any of these might be useful interpretations.

A key to understanding—at least from Matthew and Mark’s perspective—might be in a couple of obscure

phrases. Mark 11:14, after Jesus pronounces the curse, Mark writes: “And his disciples heard it.” Matthew says

the tree withered immediately, instead of the next day like Mark records. But Matthew writes, “When the

disciples saw it, they were amazed.” They didn’t know what it meant either. But they heard him; they saw what

he did. They were paying attention.

Maybe that’s the key; to pay attention even when you don’t know what’s going on; keep watching, keep

following, keep believing in him. Matthew says that while Jesus didn’t explain about the fig tree, he did use the

occasion to tell the disciples to continue believing. To believe that he does have the words of life. To stand with

the psalmist and trust that this is the source of all good things, the abundance of life itself is found here.

It’s a word we need at the beginning of this journey. There’s no way to make it through the agony of Holy

Week without clinging to belief, without laying claim to hope --the hope that this one is the one that we seek;

trusting that this one is the one who will give us what we need. Give us shoes to walk in, a robe to be blessed in,

wings to fly with, a home to be in. It is the hope of being one of God’s children always.

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Tuesday (April 7) Psalm 71:1-14 In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your righteousness deliver

me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. 3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of

the unjust and cruel. 5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. 6 Upon you I have

leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you. 7 I

have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with

your glory all day long. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is

spent. 10 For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together. 11 They say,

"Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver." 12 O God, do not be far

from me; O my God, make haste to help me! 13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who

seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace. 14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more

and more.

Devotional: Temple Tuesday Jesus of Montreal is a 1989 French-Canadian film that is a modern retelling of the Jesus story. A group of

actors playing the roles of Jesus and his followers become the characters they played through the power of the

story. It is a hauntingly powerful film. One memorable scene is the reconfiguring of the cleansing of the temple.

One of the actresses has an audition for a commercial and steps out of her role as disciple to take the call. While

there, the directors ask for more and more revealing poses and action. The actress is obviously uncomfortable

with the treatment, but she also wants the job, so she begins to comply with their leering requests until the actor

playing Jesus shows up. He tells her she doesn’t have to do this; that she is a precious child of God and needs to

treat herself with more respect. The director and crew try to throw Jesus out, but he grabs some cables and

makes a whip, turning over the tables and spilling expensive recording equipment everywhere. There is anger

and shouting and chaos everywhere, as Jesus rescues his follower from the degradation of this job.

The scene in the temple the day Jesus strode in must have been equally chaotic, with lots of anger and

shouting as cages of sacrificial animals broke open on the stone, and the temple coins rang and rolled into every

corner and crevice. In the film and in the gospels, this seems to be the act that breaks the back of the opposition.

They won’t take any more, and the plot to get rid of Jesus shifts into high gear. The threat is real, the

punishment severe; the suffering is deep.

When we, like the psalmist, talk about refuge in God, we tend to think of a place of safety, of calm and

quiet. And certainly that is something to be sought and treasured when it comes. But that is not the promise. We

aren’t promised an easy life. We aren’t promised material success and sufficiency of goods. We are promised

the presence of a loving creator. But the journey may be a difficult one.

I want Jesus to walk with me / I want Jesus to walk with me / All along my pilgrim journey / I want Jesus to

walk with me.

This old spiritual speaks profoundly about this journey, knowing that it isn’t about comfort and ease.

Subsequent verses say, “when shades of life are falling” and “when my heart is aching” and “when life becomes

a burden.” This isn’t a hymn to a comfortable life, safety, and refuge. It is an acknowledgement of the struggle

and of the narrow way to which Jesus calls us.

The disciples must have panicked when Jesus decided to go to the temple that day. And their panic rose as

they watched what happened as he cleansed the temple of the greed and oppression that had been allowed to

take root and fester in that holy place. There must be easier ways, they probably thought, to stage a revolution,

to turn the world right side up.

But there aren’t, not really. We want to find the easy way. But if we choose to walk with Jesus, then we

might find ourselves turning over tables, upsetting the comfortable sin we’ve gotten used to in our lives and in

our culture. We might find ourselves declaring that all of creation is God’s house and we ought to stop treating

it like a den of thieves, like a trash heap. We might find ourselves declaring that all God’s children are worthy

of the necessities of life. We might find ourselves proclaiming that the God in whom we take refuge calls us to

provide refuge for those who have been cast aside.

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Temple Tuesday is a reminder that walking with Jesus isn’t always a stroll through the garden. Sometimes it

is a dangerous, strenuous road. This Holy Week, as we are preparing ourselves for the depths and heights of the

journey with Jesus, from the table to the garden, from the lash to the cross, from the tomb to the glorious

Resurrection into life and light, let us join with those who sing “I want Jesus to walk with me, all along this

pilgrim journey, I want Jesus to walk with me.”

Wednesday (April 8) Psalm 70:1-5 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O LORD, make haste to help me! 2 Let those be put to

shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me.

3 Let those who say, "Aha, Aha!" turn back because of their shame. 4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in

you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" 5 But I am poor and needy; hasten to me,

O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!

Devotional: Spy Wednesday There is a tradition that the Wednesday of Holy Week was the day that Judas met with the priests and made

the arrangement to betray Jesus. Therefore, it was traditionally called “Spy Wednesday.” There aren’t any clear

rituals to be performed on Spy Wednesday, so it appears to be a day of reflection and wonder. Part of what we

wonder about is how Judas came to be the one who betrayed Jesus. Why was Jesus betrayed by a friend and not

just condemned by enemies? What drove Judas to do such a thing?

The gospels are largely silent about motivations. There is a hint in John’s Gospel, however. All four gospels

tell a story about a woman who washed Jesus’s feet with ointment from an alabaster flask and then dried them

with her hair. But they all tell it a little differently. Matthew and Mark position the story right before the Passion

and allow Jesus to say this was in preparation for his burial. Luke puts the story much earlier in Jesus’ ministry,

and it becomes a lesson in the power of forgiveness and leaders who don’t think they need forgiveness. John

gives us the story with a lot more detail, even though it was written even further after the events. In John’s

version, the woman is named as Mary of Bethany, sister to Martha and Lazarus. In the three pre-Passion

accounts, there is rumbling about the wastefulness of such an act, the very expensive ointment (Mark’s account

says it could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, almost a year’s wages). Jesus shushes the

complainers and commends the woman for her act of blessing and sacrifice. And he declared that what she has

done will be remembered wherever the gospel is proclaimed.

John tells us the complainer is Judas and that his motive wasn’t philanthropic. No, he used to steal from the

common purse, John says. The implication seems to be that he loved money rather than service, and it was

Jesus’ attempt to justify such a wasteful extravagance that drove him over the edge. Matthew and Mark both tell

us that it was after this incident that Judas went to the priests and offered to be Jesus’ betrayer. Was it really

something as simple as greed that drove Judas to do what he did? Or was it the jealousy that Matthew and Mark

seem to hint at? Or was it something more complex and beyond our comprehension?

But it really isn’t beyond our comprehension. We’d like to think that we would never betray a friend, that

we’d never sell out, or give up on a dream. Except that we do, and we have, and we probably will again. We

might even wonder if John was so specific about Judas’s state of mind in order to distance himself from the

choices that Judas made. But we can’t distance ourselves, not if we’re honest. Compounding the issue is that it

has happened to us from time to time, and we take great offense, carry deep wounds, and rightly so. Psalm 70

presents a life under siege and a strong desire for deliverance.

We’ve all been victims. Maybe Spy Wednesday is an opportunity for us to not dwell so much on the times

we’ve been victimized, but on the times we’ve been the perpetrators, the times we’ve hurt or betrayed friends or

co-workers, maybe not maliciously; but it’s happened. We’ve repeated gossip; we’ve shared our

disappointment; we’ve let our interests get in the way of relationships more often than we’d like to admit.

Our first task during this Holy Week is to contemplate Christ and the suffering he endured for our sake. In

addition, we can be honest about our own sinfulness and how too often we stand with the status quo against the

revolutionary kin-dom of God that Jesus came to reveal to us. Too often, our greed, our jealousy, our sense of

self motivates us to betray that which we claim to love above all else. In the end, Spy Wednesday is less about

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Judas and more about us. Finding a scapegoat to blame for the ills of our society is a risky enterprise. All too

often the finger points at us.

Thursday (April 9) Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.

2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. … 12 What shall I return to

the LORD for all his bounty to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, 14 I

will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the

death of his faithful ones. 16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You

have loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD. 18 I will

pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your

midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

Devotional: Do Quickly What You Are Going to Do John’s version of the Last Supper is different from the other three Gospels. There aren’t any words of

institution for what became the sacrament. Instead, we have this washing of the feet. In the wordiest, most

philosophical gospel, we have a silent action, defining this most significant of events, one that would come to

shape the worship of the people of God for centuries. Yes, there was discussion about it afterward. There had to

be. Jesus was dealing with folks who were slow to see what he was doing. So, he had to sit them down and

explain it all. But it began with an action, not with words. The words came later.

You can almost imagine the scene played out in that upper room. Jesus, watching the interactions of the

others, finally rises from his seat and moves toward the basin and pitcher by the entrance. He wraps a towel

around his waist, pours the water into the basin, and turns to serve. When did they notice him? Were they

distracted by their conversations? By their arguments over who did the most work in setting up the meal? By

their accusations and irritations? Or was it the old jokes that they passed around the circle, the ones that always

made them laugh? Did they retell the stories of the road, the things they had seen, the unexplainable moments

that still raised their eyebrows, or the things that Jesus had done that still made them furrow their brows or

shrug their shoulders? Did one of them see Jesus slip to the door and grab that towel? Thaddeus, standing at the

back, spied Jesus heading to the basin. and his eyes grew wide. He elbowed the rest of them aside, and a silence

fell over the room, as one by one they turned and watched what Jesus was doing.

Were they curious? Guilty? Confused? Who knows? But they sat in open-mouthed wonder at what Jesus

was doing. As he moved around, the uncomfortable silence grew. Until Peter (always Peter, count on Peter to

break the silence, to fill the void with words) protested. “No, Lord!” he exclaimed, “You’ll never wash my

feet!” He drew his big, dirty feet up under himself, to keep them from Jesus. Jesus spoke, at last. It was quiet,

and the disciples had to lean in to hear. “Unless,” Jesus said in a near whisper, “you’ll have no part of me.” It

was a bomb dropped in the room. Naturally, Peter exploded. “Then wash me! My feet, my hands, my head, all

of me!!” Jesus waves his hands as if swatting away a fly, “Your feet are enough.” And then he bent to the task.

Then Jesus explained what he was doing and why. Did they get it? I doubt it, but maybe something was

slowly sinking in. The day we observe in Holy Week, called Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, has three

components. Most prominent for most of us is the sacrament of Holy Communion, which is the center of the

story in the other three gospels. John focused on this act of service, and many churches observe foot washing in

some form or another. It was an uncomfortable moment for the disciples, because of who was doing it, not

because of the foot washing itself. They were used to the practice; it was part of the culture. For us, it is just

odd; we have nothing culturally similar. Yet, we can capture something of the significance when we attempt to

humble ourselves in this ritual.

The third component of this day, the one that gives it its name, is in the explanation. A new commandment I

give to you, Jesus said. Maundy is derived from the Latin mandatum, meaning commandment. “Love one

another, as I have loved you”: That’s the commandment. It was given after the washing of feet, the bending

before the other. This is the kind of love being described, being commanded.

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“He has heard my voice,” says the psalmist, “and my supplications.” He has bent down to me, loved me,

saved me, healed me. So, what can I do but love like that? What can I do but bend to those who are bowed

under the weight of this world? That’s what it means to be a servant of the Lord. To stand and to act out of the

awe of what has been done before us and to us. Join in the witness by how we live and how we love. Amen!

Friday (April 10) Psalm 22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the

words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. 3 Yet

you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered

them. 5 To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm,

and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock at me; they make mouths

at me, they shake their heads; 8 "Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver-- let him rescue the one in

whom he delights!" 9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother's breast. 10

On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God. 11 Do not be far from

me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround

me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all

my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my mouth is dried up like a

potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs are all around me; a

company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled; 17 I can count all my bones. They stare

and gloat over me; 18 they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But you,

O LORD, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life

from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild oxen you have

rescued me. 22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise

you: 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all

you offspring of Israel! 24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face

from me, but heard when I cried to him. 25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will

pay before those who fear him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the

LORD. May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all

the families of the nations shall worship before him. 28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over

the nations. 29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down

to the dust, and I shall live for him. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, 31

and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Devotional: It Causes Me to Tremble There are some moments, some experiences that don’t lend themselves to words. If that is true for anything,

it is true for Good Friday. The old hymn “Were You there” lays a burden on all of us. Being there, being

present to the suffering and pain, being present to the sacrifice and surrender is almost more than we can bear. If

we add in the truth that somehow Jesus’ suffering is tied to our suffering, then we tremble even more.

Maybe it’s because there aren’t any words that in this moment Jesus turned to a psalm. Was it a psalm? Or

did Jesus just utter words that spoke of the pain and the sense of abandonment? Or somehow both? Did the

psalm Jesus learned as a boy give words to a moment beyond words? And if it was a moment of remembering,

did he remember the whole psalm? Or the just the words he spoke through bruised and bloodied lips? Did he

remember that Psalm 22 turns to praise at the end? Like so many of the psalms of lament, this one moves from

despair to hope; this one begins in pain and moves to awe and wonder.

It seems too much. Too much for him; too much for us Though our suffering pales in light of his, we are

uncomfortable with the move from brokenness to glory. It is too simple, too easy, too soon. We want to praise.

We really do. Even when we don’t realize it, we do. There is something deep down inside us, something in the

design of our very being that causes us to need to praise, to lift up our hearts to God. We just don’t think we are

worthy of singing God’s praise. We don’t think God wants to hear our voice. We’re pretty sure that God would

prefer praise sung only by those who have it all together.

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Except that we’d be wrong, if that’s what we think. We’d be wrong.

“From you comes my praise.” Did you notice that? From you, from God comes the praise from my lips.

God is not just the object of praise; God is the source of praise. It isn’t our goodness that allows us to praise, it

is God’s. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” At some point in our lives, we will feel abandoned;

we will feel cut off; we will feel like a worm, as the psalmist does in verse six. We’ll feel like our bones are all

out of joint, like our hearts are melting like wax, as in verse fourteen. We will feel as if dogs are snapping at our

heels, as if the sword is about to descend, as if our hands and feet aren’t working any more.

Psalm 22 is a tragic tale. But interwoven throughout the psalm, there is the call to praise, the call to faith,

and the call to trust in the goodness of God. How do you trust in God when your bones are out of joint? How do

you praise when your heart is melted like wax and your enemies are dividing your clothes like spoils of war?

Go home. That’s how. Home where you belong. It is where you are a part, where you pledged your faith,

where you made your vow to belong. “From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay

before those who fear him” (22:25). In the great congregation. we can find our voice again. And great doesn’t

just mean big, it means important. It means the group that matters, the people of God, who have helped to shape

you, who have made you who you are, who you couldn’t do without. From God comes the praise, comes the

words that I need to sing, even through melty hearts and dislocated joints;, from God comes my praise in the

midst of the great congregation – in the midst of the people who have decided to love me even though I’m not

all that lovable; in the midst of the people who build me up when I am coming apart; in the midst of the people I

have loved back to wholeness, as they have loved me back to wholeness From God comes my praise in the

midst of the great congregation.

Thanks be to God! Take a look through Psalm 22. Where did it get better? It doesn’t say, “things were bad

for a while but are better now.” The psalm says “God heard me,” which could mean healing has happened, or it

could mean that the psalmist’s faith was shored up enough to believe that even though his bones were still

dislocated and his heart was still in a puddle, God had not forsaken him after all. All this praise may be coming

from a sick bed or a wooden cross. But if from a sick bed, it is a sick bed surrounded by the congregation, the

great congregation of the people of God. There is hope in that presence, in that community. Praise rises from the

gathered people of God.

Were you there?

Saturday (April 11) Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16 In you, O LORD, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your

righteousness deliver me. 2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong

fortress to save me. 3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead me and guide me, 4

take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge. … My times are in your hand; deliver me

from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 16 Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your

steadfast love.

Devotional: Holy Saturday The gospels are strangely silent about what happened on Holy Saturday. After the incredible detail of that

Good Friday, there are no words left to describe Saturday, the Sabbath day in between. The Sabbath is the

reason why there was a delay. The law prevented the work of tending to the dead, the preparing of the body for

burial. There was a forced pause in the terrifying events of the past few days A cloud of fear and doubt

surrounded them as they wondered what might be next.

Did they huddle together, taking comfort from their shared grief? Did they run to familiar places and reach

out for hands that were curiously, painfully empty? Or did they avoid looking at the despair in one another’s

eyes, afraid that alongside the grief and the pain would be accusation and disappointment; or were they simply

afraid that seeing another who had given himself to Jesus would bring the hurt and memories rushing back and

unleash another flood of tears, despite the feeling that there were no tears left?

The Sabbath belongs to God. That was what the law said; that was what their practice taught them. You

can’t help but wonder, however, whether those who had lost their purpose for living even bothered to go

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through the motions. Did they sit in the pews while the familiar words bounced off their numb consciousness,

barely aware of their own bodies as they stood and sat, as they knelt and repeated the words that were as

familiar to them as their own names? Or did they discover a growing resentment building up inside them as they

watched their fellow worshipers singing praise as though the world had not come to an end, as though this was

just another day to acknowledge the goodness of God? Did they want to shout out, “How can we sing the

Lord’s song in this foreign land?”

Or did they know, deep down, that their anger wasn’t at the blind worshipers, not at their neighbors and

family members who were simply doing what they always had done without a second thought? Did they reach

inside far enough to realize that their disappointment, their frustration, their anger was at God? Did they

compose psalms in their minds that they didn’t dare bring to their lips? Now God, who had seemed so

tantalizingly close whenever Jesus spoke, seemed so far away. God had let this beautiful vision of Someday slip

through the divine fingers with careless abandon.

So maybe they hid, afraid of Roman power so excruciatingly evident on Friday, wary of Jewish authorities

who, having tasted blood, just might be hungry for more. Maybe they felt let down by God, the one Jesus called

Father, the one who had abandoned them with brutal indifference. Maybe that is why we don’t know any details

of that Holy Saturday; no one had the strength to talk about what they did or thought or felt on that day. And

each was painfully alone in a private hell.

We do know one detail of that day. We have one thread in the tapestry of Holy Saturday. It is not much to

go on, I admit, but it may be enough to color the day with a little more light then we might have imagined at

first glance.

Matthew’s Gospel says that on the day after Holy Saturday, the women went to see the tomb. Just see it,

Matthew says. But Luke says something different. “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to

the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared” (Luke 24:1).

“Taking the spices they had prepared”: Whatever else happened on Holy Saturday, at some point, someone

stopped and took the time to gather together the items they would need for the ritual task of caring for the dead.

Maybe it was an attempt to stop thinking and slip into rote responses; maybe it was a way of focusing away

from eternal implications and on to mundane responsibilities. Maybe it was just easier, taking inventory, setting

aside cloth and spices, remembering the prayers over the dead that had to be spoken as each item was applied.

Maybe it allowed them to return to a simpler time, as they remembered assisting their mothers when they cared

for old Aunt Judith who had lived a long and happy life, with mother teaching them the how and the why and

the blessing it was to be able to serve.

That’s the thread of hope I see in Holy Saturday. In the midst of despair and suffering, it was the call to

service that rose up in them, or some of them anyway. It was service that got them to dry their tears enough to

think outside themselves for a moment. It got some of them to get their feet moving again, to distract

themselves from their grief by the busyness of their hands.

Maybe they remembered Jesus’ words, about giving yourself away to find yourself, about Samaritans who

bind up wounds, about loving your neighbor. Maybe that is what sustained them through the darkness of Holy

Saturday -- that thread of service born out of love. Maybe that was what gave them a sense of purpose when

their hearts were broken. Maybe that was what gave them strength to put one foot in front of another on this

interminable day.

The psalmist cries out for a place of refuge, about avoiding shame, deliverance through the righteousness of

God’s holy name. Maybe such a refuge can be found, not as a hiding place, a place removed from the world, but

rather as an investment in the world of need and brokenness. Maybe such a refuge is found elbow deep in the

service of those who have been called the least of these. Maybe the way to seek the shining face of God is not in

the solitude of a sanctuary, but in the grateful eyes of a hurting child.

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Service for Hand/Foot Washing This service is often shared on Maudy Thursday

GREETING

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

And also with you.

Tonight, we begin our journey to the cross,

remembering where our table manners came from.

Tonight, we tell the stories that make us God's people.

Tonight, we are a people about to be freed from slavery.

Tonight, we are a people who come with dirty feet

and become clean by water and the word.

Let us declare our need of forgiveness and cleansing.

Jesus, our feet are dirty from the journey.

We have not loved one another as you have loved us.

Callousness and violence stain our hearts and lives.

How will we become clean again?

We see the table there, but who will make us clean and ready for the meal?

Where will we find water for these soiled soles?

Restore us to the joy of God's salvation. Amen.

SCRIPTURE: John 13:1-17

HAND WASHING

Pass the basin and towel around the table as you wash each other’s hands. In this time of health crisis and

pandemic, washing of hands is more than just a symbol – it demonstrates love and care for the other person to

keep them safe.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 22:7-20

[You could enter The Love Feast celebration here]

Liturgy and Instructions for a Love Feast

Adapted from Marcia McFee’s “Comfort Food: A Feast of Love” and

“The Love Feast” from the United Methodist Book of Worship

About The Love Feast

The Love Feast, or Agape Meal, is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with

disciples during his ministry and expressing the koinonia (community, sharing, fellowship) enjoyed by the

family of Christ.

Although its origins in the early church are closely interconnected with the origins of the Lord's Supper,

the two services became quite distinct and should not be confused with each other. While the Lord's Supper has

been practically universal among Christians throughout church history, the Love Feast has appeared only at

certain times and among certain denominations.

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The modern history of the Love Feast began when Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians in Germany

introduced a service of sharing food, prayer, religious conversation, and hymns in 1727. John Wesley first

experienced it among the Moravians in Savannah, Georgia, ten years later. His diary notes: "After evening

prayers, we joined with the Germans in one of their love–feasts. It was begun and ended with thanksgiving and

prayer, and celebrated in so decent and solemn a manner as a Christian of the apostolic age would have allowed

to be worthy of Christ."

It quickly became a feature of the Evangelical Revival and a regular part of Methodist society meetings

in Great Britain and throughout the English–speaking world. As Methodists immigrated to North America they

made Love Feasts an important part of early American Methodism.

While Love Feasts became less frequent in the years that followed, they continued to be held in some

places; and in recent years the Love Feast has been revived. Love Feasts have often been held at Annual

Conferences and Charge Conferences, where persons may report on what God has been doing in their lives and

on the hope and trust they place in God for the future. The Love Feast is also an important part of the practice of

Covenant Discipleship groups. Christmas, New Year's Eve or Day, the weekdays of Holy Week, and the Day of

Pentecost are also fitting occasions for a Love Feast. A Love Feast may also be held during a congregational

supper.

The Love Feast has often been held on occasions when the celebration of the Lord's Supper would be

inappropriate—where there is no one present authorized to administer the Sacrament, when persons of different

denominations are present who do not feel free to take Holy Communion together, when there is a desire for a

service more informal and spontaneous than the communion ritual, or at a full meal or some other setting to

which it would be difficult to adapt the Lord's Supper.

The Love Feast is most naturally held around a table or with persons seated in a circle; but it is possible

to hold it with persons seated in rows. A church sanctuary, fellowship hall, or home is an appropriate location.

One of the advantages of the Love Feast is that any Christian may conduct it. Congregational

participation and leadership are usually extensive and important, especially involving children.

Testimonies and praise are the focal point in most Love Feasts. Testimonies may include personal

witness to God's grace or accounts of what God has been doing in the lives of others. Praise may take the form

of hymns, songs, choruses, or spoken exclamations and may vary from the relative formality of an opening and

closing hymn to spontaneous calling out of requests and singing as the Spirit moves. Sometimes the leader

guides those present alternating spontaneous singing and sharing in free and familiar conversation for as long as

the Spirit moves. Wesley counseled that all the above be done decently and in order.

Prayer is vital to a Love Feast. A fixed form of prayer may be used, especially something like the Lord's

Prayer or Be present at our table, Lord, that is familiar to the people. Spontaneous prayer requests and prayers

may come from the people.

Scripture is also important. There may be scripture readings, or persons may quote Scripture

spontaneously as the Spirit moves. There may be a sermon, an exhortation, or an address; but it should be

informal and consist of the leader's adding personal witness to what spontaneously comes from the

congregation.

Most Love Feasts include the sharing of food. It is customary not to use communion bread, wine, or

grape juice because to do so might confuse the Love Feast with the Lord's Supper. The bread may be a loaf of

ordinary bread, crackers, rolls, or a sweet bread baked especially for this service. If a loaf of bread, it may be

broken in two or more pieces and then passed from hand to hand as each person breaks off a piece. Crackers,

rolls, or slices of bread may be passed in a basket. The beverage has usually been water, but other beverages

such as lemonade, tea, or coffee have been used. Early Methodists commonly passed a loving cup with two

handles from person to person, but later the water was served in individual glasses. The food is served quietly

without interrupting the service.

The Love Feast may also be shared during a full meal. During the meal there may be informal

conversation in Christian fellowship, or the leader may direct the conversation by suggesting matters of mutual

concern, or there may be spontaneous witnessing and praise. If there is food left over, it may be taken as an

expression of love to persons not present (don’t do that right now, however!).

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The Love Feast

The idea is that this service begins your meal together.

Following the Closing Blessing, you may continue your meal as usual.

SINGING

You might begin with singing a chorus together.

Suggestion: “Spirit of the Living God” (UMH No. 393)

Spirit 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

PRAYER

As you gather back at the table, pray together:

Be present at our table, Lord;

Be here and everywhere adored;

Thy creatures bless, and grant that we

May feast in paradise with Thee.

OR…

Father of earth and heaven,

Thy hungry children feed,

Thy grace be to our spirits given,

That true immortal bread.

Grant us and all our race

In Jesus Christ to prove

The sweetness of thy pardoning grace,

The manna of thy love.

Amen.

REMEMBERING THOSE NOT PRESENT

Read: When we “break bread” together as a church in our worship, we remember that Jesus invited folks to his

table as part of his ministry, not just at the Last Supper.

Jesus used the parable of a great banquet to which all people are invited in order to talk about what the

“kingdom” of God, the family of God, looks like. He said, “Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people

to come in so that my house will be filled.” He often invited the most unlikely guests to his meal-times,

confounding the disciples. In this way, he was encouraging a deep love and connection beyond social norms. He

knew that we humans need connection and inclusion. Jesus comforts us, saying “you have a place at the table”

and Jesus challenges us to make sure we are doing the same–that all people know they are welcome in our

hearts, in our homes, in our churches–even if we can’t physically be with each other right now.

It is difficult in this moment not to be near some of the people we love and might be worried about. Take a

moment and say out loud the names of people you wish were right there next to you at your table today.

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Jesus is no longer physically on earth, yet every time we gather around a table and we call him to mind, he is

present with us in Spirit. And so too, our loved ones are with us. Let this be a comfort to us.

We also want to call to mind, the people we cannot name, whose names we do not know. But we know they

need our prayers and God’s comfort.

For those who have lost loved ones, Lord, hear our prayers.

For those who are sick and recovering, Lord, hear our prayers.

For those who are caring for loved ones who are sick at home, Lord, hear our prayers.

For those who are caring for persons in medical care, Lord, hear our prayers.

For those who are separated from loved ones, Lord, hear our prayers.

For those who are feeling alone and isolated, Lord, hear our prayers.

For those who are helping and are so very tired, Lord, hear our prayers.

For those who are struggling to find friends, food, and comfort, Lord, hear our prayers.

For those who are afraid, Lord, hear our prayers.

Amen.

SCRIPTURE (choose a Scripture – or more than one – from the list to read)

Psalm 145:8–21 God's abounding love

1 Corinthians 13 The gift of love

2 Corinthians 9:6 –15 Our generous sharing glorifies God.

Philippians 2:5 –11 God's self–emptying in Christ Jesus

1 John 4:7 –21 God is love.

Matthew 22:34 –40 Love of God and neighbor

Luke 9:12 –17 Feeding the five thousand

Luke 14:16 –24 Parable of the great dinner

John 6:25 –35 Jesus the Bread of Life

Discuss: What in our Scripture reading stands out to you? Explain.

BLESSINGS AND THANKSGIVING

Read: Blessings at the table are part of our Judeo-Christian heritage. Indeed, Jesus adapted his Jewish ritual

blessing spoken before and after meals. He asked us to remember him whenever we break bread and raise a cup

in thanksgiving. This is why we call our communion prayers the “Great Thanksgiving.” In this feast of love and

comfort, we can call to mind things for which we are deeply grateful.

Share with each other something for which you are grateful.

Read: Let us bless this time together in prayer. Repeat each section after me.

Holy Comforter (Holy Comforter)

We gather in your name (We gather in your name)

invited by Jesus (invited by Jesus)

bound together with your Spirit (bound together with your Spirit)

in union with each other (in union with each other)

Feed our bodies and our spirits (Feed our bodies and our spirits)

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with your comforting presence (with your comforting presence)

so we might be your comfort to others (so we might be your comfort to others)

Bless this food (Bless this food)

and break open our hearts (and break open our hearts)

Bless this drink (Bless this drink)

and pour out your love (and pour out your love)

Amen (Amen)

SINGING

You might close with singing the same song you began with.

Suggestion: “Spirit of the Living God” (UMH No. 393)

Spirit 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

CLOSING BLESSING

Read: And now may you shelter not only in place, but in peace. May the peace and comfort of Christ be present

with you now and forevermore. Amen.

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GOOD FRIDAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS Written by Rev. Elizabeth Hurd

Although we cannot gather for Holy Week together, we can still participate in Holy Week activities. A

provision of Stay at Home, Stay Safe in Michigan is that we are allowed to go for walks, bike rides, car rides,

etc. We can be outdoors, so long as we stay six feet apart from others who are also outdoors.

Being outdoors, in God’s creation, connects us to God, and reminds us that God made the Earth and everything

in it. During Holy Week, we can remember God’s beautiful creation, we remember the life, death, and

resurrection of Jesus. If you are unable to get outdoors, and cannot walk far, consider doing this inside your

home or in your backyard.

The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step devotion from the Catholic tradition, remembering Jesus’ last day on

Earth (Good Friday). Each of the 14 devotions (stations), focus on a specific event in the last day of Jesus.

There are specific prayers to say at each station, and different devotions to remember Jesus’ last day on Earth.

This Outdoor Stations of the Cross can be an individual or family activity. Each station will include a traditional

prayer and an image, which you are invited to meditate on. As you meditate, focus on the image, and just

breathe and be with God. Try to clear your mind, so God may speak to you.

If you are doing this with children, each station will have a children’s prayer and activity to engage in. Some

activities will require the materials, listed below. Make this a meaningful outing for your family, by both

having fun and talking about the importance of Good Friday.

Materials (for Children’s Activities)

● Paper and coloring Supplies, like markers or colored pencils

● Sidewalk Chalk

● A backpack full of books (heavy for kids, but not as heavy for grownups)

● Some old clothing

● Dice

● Hardware Nails

Opening Prayer: To be said as you step out the door.

Traditional: O my God, my Redeemer, behold me here at Thy feet. From the bottom of my heart I am sorry for

all my sins, because by them, I have offended Thee, Who art infinitely good. (Meditation)

Children: Dear God. I know that I don’t always do the right thing. I am sorry. Help me to do better, for you.

Amen.

Activity: Talk about a time when you knew you did something wrong, and you apologized for it. How did it feel

to admit that you had done something wrong? How did you feel after you apologized?

Walk for 5 minutes

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Station 1: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Jesus was treated like a criminal by the Roman authorities. He was accused of a lot of crimes he didn’t commit,

but he didn’t try to defend himself in court. He stayed silent, because he knew that he needed to go to the cross,

to die for us.

Traditional: Jesus, you stand all alone before Pilate. Nobody speaks up for you. Nobody helps defend you. You

devoted your entire life to helping others, listening to the smallest ones, caring for those who were ignored by

others. They don't seem to remember that as they prepare to put you to death. (Meditate)

Children: Jesus, I don’t like it when people say I did something I didn’t do. I get defensive and want to say, “I

didn’t do that!” Help me to be honest, like you. Help me to also never tattle on someone just to hurt them.

Activity: Draw a picture of Jesus’ face, when he was on trial, or discuss/meditate on these questions:. How do

you think he was feeling? Was he sad? Angry? Calm? How would you feel if you were in Jesus’ situation?

Walk for 2 minutes

Station 2: Jesus Carries His Cross

The cross was big and heavy. It was hard for Jesus to carry, but he carried it.

Traditional: Jesus, as you accepted your cross, you knew you would carry it to your death on Calvary. You

knew it wouldn't be easy, but you accepted it and carried it just the same. (Meditate)

Children: Jesus, sometimes things in life are hard, like school or chores, and I complain. Help me not to

complain. Help me to keep trying, even when I think something is hard.

Activity: Take the backpack full of books and walk with it for about a minute. Is it hard to carry? Is it heavy?

Would you want to carry something heavy like this with no help?

Take 7 steps

Station 3: Jesus Falls for the First Time

Jesus was already badly wounded when he fell for the first time. It must have hurt him a lot. But he picked up

the cross and kept going.

Traditional: Jesus, the cross you have been carrying is very heavy. You are becoming weak and almost ready to

faint, and you fall down. Nobody seems to want to help you. The soldiers are interested in getting home, so they

yell at you and try to get you up and moving again. (Meditate)

Children: Sometimes, things in life make us feel defeated. Jesus was hurt but never defeated. Jesus, I want your

attitude of hope even if I am not succeeding.

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Activity: Get out the sidewalk chalk, and mark an X, to symbolize the first time Jesus fell and/or

discuss/meditate on these questions: How do you think Jesus felt when he fell? How would you have felt?

Take 7 steps

Station 4: Jesus meets his mother.

Jesus knew that his mother, Mary, was sad to see him suffering so much, heartbroken even. But she was still

there, in the crowd for him. A comforting, loving, presence. Mary was strong, because she was there for her

child, all the way to the end. She loved him very much.

Traditional: Jesus, you feel so alone with all those people yelling and screaming at you. You don't like the

words they are saying about you, and you look for a friendly face in the crowd. You see your mother. She can't

make the hurting stop, but it helps to see that she is on your side, that she is suffering with you. She does

understand and care. (Meditate)

Children: Our parents love us very much, and sometimes we don’t let them hug us and care for us because we

are mad or sad or don’t want them to see us in trouble. Jesus, I thank you for my parents and their love for me.

Activity: Draw a heart on the sidewalk, to remember the love Mary had for Jesus. Then talk: How do/did you

know your parents love(d) you? What is the best thing they’ve done for you? How do you show your parents you

love them? If your parents are gone, consider one thing they taught you and how that’s helped you in life.

Take 7 steps

Station 5: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus

Simon didn’t come to help Jesus, but to see what was going on. Then he was ordered by the soldiers to carry the

cross, because Jesus was having such a hard time.

Traditional: Jesus, the soldiers are becoming impatient. This is taking longer than they wanted it to. They are

afraid you won't make it to the hill where you will be crucified. As you grow weaker, they grab a man out of the

crowd and make him help carry your cross. He was just watching what was happening, but all of a sudden he is

helping you carry your cross. (Meditate)

Children: Sometimes I don’t want to help my friends or siblings or parents when I am told to. Jesus, help me

know that when I do help others, it is like helping you. I want to be kind and helpful.

Activity: Draw a cross on the sidewalk. Take the backpack full of books and try carrying it again (or imagine

doing so). This time, ask for help carrying it. Is it easier to carry it alone, or with someone else? Why do you

think helping others is important?

Take 7 steps

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Station 6: Veronica Wipes Jesus’ Tears

In some Christian traditions, St. Veronica was a woman who stepped out of the crowd to wipe Jesus’ face. She

was sad to see him carrying his cross and felt the need to help, the best way she knew how.

Traditional: Jesus, suddenly a woman comes out of the crowd. Her name is Veronica. You can see how she

cares for you as she takes a cloth and begins to wipe the blood and sweat from your face. She can't do much, but

she offers what little help she can. (Meditate)

Children: Jesus, I want to love you like Veronica. Help me to be brave and love others who are unpopular.

Activity: Draw a tear on the sidewalk, to remember how Veronica helped Jesus; and/or discuss/meditate on

these questions: Was there a time you helped someone who was in need? Did you know them? What was their

response? How did you feel?

Take 7 steps

Station 7: Jesus Falls a Second Time

Jesus fell again because he was so weak and tired from all his wounds. He still didn’t give up. He got back up

and continued on.

Traditional: This is the second time you have fallen on the road. As the cross grows heavier and heavier it

becomes more difficult to get up. But you continue to struggle and try until you're up and walking again. You

don't give up. (Meditate)

Children: Think of something that makes you feel weak, something that is hard for you to do. Ask Jesus to help

you with this.

Activity: Draw another X on the sidewalk, to mark the second place Jesus fell; and/or discuss/meditate on these

questions: What do you do when you feel like something is hard? Do you give up? How do you feel when you

give up? Do you keep going? How does it feel to keep going?

Take 7 steps

Station 8: Jesus meets the Women of Jerusalem.

A lot of people were against Jesus, but a lot of people followed him. They were mostly women. These women

were his faithful friends.

Traditional: Jesus, as you carry your cross you see a group of women along the road. As you pass by you see

they are sad. You stop to spend a moment with them, to offer them some encouragement. Although you have

been abandoned by your friends and are in pain, you stop and try to help them. (Meditate)

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Children: Help me to be a faithful friend. When my friends are going through a hard time or are being made fun

of, I want to help them and be a true friend.

Activity: Draw a picture of your best friend, or call to mind their face. What makes them your best friend?

Why are you friends with them? What is the best thing about having friends?

Take 7 steps

Station 9: Jesus Falls for a Third Time

Jesus fell again, and the soldiers still didn’t help him. They only yelled louder for him to get up and continue

on. Jesus didn’t get mad at them; he forgave them.

Traditional: Jesus, your journey has been long. You fall again, beneath your cross. You know your journey is

coming to an end. You struggle and struggle. You get up and keep going. (Meditate)

Children: Sometimes people say or do hurtful things to us or don’t help us when we need them. Jesus, help me

to forgive everyone like you did. Help me not to get angry or hold a grudge against someone who has hurt me.

Activity: Draw an X on the sidewalk; and/or discuss/meditate on these questions: Has anyone ever said

something hurtful to you? Has anyone ever been mean to you? How did that make you feel? Did you want to

forgive them? Did you forgive them?

Walk for 5 minutes

Station 10: Jesus is stripped of his clothes

Before putting him on the cross, the soldiers took Jesus’ clothes off of him, in order to shame and embarrass

him. They sought to humiliate him and make fun of him. They wanted others to do the same.

Traditional: The soldiers notice you have something of value. They remove your cloak and throw dice for it.

Your wounds are torn open once again. Some of the people in the crowd make fun of you. They tease you and

challenge you to perform a miracle for them to see. They're not aware that you'll perform the greatest miracle of

all! (Meditate)

Children: Jesus, I know that it hurts when people make fun of me. When people tease me. Help me to remember

your love for me, and God’s love for me.

Activity: Get out the old clothing and dice. Pretend that you are the Roman soldiers, and cast lots for it. Call

out a number, and whoever gets the number right, gets the clothing. Was this game fun? How would you feel if

you were Jesus, watching the soldiers playing games for your clothes? What do you think would have been a

better thing for the soldiers to do?

Walk for 2 minutes

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Station 11: Jesus is crucified

This is one of the saddest moments of the day, because this is when the soldiers put Jesus on the cross. They

drove nails in his hands and feet, and then stood the cross up. Jesus was in a lot of pain.

Traditional: You are stretched out on the cross you have carried so far. The soldiers take big nails and drive

them into your hands and feet. You feel abandoned by the people you loved so much. People seem to have gone

mad. You have done nothing but good, yet they drive nails through your hands and feet. (Meditate)

Children: Many people suffer pain every day from being sick, hungry, poor, and because of war or natural

disasters. Jesus, please comfort everyone who is in pain today.

Activity: Look at the nail. Do you think that it would hurt if it went through your hand? What other types of

pain are there in the world? How can we help those who are in pain?

Take 6 steps

Station 12: Jesus dies on the cross

This is the saddest station at the cross, because Jesus dies. After six hours on the cross, he takes his last breath.

Before he takes his last breath he says “God, forgive the people, for they know not what they do.” Jesus’ final

action on the cross was to ask forgiveness for people. He knew that people will mess up and make mistakes, but

they’re never beyond love and forgiveness.

Traditional: As Jesus hung on the cross, he forgave the soldiers who had crucified him, and prayed for his

mother and friends. Jesus wanted all of us to be able to live forever with God, so he gave all he had for us, out

of love. (Meditate)

Children: Jesus, help me to admit when I make mistakes. Help me to say I’m sorry. Thank you for always

forgiving me. I love you, and I want to do the right thing.

Activity: On the ground write “FORGIVE THEM” and/or talk about a time that you messed up and had to seek

forgiveness. What did being forgiven feel like? Talk about a time when you had to forgive someone else. Was it

easy to forgive them? How do you think forgiving people shows them love?

Take 7 steps.

Station 13: Jesus’ body is taken down from the Cross

Jesus’ friends and followers treated his body with great gentleness. He had died in a horrible way, but they

made sure his body was cared for. They wiped the blood and dirt off of him. His mother, Mary, held him.This

was risky, because he had been called a criminal by Romans and others, and many people didn’t believe that

criminals were worthy of being treated with love.

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Traditional: Jesus, how brutally you were put to death. How gently you’re taken from the cross. Your suffering

and pain are ended, and you are put in the lap of your mother. The dirt and blood are wiped away. You are

treated with love. (Meditate)

Children: Jesus, sometimes it’s risky to show love to people in need, and to treat hurting people with kindness.

Sometimes the world tells me that’s the wrong thing to do. Help me to be like your friends and followers, who

loved you and cared for you, even if it was risky. Give me the courage to be loving.

Activity: List people who you think the world says you shouldn’t love (either out loud, on a piece of paper, or

on the sidewalk with chalk.) Why do you think the world says we shouldn’t love them? What do you think God

says? How can you show love to them?

Take 7 steps

Station 14: Jesus is laid in the tomb.

Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man who was a friend and follower of Jesus, gave his own tomb for Jesus’ body.

So, Jesus’ friends and followers prepared Jesus’ body for burial, took it to the tomb, and laid it to rest (or so

they thought.) It was a sad day. We know what happens next, and that gives us hope, but his friends and

followers didn’t know what was going to happen. They thought everything was over.

Traditional: Jesus, your body is prepared for burial. Joseph gave you his own tomb. He laid your body there and

rolled a large stone in front of it, then went home. What a sad day it has been for so many people. (Meditate)

Children: Jesus, we know what happens next. We know that you are resurrected, raised from the dead, so it’s

easy for us to have hope. But your friends didn’t know what was going to happen, so it was hard for them to

have hope. Sometimes there are times where it’s hard for us to hope, when we don’t know if things are going to

get better. When those times come, help us to find even the smallest glimpse of hope, and hold on to it.

Activity: On the ground write “HAVE HOPE” on the sidewalk. Discuss and/or meditate on hope. What is

hope? What does hope mean to you? Have you ever felt like there was a time it was easy to have hope? Why

was it easy? Have you ever felt there was a time it was hard to hope? What made it so hard?

Closing Prayer: To be said as you return home

May Jesus Christ, who for our sake became obedient unto death, even death on a cross, keep us and strengthen

us, now and forever. Amen.

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EASTER

Easter Basket Devotional:

In your Easter Basket, you’ll find:

- …A package of Marshmallow Peeps. They always come stuck together, and they are meant to remind

us that even in our darkest troubles and difficult times, God sticks with us because God loves us.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for sticking with us and loving us always. We praise you and thank you for

your many gifts to us!

- You’ll also find some jelly beans. Their varied and diverse colors represent God’s created world. All of

us are unique and different, but all of us belong to God, and together, we compliment one another’s

flavor and show the brightly colored beauty of humankind.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for this beautiful world, for making people so different and unique and

special. Help us value each other and treat each other with kindness.

- You’ll find a couple of cream eggs in your basket. They represent the Christian, who is strong and

courageous on the outside, but has a heart within that is soft, open to God’s shaping and leading, full of

kindness, and flowing with compassion for others.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for living in our heart and helping us to love others as you love us.

- Then there are the chocolate bunnies. One of them is hollow. Some call the hollow bunnies the cheap

ones, but nothing could be further from the truth. The emptiness within represents the wonder of the

empty tomb and the joy of Christ’s resurrection. The hollow bunny gives meaning to the solid chocolate

bunny.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to die for us and save us from our sin. We praise you for

raising him to life again on Easter and we celebrate that the tomb was empty

- That solid chocolate bunny is God’s gift of full and fruitful life—the kind of life Jesus secured for us

through his death and resurrection. Sometimes it is hard and challenging to bite into a solid chocolate

bunny. Sometimes, it can even hurt to bite into it. But it’s always worth it because it rich and sweet and

precious. If you try to save your chocolate bunnies, they’ll grow stale and lose flavor as time passes.

The same is true of life. It can be challenging and hurtful sometimes, but God means us to bite into life,

to savor it—to accept the challenges, to be thankful, and to give it our very best.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for giving us life and for being our companion as we journey together. Help

us to live life to the fullest, even when “social distancing” and give us the wisdom to be grateful for each

new day and for the new life you give us in Jesus Christ. Amen.

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