Today we begin another Holy Week. This is the one week in the year when the most important business at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Cypress, Texas is worship and prayer. Most everything else is suspended for this one week. This is the week that year after year, I invite all of us to walk intentionally day by day with Jesus. Knowing that some of us cannot get to St. Mary's everyday for worship, we handed out wonderful beeswax candles made by the sisters of the Monastery of Saints Mary and Martha in South Carolina. Everyday, especially on the days they cannot join for worship at St. Mary's, each family is invited to stop intentionally for prayer and worship and light the candle as a connection to the candles lit at the worship occurring at St. Mary's. I'll also be posting a daily blog to give us shared food for thought in our daily Holy Week worship.
As a beginning, here is the sermon that started us off on the Sunday of the Passion, Palm Sunday.
I want Jesus to walk with me
I want Jesus to walk with me
All along my pilgrim journey
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me
In my trials, Lord, walk with me
In my sorrows, Lord, walk with me
In my troubles, Lord walk with me
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me
Don’t we all want Jesus to walk with us?
Most of us know that Jesus is always walking with us. Always. I wonder. Does Jesus want us ever to walk with him?
This is the week that Jesus is kind of busy. Jesus is busy taking on the sin of the whole world. Feeding his disciples one last time, being betrayed, being arrested. Being denied, being beaten, being ridiculed. Having nails hammered into his hands and feet. Dying.
Jesus is very busy.
Today we read the Passion Gospel (Matthew 26.17--27.16), that last less than twenty four hours of so of Jesus’ life [before his resurrection]. Today, you, the congregation, read the part of Jesus. You will be hearing the Passion narrative from Jesus’ perspective.
As you read, notice who is walking with Jesus this week.
The disciples who are all with him when he is feeding them a meal.
The disciples who are all with him when they go out singing the last song.
The disciples who fall asleep when Jesus is praying.
Judas and Peter who betray and deny.
Caiphas and the other leaders of the temple who look for loop holes of blasphemy.
Pilate and the Roman guards who mock and beat and crucify.
The crowd who is....well caught up in being a crowd.
This is who is walking with Jesus this week.
So I wonder.
Since Jesus is pretty busy this week, on our behalf, could we walk with Jesus, and surround him with those who love and adore him? Not just for the meal and the song. We already walked into Jerusalem with him today having an awfully glad time. When it was easy.
Can we, not just today when it’s easy, this whole week long keep walking with him?
Yes, it’s not convenient. Sure it takes a little extra time and effort. I don’t think Jesus is looking for convenient in his life this week. I think Jesus is taking a lot of extra time and effort on our behalf this week.
So as you listen to the Passion Gospel. As you read the words of Jesus, imagine: Who is walking with Jesus? Who would he like to be walking with him? Who is surrounding Jesus? Who could make Jesus’ week more bearable by being with him?
I have a song that I think that Jesus might sing to us if Jesus were to sing to us:
I want you, to walk with me.
I want you, to walk with me.
In my trials, please walk with me.
I want you, to walk with me.
In my betrayal, please walk with me,
In my arrest, please walk with me.
In the denying, please walk with me.
I want you to walk with me.
In my beating, please walk with me.
In my crucifixion, please walk with me.
In my aloneness, please walk with me.
I want you to walk with me.
AMEN
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