Dearest Church,
As we begin a new month and make it through our current week, we quickly move towards Holy Week…
Of course, things are different this year. Church is different, Holy week will be different, the world has been changed… and yet Easter will be the same.
Now, of course, that’s not to say that we will be doing church like we did last year, or that everyone will be wearing their Sunday best, or that there will be as many Easter egg hunts and family gatherings…
But, the reality is that none of those things are actually Easter. Easter isn’t the extra good worship at church, or the family gatherings or any of the other festivities or pageantry… Instead, Easter is about the life changing good news:
- That Jesus died and rose again…
- That Jesus conquered death…
- That Jesus was resurrected…
- That Jesus invites us into a new WAY of life… even today!
And thus, Easter has not changed.
But our experience of Easter will be different… though maybe for the better. With all of our distractions gone, maybe we will actually be able to experience a holier Holy Week and Easter than we ever have before.
Which begs the question: How will you practice THIS Holy Week, as we move towards Easter?
- Will you pray more regularly and deeply?
- Will you read Scriptures?
- Will you reach out and connect to your neighbors and others (from a safe distance)?
- Will you serve those who are struggling?
Additionally, here are some of the things we’re planning for worship:
- Worship will be done and found much like it has been for the past couple of weeks. With that, we’ve updated and added some links on our church website (trinitysoutlake.org) to point everyone to our “Online Worship Page”. Once there (on Sunday), you will find Sunday worship videos, children’s worship resources, and a new Connection Card “Check in”.
- In preparation for Palm Sunday this week, the church got Palm Leaves, and we placed them outside the church (at the front doors). If you want, you can stop by and pick some up prior to worship.
- In preparation for Maundy Thursday worship, there are 2 parts to our preparation. First, you may need to download the Zoom software (www.zoom.us). We will all be worshiping at the same time on Thursday night. (If you have not used/tested this software before, there may be a chance to try it out prior to the worship service – look to the E-news on Wednesday for more information) Second, you will need to find your own elements for Communion in your home. This should be some form of bread. And preferably a fruit of the vine that is reddish in color (or the closest you can get under the circumstances (I.e. Grape juice, Red fruit punch, Cranberry juice, etc.)). — My hope is that we all can be sitting at our own kitchen tables… as we extend the Lord’s Table into each of our homes and to each of our families… and share the Lord’s Supper… TOGETHER.
- And then, of course, we’ll have Easter Worship on April 12… stay tuned for more on that.
Finally, the president of Princeton wrote something up that I read recently, that I wanted to share with you (ESPECIALLY as we move towards Holy Week): https://www.ptsem.edu/alerts/perspective-humility-to-humility-the-sprituality-of-quarantine
Keep praying, keep connected, stay safe,
-Pastor Tim
