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A Holy Week Like No Other


A Holy Week Like No Other
Dear Church,

This is going to be a Holy Week like no other.

WATCH PASTOR CHRIS' VIDEO MESSAGE HERE!

We are used to gathering with many in our sanctuary for the most meaningful and festive public celebrations of the year. Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to do so as we are engaging in a holy and faithful expression of love for the world by remaining at home as much as possible in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

My heart aches to not be physically present with you, especially as I am aware of the isolation, fear, and even danger many are experiencing. We trust, however, in a God for whom physical barriers are no limitation.
  •         In Psalm 139, we hear this promise: “Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.”
  •     We hear these encouraging words in the Message paraphrase of Romans 8:39, “I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”
  •       In the gospel of John we read, “When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
  •      And in Matthew 28 just as Jesus was leaving this earth and would no longer be present with his disciples physically, he said, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We long for the day when all will be made well and we will once again be physically gathered with one another, just as we long for the day when we will be face-to-face with Christ Jesus our Lord. Through faith, however, we have come to know a connection, a unity, a presence, a gathering that is even more than physical. It is also spiritual and relational. This is the spiritual and relational presence of God from which we cannot flee and from which nothing can separate us. This is the spiritual and relational presence of God that enables Jesus to be among us even when all our doors are locked and even after he has ascended into heaven. We are spiritually and relationally united with God and one another because of who God is and what God has done for us in Christ. So, nothing can separate us from God. And nothing can separate us from one another. Not even death. Not even a pandemic.

During this Holy Week like no other, my prayer is that you will come to know and trust in God’s presence with you and our presence with one another which no physical barrier can limit. There are many ways we can experience and extend God’s promises and presence to each other and the world. One of the most intimate and essential ways, is through sharing in the Lord’s Supper. After prayer and consultation with our Passionate Worship Team and Council officers, we have decided to offer everyone the option of sharing in the Lord’s Supper within our own homes on Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. 

In the Lord’s Supper we receive Christ and all his promises, forgiveness, life, and salvation, loving unity with our Holy God and one another, the very real, living presence of Jesus so that we are empowered to live and serve and love as we are called. And boy, do we need that right now! In circumstances when people are unable to gather with the community, the church has found ways to make this tangible expression of God’s grace available to those who are in need. 

Yes, it is preferable for us to be gathered physically as one body of believers when we celebrate this sacrament, yet I trust that Jesus understands these are extraordinary circumstances. All are invited to prepare for these times of sharing the sacrament, through prayer, setting an altar table in your kitchen or living room, gathering any kind of bread and wine or grape juice, and lighting a candle if you wish. The view of those who prefer to not share communion at home is also valued and respected.

I invite you to participate in Holy Week at Home. This will include the following gatherings online or by telephone using the links/numbers on our website www.cslcvh.org:
  • Palm Sunday Worship, Sunday, April 5th @ 9:00 a.m.
o   During worship, share a picture or video of palm waving/hand waving in your home. You could print out and color a palm branch using this template.
o   As you are able, take a walk around your neighborhood praying for each home and the people in them.
  •  Monday, April 6th @ 10:00 a.m. – Pastor Chris Holy Land Trip Presentation
  • Tuesday, April 7th @ 10:00 a.m. – Pastor Chris interview with Jason Rose of Chosen People Ministries, live from Tel AviV
  • Wednesday, April 8th @ 10:00 a.m. – Bible Study with Pastor Chris “Holy Week at Home”
  • Maundy Thursday Worship with Holy Communion, April 9th 12:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. with Passover Demonstration from Tel Aviv, Israel with Jason Rose of Chosen People Ministries
  • Good Friday Worship, April 10th 12:00 p.m. Prayer Service, 7:00 p.m. Traditional Tenebrae (darkness) Service
  • Easter Sunday Worship with Holy Communion, April 12th 9:00 a.m.
Perhaps you could check in and pray with others and/or help someone else be able to connect through telephone or internet to the spiritual and relational unity we will share with one another and Christ this week. God loves you and God is with you always. Have a blessed Holy Week!

Pastor Chris Steubing

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