PREPARING WITH JOY!

Guess what time it is? That’s right! It’s the day before Palm Sunday! Under normal circumstances, the day before Palm Sunday is often the official day of community Easter Egg Hunts, Easter Carnivals, and the like. Churches, Property Associations, Community groups and organizations would typically be hard at work, watching the weather, gathering baskets, arranging Easter grass, and coloring lots of eggs. Yes, the day before Palm Sunday is usually a big “to-do” for lots of people, both churched and unchurched alike!

This year, however, it’s all different. Church and community Easter parties are postponed until 2021, at which time it’ll be all hands on deck. While we wait, folks are already being creative. For instance, I’ve heard of at least one movement that is encouraging homeowners to put Easter Eggs (cut-outs, printed and colored from the computer, real eggs, etc) in our windows this week so that parents and caregivers can drive their children around and count the hidden eggs. Just because things are different, we’re showing that mean ol’ nasty Corona that Easter is on its way!

For those of us who attend churches, tomorrow will present a much larger challenge. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the unofficial beginning of Holy Week. Typically, we’d be preparing for our children to parade through our worship centers, waving, swatting, and sword-fighting with their palms. It’s always a joyful time that is one of my favorite Easter-time traditions. I’ll miss it this year, but I’ve heard of at least one church that is delivering palms door-to-door today, allowing children to wave their palms during online services tomorrow.

It will be difficult to “feel” the mood of Holy Week this year without the assistance of our church traditions. However, we can still make it work. The week leading to Easter is supposed to be the time that we focus intensely on Jesus’ last few days with us, as recorded in the Gospels. This year, we have ample opportunity to use our Bibles and online reading devices to carefully read, follow, and ponder Jesus’ journey to the cross. Establishing a reading schedule for this final week of Lent isn’t difficult, but in case you’d like one, I’ll be providing one tomorrow (Sunday, 4/5/2020) with daily devotions to follow. This will allow us to focus and spend some time considering the amazing work that God completed on our behalf.

Holy Week is almost upon us and Easter is just eight days away. We can begin this time with Joy by participating in some of the creative ways that churches and community organizations are suggesting. Follow your preferred churches closely throughout the week, engaging with them in their various studies, devotions, and online services. Finally, carve out some time each day to give God thanks for the reason we spend so much time and effort on this season. Namely, that Jesus Christ came into our world so that we can be forgiven of our sometimes-stupid behavior and be protected from these always-stupid pandemics.

Holy Week is upon us! Prepare with Joy!

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT).