People of Grace dwelling in your own place,

We begin holy week tomorrow and move through its rhythms separated this year. In order to gather us in a small way, we have created resources you can use in place. For those who don’t use social media, some resources to be read are printed at the end of this message.

Our Holy Week services will all be posted on YouTube (click or go to YouTube and search for our channel in the search bar: Grace Lutheran Church ELCA Eau Claire Wisconsin.)

You should find the videos there for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Thanks to the team of people who have made the videos possible. You will see them in the videos with the important exception of Bill Olson who does much of the filming and the editing.

Our worship services for Sundays are still available on Radio and TV Watch our broadcast Sunday at 10:30 am on WQOW Channel 18, Cable 9, (618HD) and Thursday at 1:30 pm Cable 993, or listen Sunday at 8:30 am on WAYY 790. Palm Sunday the service on Channel 18 will be lead by St. John’s. We will have Easter.

May Christ be with you during this virus crisis.

Pastor Phil

Maundy Thursday in home service

Begin with this prayer:
Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus gave us a new commandment, to love one another as he loves us. Write this commandment in our hearts and give us the will to serve others as he served all, your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. Amen.

Read the following passage from John 13:
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you. “For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean. “After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you,” Where I am going, you cannot come. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Holy Conversation or Reflection (Discuss the following with those in your home or call a Grace friend to discuss it over the phone):

• Jesus gave us a profound example of service and love. Whom have you seen serving and loving like Jesus during this challenging time?
• How have you loved and served during this time? How might you in the days ahead?

Final blessing:
The Lord almighty strengthen and preserve you now and forever. Amen

Good Friday in home service

Begin with this prayer:

Almighty God, look with loving mercy on your family, for whom Our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, to be given over to the hands of sinners, and to suffer death on the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Recall the passion of Jesus from the Gospel of John:

They took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, “The King of the Jews,’ but, “This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty. A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.

Holy Conversation or Reflection (Discuss the following with those in your home or call a Grace friend to discuss it over the phone):

• What words or events stood out to you in this story?
• What questions do you have about what took place?
• What do we learn about faithful living as individuals and as a church from this story?

Traditionally the Good Friday Service ends in silence.

Easter Sunday in home service

Christ is risen, he is risen indeed. Halleluiah.

Begin with this prayer:
O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power of death. Make us dies every day to sin, that we live with him forever in the joy of the resurrection, though your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Read this story from John 20:
Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Pastor Phil’s Easter Sermon:
Mary Magdelene came to the tomb with low expectations. She came to make a small connection with the one she had loved. She came to remember. She came to honor the one whose body had suffered so horribly.

She came burdened with grief for the tremendous loss she had experienced. She came traumatized by recent events. She came stuck in a sadness that she could not free herself from.

Just when she thought that things had gotten as bad as they could get, she looked into the tomb and saw the devastation deepen. Someone had stolen the body! Worst become even worse.

As her world is turned around, so is she. She has had it. She can stand her isolation no longer. She turns to go and practically runs right into the risen Jesus. So deep is her grief, she does not recognize him. Is he that transformed or is her perception that deformed? Either way she remains stuck in her despair unable to release herself.

But Jesus speaks her name, “Mary.” The name he had called across market places. The name he had spoken with tenderness as their relationship grew. The name that on the lips of Jesus returned Mary to herself.

At the sound of her name spoken by the risen Jesus she is transformed. Her heart skips a beat and then dares to hope again. Her grief grinds to a halt as joy surpasses it. Her shut down world is thrown wide open.

She rejoices in the presence of the one who having been raised by God. Now raises her up into new life.

The overwhelming presence of death is surpassed by the promise of God’s victory for life. Mary knows that the love she experienced in the ministry of Jesus knows no end. And therefore she is loved by an everlasting love revealed in Christ.

God also enters our situation, wrapped as it is in grief, despair, and profound loss.

We too find low expectations working their way into our life. We too long for even a small connection with loved one’s not with us. We too struggle to remember that which could give us joy.

We come burdened with grief for the tremendous loss we have experienced, traumatized by recent events, and stuck in a sadness that we could not free ourselves from. Each day just when we think that things have gotten as bad as they can get the devastation deepen. How many ways can our heart be broken?

Our world has been turned around. We’ve had it. We can’t stand our isolation much longer. Yet still Jesus rises up to raise our spirits.

So deep is our grief, we does not recognize him. Is he that hidden or is our perception that deprived? Either way we are stuck in despair unable to release ourselves.

But Jesus speaks your name as surely as he spoke Mary’s. He speaks with tenderness of your relationship that has grown. Your name on the lips of Jesus returns you to yourself.

At the sound of your name spoken by the risen Jesus we are transformed, our heart skips a beat and then dares to hope again. Our grief grinds to a halt as joy surpasses it. Our shut down world is thrown wide open

For Mary this news is too good not to share. She gets the word out to people that everything is changed. She offers a word that lifts people out of grief. Lifts people out of isolation. Lifts you and me into new life. Let us be witnesses like her, “For Christ is risen, he is risen indeed. Halleluiah.” Amen

Final blessing:
May the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit strengthen and keep you in his grace! Amen

About Jan Adams