We enter Holy Week. In the Bible, “holy” — when not used specifically about God – refers to something or an event that is set aside in order to be used by God. Can this week by “holy” for you? Can you set aside extra time and attention that can be used by God to draw you nearer to Christ and empower you to live as a Christian disciple of his?

Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter — all can be more than just a recollection of important events long ago. They can be accumulative and transformative to your soul. After Easter, you can walk forward with a greater sense of victory.

Here are some tools the Church has used for Bible study and devotion over the years that you can use as you read the whole story [Luke 22:1 - 23:56]. Try them this week.

You can ask each scripture three questions: 1. What does this reading say about God? What character trait of the Lord is mentioned or assumed here? 2. What does it say about human beings? What are people like according to this scripture? 3. And what does it say about YOU? If you were to take this scripture seriously, what changes would occur?

An ancient method is to picture yourself within the story. Today we might imagine being the director of a movie of this event. Where do you point the camera, what conversations do you overhear, and what action are you caught up in? What does the scene look like, sound like, feel like? And don’t just focus on the main characters; what are the spectators doing and feeling?

Finally, you can read the story slowly but stop whenever the Spirit prompts you to. Do you have a question, a problem, a revelation? Why do you think this particular point of the story caused you to pause? In addition to reading, pray the scripture.

The specific scriptures for this Sunday include possibly the oldest hymn of Christianity, according to students of this passage [Philippians 3:8-11]. Why do you think this was so used by the early Church that Paul can quote it counting on his readers to know it?

The other reading is John’s account of the Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem [John 12:1-8]. Who is celebrating? Who is complaining and why? Do they have a point? Are you one to call out, to keep quiet, or to quiet others?

By the way, would you turn your colt over to strangers because “the master needs it”? What else does the mast need?

I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday at 9:00 am in the Sanctuary.