Meditations for Holy Week
Author: Bobby Valentine | Filed under: Bobby's World, Easter, Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines, Worship
Meditations for “Holy Week”
This is what is traditionally called “Holy Week.” I see nothing wrong in spending a week thinking about the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Yes we do that all year long, or should. But still many find setting aside a period of time and dedicating it to reflection on the passion of Christ to be a great spiritual blessing. I find it to be a time of renewal and recommitment myself. I invite my readers, if you do not already have a reading schedule to read along with me this week. I have a very simple outline below. May you be blessed in your walk with the Lord. My only advice is that for the selections below that you take your time. Do not rush. Savor the texts in meditation, prayer and reflective singing. Practice lectio divina with them (see pp. 88-89 if Kingdom Come for a short guideline for doing that)
Sunday, April 1
The Crucified Servant—Isaiah 53
Hymn-Oh, The Depth & Riches (#375; numbers refer to Songs of Faith & Praise hymnal)
Prayer Thought—Jesus bears my sin
Monday, April 2
The Pierced Messiah—Zechariah 12.10-13
Hymn—It is Finished! (#369)
Prayer Thought—Praise Him for taking the Spear for me.
Tuesday, April 3
The Crushed Messiah—Psalm 22
Hymn—When My Love to Christ Grows Weak (#350)
Prayer Thought—May my Love Grow for Christ
Wednesday, April 4
Crosses Everywhere: Note the variety of
life situations one finds the cross in the NT
Scripture Texts -Romans 6 & 1 Pet 1.13-21
Hymn -When My Love For Christ Grows Weak (#350)
Prayer Thought -Lord help me to pour out my life at the foot of your cross
Thursday, April 5
Preaching the Cross
Scripture Text -Acts 2.14-41
Hymn -My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (#538)
Prayer Thought -Ask for strength to be a witness to the Cross to those around you
Friday, April 6
The Hinge of History
Scripture Text – Gospel of John 18.1-19.37
Hymn – Boundless Love (#325)
Prayer Thought – spend five minutes in prayer expressing gratitude for the Cross
Saturday, April 7
The Time In Between
Scripture Text – John 19.38-42
Hymn – Psalm 88
Prayer Thought – Try to identify with the
sense of loss and destroyed hopes of the disciples
Easter Sunday, April 8
Lamb of God is Victorious
Scripture Texts – Luke 24; Revelation 5.1-14; 19.6-8
Hymn -Lamb of God (#176)
Prayer Thought -Spend a few minutes of prayer seeking insight into the
privilege of fellowship with the Lamb.
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Bobby,
Sounds great. Thank you so much for this post. I will do this each day this week and know I will be blessed as many of your readers.
God bless you brother.
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:56 pm
I’m doing it
April 2nd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Great idea. I love it.
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:31 am
Bobby, are there any books or resources that draw from the lectionaries created by the early church on what they did in terms of a church calendar? I’ve got Thomas J. Talley’s The Origins of the Liturgical Year, but it’s about as dry as the Sahara desert. I’ve had an interest in finding out the contents of the lectionary manuscripts that have survived, so I could see how they structured their readings and calendar but have not discovered anything online or in print that I could obtain. Any suggestions?
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:04 am
Bob there are many excellent studies on the origin and history of the Christian year and the lectionary.
Hughes Oliphant Olds is completing an entire series on the Reading and Preaching of Scripture in worship, several volumes are available now. I intend on reading them all. But his vol 2 called:
“Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church: The Patristic Age”
is very good. Olds is a master at his subject. He draws many primary sources in as illustrative material. He has illustrations from the Jerusalem lectionary, the Lectionary of Mosul and the Lectionary of Athanasius V.
Robert Webber does not have have near the depth but is (perhaps) easier to read. He has two works that are worth looking at: The Divine Embrace (2006) and Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year. Both of these works are more overview and application. But still good stuff.
Robert Taft has two books as well. One shorter and another detailed. The Byzantine Rite: A Short History looks at the lectionary and liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox and is very good.
His more detailed work, “The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office” is not exactly cotton candy and you might need a good dictionary when you read it. But I have found it helpful.
I would get Olds though. I really like his work.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Hey Bobby,
Thanks for this.
Paula
April 4th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Thank you for this…
Good stuff.
April 4th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Amen brother – The more we can preach the cross the better. I love that people are wanting to stop and hear about Jesus at Easter.
I’ve always believed that if they come wanting to hear about Jesus at Easter … give them Jesus. If they don’t want to hear about Jesus … still give them Jesus.
April 4th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Thanks Bobby for percisely pointing us toward Christ and his resurrection this week.