Often the day after big events, ministry nights or youth activities finds us either at the height of revelry or at the lowest times of our week (or year). I recall a time when I had been planning a particular event (for over a year) and when it was over I found myself feeling sad, low, grouchy and quite tired. I remember talking with my wife about my attitude and coming to the realization that my depression was due to the event ending. I had become so wrapped up in the event - I felt as though part of me had ended.

What makes us, us? To often our identity gets formed by things that leave us wanting. From more than one source I have come across the following identity markers that too many Westerners allow to form “who they are:”
1. I am what I do.
2. I am what others say about me.
3. I am what I have.

We often become and are shaped by what we do, what others think about us and by what we possess. I have come across more than one youth worker (heck, I have been that youth worker) who falls into this trap of being shaped by these external factors. As a result, we think we are “Youth Worker of the Year” when the numbers are up, the congregation is speaking well of us and we get a raise (gasp!). We know that these kinds of things shouldn’t shape us, but it is easy to fall into (not to mention what are we thinking about ourselves when our volunteers all leave us, the youth have trashed the senior adult sunday school room, the parents want our head on a platter, and there is no money for the youth budget or a cost of living increase).

So what makes us, us? We must break away from our cultural bias toward action, consumerism and reputation and come to the realization that identity formation is primarily about being formed by the Potter. We are shaped when we allow the Potter to touch the clay of our lives. When we are available and open to the impression of the Potter’s hands, this forms the true self. Identity is not something we can do alone; it is about God participating and cooperating to provide us with an internal, true and enduring sense of self.

We can see this clearly in scripture. We are not the primary subject. We are not the action, either. We are included by means of a preposition. In Romans (8.31) we are reminded that God is for us. In Galatians (2.20) we are told of the privilege that Christ is in us. Finally in Matthew (1.23) we hear that God is with us. For, in and with - these are connecting words, important words - but they are not the main subject or the predicate - they are prepositions. That is instructive. Eugene Peterson calls this grammatical truth: prepositional participation. Identity is formed not as WE do (the subject and predicate); but as we join with the invitation to participate and cooperate with (or in; or for) the life of God.

God desires through our relationship and joining in His will and way to help shape and form our identity. Remember today - it isn’t our doing, our owning or our impressing - it is God in us, with us and for us that will shape us into His beloved children. It is when we discover the identity of being His beloved at the core of our being that we will be able to endure and be content through the ups and down, the highs and lows and the much and little that life will serve us.

I have logged quite a few hours in evangelical churches over the past 20 years. I have attended lots of worship services, ministry events and youth group meetings. In that time I have noticed that one of the most ancient of practices is often missing from all of these gatherings. The public reading of Scripture is a practice encouraged by Moses and Joshua, practiced by King Josiah, Nehemiah, Jesus, Paul and Timothy, yet it is often absent from the regular practice of many Evangelical Churches. Can anyone explain this phenomenon (has anyone else noticed this oddity)?

Why would so many Evangelicals, who seem to pride themselves of being “people of the Book,” shy away from the public reading of scripture. Why does the Bible only get read in the midst of a 30-40 minute sermon (and often it is a verse from here and a verse from there - or every other verse from a portion of a chapter)? Why don’t we take the time and demonstrate that we value people “hearing the Bible read” in our services and meetings? How did this ancient practice get overlooked and squeezed out of our informal liturgies? Will we be satisfied to allow this practice to make only an occassional appearance in our meetings and services?

I can guess at some reasons why the public reading of scripture has been put aside in too many Evangelical worship services:

1. time - our services are centered on the sermon/homily/message, special music, the offering and singing. Practically there just isn’t time for another transition that would allow the public reading of scripture.

2. administration - it is one more thing to plan and demands energy to find and maintain a schedule of readers (we just can’t muster the administrative muscle).

3. trust - we don’t trust the scripture to be used by God to speak to our people without the explanation and interpretation of a trained pastor.

I am only guessing at the causes, it is more likely a combination of issues and it is probably more complex than my simple analysis suggests. I really haven’t researched this issue - hopefully it isn’t as widespread a problem as I think it is (but I am afraid it is). That being said, I do hope we can rediscover the need for young people and adults to “hear God’s written word read.” I hope that we can make room for this practice and demonstrate our trust in the words recorded for us that make up the Old and New Testament. I pray that as we gather as God’s people we would again publically read the scripture (without feeling like we need to add our words to it).

“…give attention to the public reading of scripture” I Timothy 4.13

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:6)

He is risen.

He is risen, indeed!

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. (Genesis 2:2)

a prayer for Holy Saturday

Come to us, Lord, this night,
and give us the strength to rise at dawn
rejoicing in the resurrection of your Anointed,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever, Amen.

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:44-46)

A Prayer for Good Friday and the Passion of our Lord

Father,

Our Redeemer suffered and was buried for us, later to rise again.
With sincere devotion we worship him and bring him our petitions:
Lord, have mercy on us.

O Lord and Master, for our sake you became obedient even to death:
teach us always to obey the will of the Father.
You are our life, who died on the cross and destroyed death and Hell.
Grant that we may die with you, and with you be raised up in glory.
You are our King and became the most despised of men, like a worm trodden underfoot:
help us to acquire humility and be saved.
O Saviour, you stretched out your arms on the cross and drew all ages into your embrace:
gather into your kingdom all the scattered children of God.

Amen.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)

One of the most rewarding things I have ever done with students is to help them walk through the last week of Jesus life. In my last few years of working with students this has been a priority and a highlight. In that last week of His life - Jesus experienced a range of emotion - from the anger in the temple to the tears over Jerusalem; from the intimacy of being with friends in Bethany to the agony of the Garden with sleeping disciples; from the passion of praying for His friends to the amazing love of giving His mother to the beloved disciple - it was a profound, full and mysterious time.

I have approached it in a few different ways - by making stations for students to physically walk through the week (with props that coincide with the event and directions about things to discuss, pray about and/or practice). Another approach is creating a more corporate experience of reading different episodes from the last week of Jesus’ life interspersed with appropriate songs, prayers, and worship elements (washing feet, passing the peace, communion, lighting of candles, etc.). By the way Sonlife has a great resource for helping students walk through this week, called: Journey to the Cross. (Oh, did I mention they are currently giving it away as a free download!)

I would strongly encourage you to consider ways that you can help “immerse” your students into this powerful time. Help them encounter the emotion, the importance and the message of the last seven days of Jesus life. A beginning might be to isolate 5 or 6 episodes that speak to you - and then help create an evening that helps your students actively engage with those important stories in a meaningful fashion.

I am sure many of you have done this sort of thing. Maybe you can share some of your better ideas for observing Holy Week with your students providing all of us with some good ideas for next year.

According to the Christian liturgical calendar - we have entered, the holiest week of the year. This week we commemorate the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. This is important when you consider that a little less than half of each of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament) is focused on this 7 day period. My time in the evangelical church didn’t seem to provide that kind of focus or attention to the events in this week. Too often we would go from the revelry of Palm Sunday to the celebration of Easter.

May we slow down this week and rather than get caught up in how to make our Easter Celebration bigger and better, let’s take each day in this week - one day at a time. Maybe you could take time to slowly read the Gospel accounts; a bit each day:

Mon - John 12:1-11 & Mark 14:3-9
Tue - Psalm 71:1-14 & John 12:20-36
Wed - Psalm 70 & John 13:21-35
Thu - Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 & John 13:1-17 & 31-35
Fri - Psalm 22 & John 18:1-19:42
Sat - Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16 & Matthew 27:57-66
Sun - Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 & John 20:1-18 & Luke 24:1-12

As you read - take enough time to hear the Living Word (is there an issue God might be pointing out or an invitation to respond too?). As you read - take time to reflect on your own life in light of these events (if you looked at your life from the perspective of Jesus - what might you see?). As you read - find a phrase or word that you can “take with you” as a prayer for the remainder of the day.

Enter this holiest of weeks and walk again with Jesus, one day at a time.