Blessed Thursday Church!
I hope that you are experiencing a meaningful Holy Week. Things around the church office are buzzing, as we prepare for Resurrection Sunday. A great big thank you to everyone who made our Palm/Passion Sunday a blessed time of celebration and reflection. There indeed, was a spirit of celebration, turning the corner to a spirit of sadness and confusion. I especially want to thank, Lee Laurence, Rebecca Dhillon and Felicia Rosler for their beautiful rendition of the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesus. Here is a translation of the Latin they were singing:
Merciful Jesus,
Father, who takes away the sins of the world,
Grant them rest, grant them rest.
Lamb of God,
Father, who takes away the sins of the world
Grant them rest, grant them everlasting rest.
These words are sung or spoken in a requiem mass, which is what is practiced in the Roman Catholic Church during a funeral. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote his Requiem after two tragedies that greatly affected his emotions. One was the death of a journalist who had interviewed him, and was murdered by IRA forces, during the Northern/Southern Ireland conflict. The other tragedy involved a Cambodian boy who was forced to mutilate and murder his own sister or be killed himself. To sing a Requiem, as a part of Holy Week seems very appropriate as we are, in a way, singing Jesus through this devastating week. Indeed, “May light perpetual shine up on Him.”
I hope you are planning on joining us for our Good Friday Worship, with First Congo of Ramona and First Congo of Escondido. The service will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29th. You may carpool with our amazing drivers. They will leave the church parking lot PROMPTLY at 5:00 p.m. The service will last about an hour.
And of course … EASTER SUNDAY IS UPON US! This day is THE banner day in the Christian church. To be able to shout, “Alleluia, He is Risen indeed!” solidifies for your pastor, the real reason we are here, and the real reason we worship. Jesus is Alive! As you complete your Holy Week journey, I encourage you to “feel all the feels.” As we allow our emotions to reveal themselves, the joy we experience on Easter Sunday will be greatly amplified. Until then … journey on! And remember, we know the rest of the story. As Paul Harvey might say “ … page two.” I love being your pastor.
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Holding you close and lifting you high!
Pastor Greg
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