Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Pause before the plunge

In many ways, I would love having service every day of Holy Week. For me as a person I think it would be beneficial (corporate worship is just different from personal devotion) and for me as a Pastor I think it would be a wonderful time of preparation - it's amazing how conducting services prepares you for later services. This year I decided to forgo the Tre Ore' simply because I didn't know where my stamina would be at (discretion and valor and all that) - and I know I am going to miss it.

Last week I was running on adrenaline - and so I was incredibly productive. I got Holy Week sermon drafts done. I had a funeral on my day off, so nerves before service had me doing bulletins. Same thing with another meeting on Saturday. And I got stuff done. Yesterday I got the RD for Easter's sermon done. That means this year there is nothing on my schedule until Thursday evening. Bulletins are mostly set up, rough drafts of sermons are set up - and so what I have is time for study and revision. There will be a different benefit this year. Instead of the immersion in Holy Week that I am used to - today and tomorrow - and even Thursday day will be the pause before the plunge.

It will be interesting to spend time in reflective (unrushed) study - study with plenty of time. For Holy Week. This is what I am used to in the summer - it will be interesting to get to approach the passion with the same time frame as one of the Trinity Season. It will be. . . interesting.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Eric,

This year the plunge has been non-stop swimming upstream!...With three vacancies in our circuit there have been numerous shut-in and hospital visits between services...Today [M. Thursday] we had three services and I managed to get in 10 shut-in visits and 4 hospital visits! Think I finally got everyone covered! The nice thing about Holy Week is NO CHURCH MEETINGS...

The NCAA helped us in the first round. Purdue played early afternoon today IU plays at 10:45 tomorrow (one and done this year!) and ND plays tonight at 10:45 so no one couldn't skip church with basketball as an excuse! BTW I have Butler and Michigan State in the finals with MSU winning it all!

Holy Week is, well, a journey and a pilgrimage...blessings on the rest of your week.

D. Dahling