A Eucharistic Holy Week

As we prepare for Holy Week, meditating on the final days of Christ leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection, we want to do so from the point of view of this table. Every week, we enact the death and resurrection Jesus here at this table. We take the body and break it; we take the cup and pour it out. And when we have all participated in that life giving death, we stand up alive and joyful with thanksgiving on our lips ready to live that life in the world again. Every week we are broken and poured out here and raised up to new life and sent out to live in the newness of that life. But this all takes place in the context of joy and thanksgiving. This meal is commonly called the Eucharist, the Thanksgiving. And that means that fundamental to our Holy Week celebration is joy and thanksgiving. When we see the horror of the betrayal of Judas, we not only see the evil, we see God turning evil into good. When we see the faithlessness of the disciples, we see God faithfully preparing them to be his ambassadors to the world. When we see the wickedness of the high priests and elders and scribes and Pilot, we see the wisdom of God turning darkness into light. When we see the pain and suffering and shame of the cross, we see the glory of God revealed for all the world to see. We see in Christ’s brokenness and suffering the life and glory of the world. And all of that is taken up here in this meal. So come and eat and drink the gospel so that you can celebrate the gospel. Come eat and drink Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, so that you can remember properly. Come, eat and drink and rejoice in the goodness and wisdom of God.