…and suddenly, it is Holy Week.
We began our trek toward Jerusalem, the cross, and beyond six weeks ago. The journey began on top of a mountain, witnessing the mysterious and glorious transfiguration of Christ. Now, we go into the valley of the shadow of death before we celebrate the equally mysterious and glorious resurrection of Christ. First, though, it is time for a parade.
We will wave the palms, figuratively speaking, with Christians all over the world as Jesus rides into Jerusalem – Hosanna in the highest.
That is the challenge – to not miss Him as he rides by.
We can so easily miss Him. Distracted, discouraged, mindful of all that the world places before us – good and evil – in the latest twenty-four hour news cycle. It can be dizzying just to keep up.
So don’t miss the really big news. The Lord is coming – to rescue, to redeem, to love, to forgive, to bring hope and healing.
Suddenly, it is Holy Week. Don’t get distracted. Jesus is coming.
Hallelujah.
AMEN.
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By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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IGW3 - In God's Word, In God's Will, In God's Work 