Take a breath today...

Yesterday we kicked off the week with shouts of Hosanna and the waving of palm branches. We remembered the peaceful walk Jesus made into Jerusalem—the kind of walk that stirred up the whole city. And we know that next Sunday will culminate in joy and shouts of Alleluia… but we’ve still got a while before we get there.

Life moves quickly, and before we know it, we can stumble

from Hosanna to Alleluia without ever pausing to reflect on what happens in between. Do we rush through Holy Week because we’re busy? Or because it makes us uncomfortable? Maybe it’s both. Sometimes it’s simply because the hard parts are… hard. And it’s easier to move past them than to sit with them.

I say this not to guilt any of us, but to invite awareness. None of us has to do everything—thanks be to God! But we can experience the depth and goodness of this week if we’re just a little intentional.

Of course, we would love for you to join us for one (or more) of our Holy Week worship opportunities (see below). We also have a Lenten devotional (check your newsletter) with reflections for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (spoiler alert—you can read them any day). Or you might watch a short overview of the Gospel of Matthew on YouTube (https://youtu.be/GGCF3OPWN14). And we shouldn’t overlook the simplest practice of all: sitting quietly with God and opening your Bible.

So often, we overthink this. We make it more complicated than it needs to be, and in doing so, we make the journey with Jesus feel out of reach. This Holy Week, let’s be gentle with ourselves and with one another. Let’s give thanks for the journey we’ve already had with God—and make just a little room to notice God with us now, even if it’s only for a breath.

Cole Arthur Riley offers this prayer:

Inhale: I won’t be rushed from grieving.Exhale: I can rest in this silence.

So this week, as we meet God along the way to the cross, I hope you find space to breathe—and grace to hold you.

In Gretna Grace,

Pastor Marissa