Lent And Holy Week

Lots of people will be attending Holy Week services at church this week: Palm Sunday (yesterday) Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and finally Easter. But I'm not one of them. I used to appreciate entering into the solemn mood of the days leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, and if you do that's fine, I don't want to take anything away from that. It's just that it began to seem like too big of a production to me. I got the feeling myself and from talking with the pastor of my old church that all the black shrouds hanging from the church cross, the low light in the sanctuary, forbidding the word "alleluia" (What's up with that?), the bare altar, and slow-moving gut-wrenching hymns of sorrow were only there to provide contrast to the glorious Easter Morning services. To make it SEEM even better. How do you do THAT? "Pretend you're there at the cross, that you don't know about the ressurection... enter into the dispair" he told me.

Why?

It's not like I've forgotten what I was saved from. I don't need to pretend I don't know about the ressurection, why would you do that? I live in the joy of the resurrection every day! I do my best to keep it real. If I find myself pretending, I try to snap out of it. It seems to me to be counterproductive. Am I giving up chocolate during Lent to remind me of all that Jesus gave up? Come on! I give up all my sins, and not just during Lent. Not to remind me of all He gave up, but because I love Him! My life is a celebration of Him, or at least I want it to be. The glory of Easter and the wonder of the resurrection is every day! Don't pretend it isn't!