For many years, I served a small church in a wonderful bedroom community in Charlotte, North Carolina. The church was nestled in a beautiful, quaint little town and was a wonderful church to serve in and raise my children. One of the many things I loved about this community was the local Ministerial Association. The Association was a group of local ministers who gathered each month to share a meal as well as the joys, pains, and struggles of serving and leading our parishes. We reminded one another of the larger mission of the church and encouraged one another in our own faith journeys. It was truly a ministry to the ministers.
Among the highlights of this association were the Lenten lunches. One of the local churches offered its fellowship hall, and volunteers from the church provided soup and sandwiches to all who came. The lunches concluded with a brief devotional thought offered by a minister from each of the local churches. Each Wednesday during the season of Lent, people from our community came together: Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and many others unaffiliated with local churches. It was truly a time of ecumenical fellowship and worship.
The ministerial association also took the lead in the annual procession of the cross on Good Friday each year. This was an event that started at one of the downtown churches. Each year, a man dressed as Jesus with a crown of thorns and a large wooden cross would lead a procession of local worshipers through the downtown of the city. There would be seven stops along the way. At each stop, a minister would share one of Jesus’ seven last words from the cross and offer a brief devotional thought. The route formed the shape of a cross. This was a vivid and somber contemporary reminder of the difficult path Jesus walked for us and helped us to be mindful of the need for repentance in our lives. By symbolically carrying the cross, we can find meaning in hardship that leads to spiritual growth. Throughout the season of Lent, we as Christ’s followers take the opportunity to step back from the fast pace of our everyday lives. We put aside the cares of the world and are mindful of what Christ has done for us, corporately and individually. Christ’s sacrifice shows the power of love and faith. We embrace humility, practice self-sacrifice, and demonstrate a living faith that makes itself evident in our devotion to God and to the care of others. During this time, we rededicate ourselves to living a life that is Christ-centered. We follow the teaching of Jesus and prioritize God’s will. We bear our burdens with faith and perseverance.
In writing this blog post, I was reminded of the wonderful hymn by Charles W. Everest, Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said, most often sung to the hymn tune GERMANY:
Take up your cross, the Savior said
If you would my disciple be;
Deny yourself, the world forsake,
And humbly follow after me.
Take up your cross, be not ashamed!
Let not disgrace your spirit fill!
For God himself endured to die
Upon a cross, on Calvary’s hill.
Take up your cross, which gives you strength,
Which makes your trembling spirit brave:
‘Twill guide you to a better home
And lead to vict’ry o’er the grave.
Take up your cross, and follow Christ,
Nor think till death to lay it down;
For only they who bear the cross
May hope to wear the glorious crown.
As we continue our journey together to the cross during this Lenten season, may we be reminded of the hope to come, not just on Easter Sunday, but for life everlasting. The hope of the Resurrection helps us to live a life of purpose and meaning, reminding us of the promise of eternal life. I leave you today with this inscription found at Westminster Abbey:
May God grant to the living, grace;
May God grant to the departed, rest;
to the Church and to the world peace and concord;
and to us sinners eternal life.
