Happy Maundy Thursday!
A little trivia as we get started... the word "maundy" in Maundy Thursday of Holy Week means "mandate" or "command." It comes from this verse,
"A new command I give to you, love one another. Just I have showed you love, so you must love one another." - John 13:15
Jesus said this immediately after washing the disciples feet. It was his last act of ministry (service) before being arrested and crucified, and he chose it on purpose. He said if he was willing to do this as Lord, that we should be willing to show love, humility, and service to each other. So on this Thursday, we remember this commandment that Jesus left us with. Somewhere along the way, the Latin word for mandate became how we describe this Thurday before Easter. Kind of cool, huh!
Sunday we celebrate the day that echoes through history as love's final say over the powers of selfishness, shame, and sin. On the cross, Jesus took the worst we had to offer and made something beautiful in it, restoring us to our ourselves and to God in love. About two and a half billion people will be celebrating with us worldwide this Sunday. It's kind of a big deal! :)
I love Easter best and most because of the hope and joy it brings. Our world needs more of this and I am already excited about Sunday and what it means to the planet. All of us at High Places want to wish you and your family a FABULOUS Easter weekend. And we would love to SEE you this Sunday, even if we are still a little short on the ability to embrace due to the pandemic.
The auditorium we will be in holds 550 people and we will surely be well under that number, so social distancing will be extremely easy. We will strongly urge everyone in the building to wear a mask, even if they've been vaccinated. We want you there, but we also want you to feel safe and we are still protecting our most vulnerable. I have a feeling that sometime in May things are going ease way up and a sense of "normalcy" will return to us all. Hopefully even by Mother's Day.
We will sing and have a brief message before allowing our kids to have a GREAT Easter experience during an egg hunt. We also have a gift for all our Mountain Movers (Pre-K thru 5th Grade) that I think they're going to love. We sure hope you'll come out!
For any interested in helping prepare for Easter, Kathy Monger is heading up some spring cleaning Friday at 5:00 PM. Several of us have already been hard at work replacing ceiling tiles, sprucing up some, and getting the Grove ready. We will put all the finishing touches on the work Friday, so come on out and lend a hand you'd like.
We will also stream virtually on our website www.highplaceschurch.org/livestream so if you can't be with us in person, please tune in on the screen.
Much love from us to you this season. We miss you all terribly and long for the time when we are all back together again singing joyfully and being present with each other in the Spirit.
Have a happy, happy, super-happy Easter!
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“Jesus's resurrection is the beginning of God's new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the very life of heaven.”
- N.T. Wright