Weekly Update// Pastor Will
Dear Asbury Family,
It’s hard to write about something that hasn’t happened yet. In the same way, it’s hard to write about emotions that you haven’t fully experienced. Although you know they’re coming, there is something, at least on a personal level, that makes it difficult to fully articulate those feelings. It’s almost like watching a video where the audio is slightly off from the video. You see the words being articulated, but the audio is just a tad delayed. That’s kind of how it feels to write about Easter when Good Friday hasn’t happened yet, but I’m going to try!
One challenge I have found as a pastor is thinking and writing beyond what I know is going to happen. When you know that something dark and dim will happen (in this case, Good Friday), it’s challenging to look beyond it. The other side of that is racing through the experience and the emotions that come with Good Friday. While I do want to get to Sunday, it’s important to fully take in Good Friday and experience all that it has to offer. That helps our perspective on why Sunday is so meaningful to us. But while we sit in the darkness on Friday, we ultimately know that Sunday is coming. As Bishop Desmond Tutu says, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness,” and Jesus is that light.
Friends, it’s Holy Week. I feel as though that is enough to say. The week in which Jesus is betrayed and crucified, but ultimately, conquers the grave. We hope that as we journey through this week, you will journey with us, not only through Scripture but also with our services. Tonight is our Maundy Thursday service at 7pm in the Sanctuary. Tomorrow evening is our Good Friday service, also at 7pm in the Sanctuary. Then, on Easter morning, we have four services. First, there is the Sunrise service at 6:30am at the Lakeside Chapel. Then we have two Traditional services, 8:15amand 11am in the Sanctuary, and we have our Celebration service at 9:30amin the Fellowship Hall. All of this week’s services will be live-streamed, except for the Sunrise 6:30am service and the 8:15amTraditional Service. We hope you can join us to celebrate our risen Lord this Easter season.
God Bless,
Pastor Will