Notes for Holy Week

Pray Your Way Through Holy Week

Write if you wish, but try to focus upon what is going on in your faith life right now during Holy Week 2012 rather than in the past. 

Try not to look at this week as a Bible Study or a Writing Exercise.  Rather, look at it as a time for sitting with God in the presence of scripture.  Perhaps you can let God “read” you – your thoughts and emotions that go deeper than your written or spoken word. 

Go all the way to the Cross.  Abide with Holy Saturday, allowing yourself to contemplate what it means that God searches for you all the time, especially in the dead and dark, hellish places of your existence.

Avoid the temptation to fast forward to Easter’s Alleluia!!!!

(even if you are leading or preparing for Easter Sunday Worship)

Before you pray:  Pay attention to how you are right now. 

God meets you where and how you are, not as you think you should be or wish you could be. 

Take this short but comprehensive inventory:

How am I physically (level of fatigue, tension, headaches, misbehaving organs, even sore toes.)

How am I emotionally?  Quality and intensity of emotions.  Name them.  Are the feelings rapidly changing or fairly consistent?

How am I mentally?  Clear thinking?  Muddy?  Focused?  Chaotic?  Linear or swirling? 

What can you say about how you are in prayer right now?

That is, are you feeling close to God?  Distant?  Hungry for God’s presence?  Wanting to hide?  Ready to just “hang out” with God for a while? 

This inventory helps you to become more aware of how God is reaching out to you through scripture.  Remember, God meets you where and how you ARE. 

Now: 

Read the lesson slowly.

1.       Name the words,  phrases or images that catch your attention. 

2.      Sit with that portion of the passage.  Where does the passage touch your life?  What emotions are arising? 

3.       What does God seem to be saying to you through the passage?  How is God inviting you to be?  What might God be inviting you to do? 

If you accept God’s invitation, how might you change or what might be changed in your life? 

After you pray, consider the following: 

If you could talk with God about this time of prayer, what would you want to say? What would you want to hear from God?                                                                                                      .

Is there anything that you want to take with you from this time of prayer? Anything you want to continue to be with?