Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, DMin

In the Crucifixion, God takes all of human experience and pain onto God's Self, entering into the deepest crevices of death to heal the pain of our lives. By reflecting on God's all-embracing love, we see that we have no reason at all to fear death.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Rev. Dr. Cynthia Park

So much around Holy Week involves symbols, metaphors, and very specific "labor". All that silver doesn't polish itself, and flowers don't just jump into pots! Eight hundred service leaflets have to be composed, edited, printed. Choral music work for Easter begins shortly after the final verse of Silent Night on Christmas Eve. It can be easy to go through the Triduum with a checklist, marking off "things done" and still "left undone" as the days go on. Which is why it is so important to take the time to sit with the questions. Pilate's questions to Jesus "What is 'truth'?" and "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus' question to Simon in the Garden "Could you not stay awake and pray with me for even an hour?" And Jesus' question to God "Why?!? Why have you forsaken me?!?" Some believers emphasize the importance of knowing the "right answers." We tend to emphasize the importance of sitting with "the hard questions." Tonight, we sit with Jesus' question to his disciples in the upper room "Do you understand what I have done for you?"

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

It is tempting to skip straight from Palm Sunday to Easter, and if we do, we miss so many of the powerful moments Holy Week invites us to explore. By exploring a different Gospel text this year, we can reflect on the potential we have for transformation as we step into these holy days. What do we need to face, so that we can nurture healing in our lives?

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.