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There’s A Hole in Holy Week This Year

April 10, 2020

My “fire place” mantel this Holy Week. The Target “Feels Good to be Home” Sign seemed so fitting for this year.

To all who read this blog: It has been too long. My sincere apologies. This poem/writing/prayer has brought me comfort this week and I wanted to add it to the blog. Perhaps I’ll get back to writing…

There’s a hole in Holy Week this year by Rev. Monique McBride

And with every news report and diagnosis, the hole gets bigger

And into it tumbles every palm processional, Maundy Thursday service

Egg hunt, and Hallelujah Chorus planned for next week. 

And I can’t help but feel empty

Not good empty like empty tomb empty

But, empty empty

Empty, and unsure just how to celebrate

The holiest week of the year

Just how to celebrate an empty tomb

In the reality of empty worship spaces

And, I know, the church is not a building

And the church is not a steeple

But, still, I’m sad

And I need to claim that

And I need to sit in this empty-feeling space

Where people are dying and stressed and fearful

And so much has gone wrong

And though I know that Sunday is coming,

And I will in good faith

And in God’s time

I will find my Hosannas and Hallelujahs

Right now

My soul needs to wait in the darkness

And be still in faith

And grieve

Knowing at the right time,

God will lead us

With light and fire

To Canaan

And to resurrection

Knowing

That while we sit and wait,

God sits with us

On our mourning bench

As Jesus did in the garden

And on the cross

And cries with us

In a space

And a stillness

Where no words

Only presence

Can bring healing

And through tears

God’s tears

And ours

I know

As I sit at the foot of the cross

Healing will come

Resurrection will happen

And this hole

Will transform

Into wholeness

And Holy Week

Whether this one

Or the one we’ll celebrate

When we all fill the worship spaces again                                

Will be more meaningful

And more life giving

Than any Easter we’ve known

So, for now

I will sit here in the darkness

And wait for the light to break in

Knowing

In faith

That God will

In God’s time

Whenever that might be

Fill this hole in Holy Week

With more love than I could ever imagine.

Amen

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