By: Pastor Mary Beth

This cartoon was posted by another clergy person this week and it made me smile!  It is a more modern take on the stories found in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark.  In those stories, Jesus leaves his disciples for a period of time to go away by himself to pray.  He returns and they are asleep.  Figures!

This cartoon is more realistic than we would like it to be, even for me – a person who at one time had vowed not to ever send a text message.  Our lives have become filled with devices, gadgets and contraptions that keep us connected, informed and up-to-date with friends, family and the news.  It would not be so far-fetched that if we would be in this biblical story today that Jesus would not catch us falling asleep but rather texting, tweeting or posting a picture or two.

We are at the mid-point of Holy Week.  Our lives are filled with school, work, practices and family obligations.  We are booked with softball games, track meets, and soccer games.  There are piles of laundry to do and dishes to get unloaded from the dishwasher.  The work project deadline keeps getting closer.  Who has time to be contemplative during Holy Week?  Could we not stop to reflect and pray for just one hour?

There are all sorts of reasons and all sorts of responsibilities that may seem to press against us.  Yet I hope that you will allow yourself the time to come to one of our worship services this week so that you might not get caught sleeping or tweeting or texting or working when there is the opportunity to be renewed and refreshed in the Spirit of God that is present here at Hope United Church of Christ in the observances of this Holy Week.