St. Luke's United Methodist Church

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4851 S. Apopka-Vineland Road
Orlando, FL 32819
407.876.4991
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Blog Post from Pastor Jenn-April 11,2019

Posted on April 11, 2019 at 5:44 pm in .

Dear St. Lukers,

Holy Week is here. The work we have done in the garden of our souls brings us to Jerusalem, where on Sunday we mark Jesus entering into the gates riding a donkey to the cheers of the people. The One who was promised comes our way and we greet him with the same anticipation as those who wove branches on that holy day long ago. Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, Hosanna in the highest because Jesus has come!

Sunday we will celebrate the arrival of Jesus with dancing and singing, orchestra and gospel choirs. We will sing our praises and give thanks to God for bringing us to this holy day, but then we will pause to look at the garden we were supposed to be tending to…

The garden of our souls: where things look healthy and thriving, but looks can be deceiving. Like a parade of palms turned suddenly to the parade of a cross and crown of thorns, sometimes the overgrowth of celebration and green growth is a façade for the real work of soul gardening that needs to happen. Sometimes overgrowth of green leaves is stunting the real production of fruits or blooms.

In order to truly understand the Messiah and Savior Jesus entered Jerusalem to be, we have to attend to the other moments of Holy Week besides Palm Sunday and Easter. We have to hand the shears over to the Master Gardener and let God work through Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday to do the pruning in our hearts. Only through the discipline of pruning and death, will we come to the true blossoming Easter resurrection brings.

We invite you to join us for each of the services this week:

  • Holy Thursday worship in Founder’s Hall at 7:00 p.m.
  • Good Friday services in the Sanctuary at 6:00 and 7:30 p.m.
  • Easter Sunday services – Traditional services in the Sanctuary at 7:30, 8:45, 10:00, and 11:15 a.m.; Contemporary services in Founder’s Hall at 9:00, 10:15, and 11:30 a.m.

Our Prayer Labyrinth has been moved to the Building C Attic and will be open April 14 to April 20 daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and April 21 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. as a contemplative space this week. Dig in and use the tools of soul tending you have received this Lent, and meet us in worship as we walk with Christ toward death, and ultimately Resurrection. We invite you to use John 15:1-9 as a Scripture for continued contemplation throughout the week. Use it within your silence, as a time of Lectio and allow the rhythm of Christ’s final words of metaphor to His disciples be instructive to us as we prepare our hearts for Easter.

Put these services on your calendar and be intentional about each of the holy days of this week, preparing your garden for whatever the Master Gardener might seek to grow in and through you. See you Sunday as we begin our final gardening work with Christ and with one another.

Grace and Peace,

Your Clergy Team

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