Prayer for the Week: As we journey closer to Holy Week – the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus – we are mindful of his words: Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. You are gracious, God, while also placing high expectations of those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus. Your love knows no boundaries, and there is nothing we can do to elude the interminable gift of your love. These are the convictions of our faith, but they come with a calling. The very nature of your grace and love beckons us to a place beyond a life of self-preservation and self-focus. If we turn away from your calling, you do not turn away from us. If we forgo your invitation, your grace and love do not forget us. If we pause long enough to notice the breath-taking generosity put on display in your incarnation, Jesus Christ, it is nearly impossible to restrain our gratitude – a gratitude expressed from our lips and through our lives. Oh sure, we will stumble and fall short. There will be moments of anxiety as we explore what it means for us to carry our own cross. We will even follow the example of the disciples who scattered at the first sign of danger. When this happens, and it will, allow your grace and love to affirm us once again, and in that affirmation, call us to once again pick up the cross as Jesus did. Amen.
