Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

We're in the final days of Lent and this past Sunday (Lent 6, aka Palm Sunday) we listened to the story of John 12:12-26, and joined the crowd that bustled alongside Jesus. And I invited us to put ourselves alongside the "seekers" of the crowd who asked: "We wish to see Jesus." 
And during our reflection time, I encouraged us to ponder anew, our position alongside Christ as we walk through Holy Week enroute to Good Friday.
A few directions for us to go with our reflections and prayers:
1) The way of New Life. . . what feels like it's dying or fading away in your life. . . can you see glimpses of new life arising?
2) The way of Relationship. . . Embrace the good news that Jesus is familiar with suffering and grief and if you are in a season of struggle and strain. . . Jesus abides with you through the challenges that lay ahead.
3) The way of Follower-ship. . .renew your call to follow Jesus. He doesn't promise us a care-free pathway, but his promise to us is deep, lasting life, here and now (John 10:10) and the certainty that we are never alone. Jesus says: "No one will snatch them (my sheep) out of my hand" (John 10:28).
I hope you have some time for silence this week so that you might ponder these thoughts.
A prayer for silence that I prayed on Sunday goes like this:
"God of Compassion,
in silence. . . 
may we learn to sit with you
and know that it is enough to know you
and be known by you
and know ourselves."

*See attached here, the Sunday prayer sheet, containing a THOMAS MERTON Prayer and a PALM SUNDAY prayer to carry into Holy Week