Holy Week Devotional Guide 2012

7/29/2019 Holy Week Devotional Guide 2012

1/24


2/24


3/24

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL GUIDE TCPC, 2012

Tates Creek Presbyterian Church - Robert Cunningham, 2012 3

liturgies of the Church have enriched the truths of the

Church by becoming a means of the Church to

experience these same truths.

But this is nothing unique to Christians. Every culture

enhances significant occasions with liturgy. What

would a birthday be without a cake, candle, and

awkward rendition of Happy Birthday To You? What

would a graduation be without caps and gowns? What

would a wedding be without the procession of a bride in

her white dress and the ceremonial first kiss?

So do you believe Jesus died and was raised from the

grave? Of course you do, and thats a wonderful and

important gift of God. But do you feel it? Do you

experience it in the depths of your being?

Well welcome to Holy Week that ancient ceremony

where numbed souls around this world join togetherwith the noble intentions of encountering and

experiencing again what is most fundamental to our

faith, Christ has died and Christ is risen!

To call this a devotional guide is a bit misleading, it is

more of a prayer guide. As important as Bible studies

are, Im not sure there is a pressing need for me to offeryou another. However, I do believe we are desperate to

practice Gods presence. Therefore the aim of this guide

is to cultivate meditation upon Gods Word as well as

the expression of prayer. So treat it as such. Before you


4/24



begin each morning, take a minute to prepare your

heart, ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide and help.

Each day is fairly similar. There is a passage I havechosen to serve as your call into prayer, then an

opportunity to spend some time personally praising the

LORD. Also I have included a New Testament reading

that highlights events and teachings of Jesus last week,

as well as an Old Testament reading that fits with the

same theme. Notice I provide no commentary on the

passages or even questions to consider. I simply

encourage to you to meditate on the passage. In a spirit

of prayer, slowly read through the passage a few times,

not with intent of coming away with a nice, clean, three-

point outline (thats my job!), but in hopes of truly

encountering Gods word. Particularly during the

gospel readings, try to enter into the passage as though

you were a bystander watching the narrative unfold.

Each time, I offer a verse or two for you to truly focus inand meditate upon.

You will also find a daily refrain. I chose a small verse

that fits with the theme, to be repeated throughout the

devotional. I encourage you to continue this refrain

throughout your day, consistently recalling the verse to

mind in all circumstances. You will be amazed what thisdoes to your daily activities!

Each day you will say the Lords Prayer. Feel free to use

whatever language is most familiar to you. Our church


5/24



prays it like this, Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will

be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day

our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as weforgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

At the end, I offer some time for you to respond with

prayers of supplication. This is application to whatever

you learned or experienced during your devotional

time. What are your takeaways? How do you want to

thank God? How would you like the LORD to change

you? Etc.

Finally, you will notice that I wrote a litany for your

Easter feast. I call it a feast intentionally. I would

encourage families, roommates, friends, to gather

together for lunch after church and party! Bring out thechina and silver, prepare the best food and drink, and

celebrate in a way that is fitting the followers of the

risen King Jesus! Before the meal, designate a leader to

lead the community through the provided litany. If you

choose to go out for lunch, do it at the restaurant. You

may feel silly and awkward, but truly who cares? You

are bearing witness to the resurrection!

Im praying for you. May the Spirit of the risen Savior

be your guide as you, Taste and see that the LORD is

good!


6/24



PALM SUNDAY

Call to PrayerLift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient

doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is

this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty,

the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O

gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the

King of glory may come in. Who is this King of

glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!Psalm 24:7-10

Pause to offer your personal thoughts of praise and

adoration.

Daily Refrain

Hosanna, LORD, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in

the name of the LORD! Psalm 118:25-26a

Old Testament Reading

Zechariah 9:9-12

Pause to meditate on this passage, particularly vs. 9.

Daily Refrain


the name of the LORD!

The Lords Prayer


7/24



Daily Refrain



New Testament Reading

Luke 19:28-44

Pause to meditate on this passage, particularly vss. 41-

42a.

Daily Refrain



Pause to offer prayers of supplication in response to what

you experienced during this time.

Benediction

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling andto present you blameless before the presence of his

glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior,

through Jesus Christ our LORD, be glory, majesty,

dominion, and authority, before all time both now

and forever. Amen!

Jude 24-25


8/24



MONDAY

Call to Prayer

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the

LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the

glory due his name! Worship the LORD in the

splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over

the waters; the God of glory thunders the voice of

the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of

majesty.Psalm 29:1-4


adoration.

Daily Refrain

Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the

LORD!Hosea 10:12


Joel 2:10-17

Pause to meditate on this passage, particularly vss. 12-13.

Daily Refrain

Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek theLORD!

The Lords Prayer


9/24



Daily Refrain


LORD!


Luke 19: 45-48


Daily Refrain


LORD!



Benediction

I charge you keep the commandment unstained and

free from reproach until the appearing of our LordJesus Christ, which he will display at the proper

time He who is blessed and only sovereign, the

King of kings, and LORD of lords, who alone has

immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,

whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be

honor and eternal dominion. Amen!

1 Timothy 6:12-16


10/24



TUESDAY

Call to Prayer

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the

LORD with gladness! Come into His presence with

singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he

who made us, and we are his; we are his people,

and the sheep of his pasture. Enter His gates with

thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Give

thanks to Him; bless His name! For the LORD isgood; his steadfast love endures forever, and his

faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100


adoration.

Daily RefrainI love you, O LORD, my strength.

Psalm 18:1


Deuteronomy 6:4-14


Daily RefrainI love you, O LORD, my strength.

The Lords Prayer


11/24


12/24



WEDNESDAY

Call to PrayerI will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in

my God, for He has clothed me with the garments

of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of

righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a

priest with a beautiful headdress and as a bride

adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth

brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causeswhat is sown in it to sprout up, so the LORD GOD will

cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before

all the nations.

Isaiah 61:10-11


adoration.

Daily Refrain

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

James 4:8


Psalm 63:1-8


Daily RefrainDraw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

The Lords Prayer


13/24



Daily Refrain



Mark 14:1-11


Daily Refrain




Benediction

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord

will bless his people with peace.

Psalm 29:11


14/24



MAUNDYTHURSDAY

Call to PrayerHow lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My

soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my

heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God For a

day in your courts is better than a thousand

elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the

house of my God than dwell in the tents of

wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield;the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing

does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in

you!

Psalm 84: 1-2,10-12


adoration.

Daily Refrain

Deliverance belongs to the LORD. Your blessing be upon

your people!

Psalm 3:8


Exodus 12:1-32


Daily Refrain


your people!


15/24



The Lords Prayer

Daily RefrainDeliverance belongs to the LORD. Your blessing be upon

your people!


Matthew 26:17-29


Daily Refrain


your people!

Pause to offer prayers of supplication in application to

what you experienced during this time.

BenedictionThe LORD will keep you from all evil; He will keep your

life! The LORD will keep your going out and your

coming in from this time forth and forevermore!

Psalm 121: 7-8

*Note: Please join with the rest of our congregation for

the Maundy Thursday Communion Service at 7:00pm.


16/24



GOOD FRIDAY

Call to PrayerCome to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I

will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and

learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke

is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Pause to offer your personal thoughts of praise andadoration.

Daily Refrain

For God alone my soul waits from Him comes my

salvation!

Psalm 62:1

Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 53


Daily Refrain


salvation!

The Lords Prayer

Daily Refrain


salvation!


17/24




Mark 15: 1-39


Daily Refrain


salvation!



Benediction

Now may our LORD Jesus Christ himself, and God our

Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort

and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts

and establish them in every good work and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

*Note: Please join with the rest of our congregation for the

Good Friday Midday Service at noon. You might consider

fasting from your lunch as a means of sharing in Christssufferings. The service will be only 45 minutes long to

provide you time to get back to work. Childcare is

provided.


18/24



SATURDAY

Call to PrayerHear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the

land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in

the days of your fathers? Tell your children of it,

and let your children tell their children, and their

children to another generation. What the cutting

locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What

the swarming locust left, the hopping locust haseaten, and what the hopping locust left, the

destroying locust has eaten Yet fear not, O Land;

be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great

things! I will restore to you the years that the

swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the

destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I

sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and besatisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God,

who has dealt wondrously with you. And my

people shall never again be put to shame.

Joel 1:1-4, 2:21, 25-26


adoration.

Daily Refrain

And now, what is my hope? O LORD, my hope is in you.

Psalm 39:8


19/24




Lamentations 1:1-9


Daily Refrain


The Lords Prayer

Daily Refrain



Mark 15:42-47


Daily Refrain




Benediction

The grace of our LORD Jesus be with you all. Amen.

Philippians 4:23


20/24



EASTER SUNDAY

Call to PrayerI am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in

me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone

who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do

you believe this?

John 11:25-26


adoration.

Daily Refrain

I know that my Redeemer lives!

Job 19:25


Exodus 15:1-11


Daily Refrain


The Lords Prayer

Daily Refrain



Matthew 28:1-10



21/24



Daily Refrain




Benediction

Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the

dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the

sheep, through the blood of the everlasting

covenant, make you perfect in every good work to

do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in

his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory

for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:20,21


22/24



LITANY FOR THE EASTER FEAST

Before the meal

Leader: Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all

sleep, but we shall all be changed

Community: For the trumpet will sound, and the

dead will be raised imperishable!

Leader: When the perishable puts on the imperishable,

and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come topass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up

in victory?

Community: O death, where is your victory? O

death, where is your sting!

Leader: Let us pray, Father we gather together as your

people to feast and proclaim that Christ is risenCommunity: He is risen indeed!

Leader: Against the sins of our past, present, and future,

we proclaim Christ is risen

Community: He is risen indeed!Leader: Against our enemy Satan, and all evil forces, we

proclaim Christ is risen...

Community: He is risen indeed!

Leader: Against all tyranny and oppression of this

world and on behalf of those who suffer, especially the

children, we proclaim Christ is risen



23/24



Leader: Against the idols of our culture that seem to

reign, we proclaim Christ is risen


Leader: Against our doubts, cynicism, insecurities, andfears, we proclaim Christ is risen


Leader: And into this seemingly hopeless creation filled

with tears and death, we proclaim Christ is risen


Holding hands and singing

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise

Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye

heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

Amen.

Feast together and make laughter a priority!


24/24


Documents

Holy Week Devotional Guide 2012