Tom Wright

This Sunday marks the beginning of the end of Lent. The normal focus of Lent is upon repentance and discipleship, Christ’s temptation in the wilderness and spiritual formation, vivification and mortification. Through study and reflection, we have been preparing our hearts for celebrate Jesus, who was delivered for our trespass and raised for our justification (Romans 4.25).

But this Sunday, the forty long days of fasting and commemoration suddenly gather pace as we celebrate Palm Sunday. As we recall that moment when Jesus entered Jerusalem hailed as the King, we enter into the Easter story. Within eight days, the righteous and humble king would be betrayed, condemned, crucified, buried, but vindicated in resurrection.

So this week, amidst the hot cross buns and the bunnies, take the time to enter into Holy Week. Marvel with the crowd at the one who rode victorious and lowly on a donkey. Consider Jesus’ actions when he marched into the temple and overturned the tables on a fruitless and idolatrous system of power. Read again of his calmness under pressure when his authority was challenged again and again. Examine the significance of his death in the light of apocalyptic history. Or again, learn of the meaning of his death and the establishment of the new covenant through the meal Jesus gave us. Learn that to serve Jesus you must be first be served by him. On Maundy Thursday, receive a new commandment, read Jesus’ prayer for you and all his people, before Jesus is betrayed, deserted, mocked, denied, and beaten.

The darkness looms large over this week; there is a malevolence as human wickedness and evil do their very worst to God’s anointed, leaving him dead and buried. But we move through the week, clinging to the truth that darkness cannot overcome the light. We learn again that if we are to live with Christ, we must die with him, crucifying our sins and our failures, our fears and our regrets. For the way of the cross is the way of life.

As you read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest Holy Scripture this Holy Week, here are several resources to aid you in dwelling in the events of this week.

The day before Lent is traditionally known as Pancake Tuesday or Fat Tuesday: the day that houses would use up all the rich and fatty foods that would become contraband during a fast.

All around the world Pancake Tuesday is still observed by people who love pancakes. I’m yet to see people doing it as a way to honour Jesus. Do you have any ideas about how to do that? Leave a comment or tweet at us if you have a story or a suggestion about celebrating Pancake Tuesday as an act of worship.

In the past we’ve tried to use Pancake Tuesday as a way to open our house to meet neighbours or gather with friends. Pancakes are pretty easy to make if hospitality is a stressful thing for you, especially if you use our special sandwich press method! See the link below.

More seriously, the day before Lent is a pretty good day for setting up your devotional or bible reading plan for the season. Lent is traditionally a time for focused bible reading and prayer, and throughout history many Christians have taken the opportunity of Lent to read a section of the bible deeply and thoughtfully. We’ve collected some of our favourite bible reading guides and devotional literature here on the blog. If you have any other resources you’d recommend, please tweet them to us: @lentproject. We’d love to include them as well.