The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

It's Holy Week

by Dessa Rodeffer

Quill Editor and Publisher

11 April 2001

It's holy week, but does the term "holy" mean anything to us any more?

It's the era of "holy cow!", "holy smokes", "holy toledo", "holy mackerel," and "holy moly," in other words, more of the batman mentality.

These are terms my parents never allowed me to use. I was taught, only God is holy, nothing else. Anything else was wrong to say.

I think it was in front of our minister's wife that I used the term. I was thirteen.

Our teenage missionary society was formed by my mother and we were in the middle of a mission trip to Kemmer Village, a home for children without parents, when I announced, "Holy smokes it's hot!"

My mother turned bright red, called me by my first and middle name, and told me not to say that again.

I could tell I had embarrassed her and I felt bad. I had said it without thinking at all, but I have never used that term again.

I felt foolish in front of everyone, but Mother explained to me after we were home, that only God is holy and there is no other.

The ten commandments tells us, "Thou shalt have no other God before thee," and that God is a jealous God.

I should have known, but the term came up in every day conversation with lots of school friends, adults, as well as popular TV show "Batman." I guess I didn't give it a thought until I said it spontaneously out loud at the worse possible moment.

Our minister at that time was Dr. Lunan. And his tradition that I remember most in his many years of service to our Presbyterian church was to open up the service with the same hymn. It was "Holy, Holy, Holy," and he said it was the most important message for us to think about as we began worship.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and Mighty God in three persons, blessed Trinity

Holy, Holy, Holy, all the saints adore thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea, Cherubim and Seraphim falling down before thee, Which wert and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Thou the darkness hide thee, Though the eye of sinful flesh thy glory may not see. Only Thou art holy, There is none beside thee.  Perfect in power, in love and purity."

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea. Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and Mighty God in three persons, blessed Trinity

It's the middle of "Holy Week" relating to God's great love for each of us.

Doesn't it make you wonder how someone so all powerful, so all jealous, so all commanding can send his son to a cross?

What is it that his Almighty and Holy God knows about death that we don't know? Don't we hear about death's sting, its pain and sadness?

The Holy God Almighty wants devotion and our attention every day.

Yes, he is a jealous God. He wants us to look at Him, to fall on our knees in awe of His creation, His greatness, His glory!

He gives us seven days each week, but He commands us to give one day back to worship Him, to Praise Him, and to Thank Him.

But he is loving. He wants our love so much that He is willing to send His beloved and only begotten son as a "scapegoat" to bear our sins. He is doing this out of love, and to remind us His creations were made for us.

We have ignored God's goodness. We have failed to worship Him on the Sabbath. We continue to sin saying unholy things, talking about neighbors instead of offering a helping hand, or coveting what our neighbors have instead of rejoicing with them and being glad. We ignore the sick, the lonely, the suffering, instead of visiting them, and we keep our money for our own pleasure.

Holy is a God who could love us and forgive us, and not only gave us everything, but is willing to sacrifice His son so that we may enter into heaven someday.

This IS Holy Week

God is a HOLY God.

Come to the table of the last supper of the Lord's on Maundy Thursday.  Prepare your hearts for what is about to happen. Good Friday, hear the last seven words Jesus spoke on the cross before he died.

Then, on Sunday morning, celebrate a Holy God who keeps his promises, and who after three days raised the Christ from the tomb out of deep love for you and me.

When you realize what this means, you will never be the same. The word "Holy" will be reserved for the one whom it was intendedS the "Lord God Almighty!"