Central Family,
 
In the Hole in Our Gospel, Richard Stearns tells about Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision.  Bob Pierce jotted these words in his Bible: "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God."  How can we not want our hearts to be broken by the things that break the heart of God?  I suspect most of us want to know God in a deeper and more significant way BUT are we willing to go to that place of suffering, pain, weakness and heart ache in God's own heart?
 
In the comedy film BRUCE ALMIGHTY, God lets this TV reporter be God for a few days.  Bruce is initially excited but then is overwhelmed as he tries to keep up with all the prayers.  Request after request crams his email box; he can't keep up with all the pain and suffering. Obviously we could not keep up with all that breaks God's heart for even an hour.  But Lent is a season when we at least try.  Many of us have been reading The Hole In Our Gospel and are overcome with all the sufferings of so many people.  In a small but very significant way we are not focusing on our own sorrow but on the pain of God's people.  As we approach Holy Week I hope each of us will grow in our sense of joining Christ this week.
 
What will it mean for you to join others this Sunday and wave your palm branches and hail Christ as the King of Kings?
 
What will it mean for you to leave worship in silence knowing that Christ will be crucified on that Friday we call good?
 
What will it mean to gather for worship on Maundy Thursday at 12:00noon or 7:00pm and celebrate the Lord's Supper in the midst of betrayal and denial?
 
What will it mean to be part of the Good Friday Pilgrimage at 12:00 noon and walk with other Christ followers to seven different Churches in Elk River?
 
What will it mean to be part of the Good Friday Tenebrae service of light and darkness at 7:00pm and hear seven witnesses from Central share the Word?
 
What will it mean to gather outside at 6:30 on Easter morning and burn our palm branches before entering the Sanctuary to celebrate the resurrection?
 
What will it mean to gather for Easter worship at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 or 11:00 in the Sanctuary?, or at 9:30 at the YMCA? or at 6:30 in the evening for the Gathering?
 
The way to experience the intimacy of worship is simply to get our hearts as close as possible to God's own heart. "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God."
 
On behalf of your staff, THANK YOU for the privilege of walking with you through HOLY WEEK.  This next week take some time and stop in the sanctuary to pray and reflect on Christ's pilgrimage.  If you want to have someone pray for you or with you please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be humbled to pray for and with you.
 
In Christ,
 
Paul Johansson