April 1st, 2021
by Denee Bowers
by Denee Bowers
Thursday, April1
Mark 14:12-72
I distinctly remember the last carefree meal I had before the heaviness of COVID hit. After an incredible week in Mozambique, our team from The Gathering took a day to process our experiences on the Island of Mozambique. Though we had seen the headlines declaring a global pandemic, the gravity of the situation and its life-changing implications hadn’t yet settled in. To mark our last night in Mozambique, we enjoyed a meal and a magnificent sunset at a seafood restaurant overlooking the sea. We broke bread together, taking time to recount our most treasured memories of that hallowed week in Mozambique. We embraced for group photos, socialized without the constraint of masks, and even ordered dessert. As we walked the narrow cobblestone path back to our hotel, we had no idea that meal would mark the last few moments of normalcy we would enjoy before our world was upended.
I often wonder how Maundy Thursday may have felt for the disciples. Mark 14 begins with a description of a seemingly ordinary meal shared between 13 friends. The wine seems to indicate a sense of levity around the table. Though Jesus alludes to his untimely death during the meal, the solemn nature of this occasion goes by unrecognized by the disciples as they fall asleep in the garden of Gethsemane. Just like our group soaking up last moments in Mozambique, the disciples had no idea what was to come.
The term Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin word for “command” and references Jesus’ commandment that the disciples “love one another as I have loved you.” If the past year has taught us anything, its that we are not in control. All we can do is heed the words of the Christ and continue to love.
Reflection by Judith Rowland
Mark 14:12-72
I distinctly remember the last carefree meal I had before the heaviness of COVID hit. After an incredible week in Mozambique, our team from The Gathering took a day to process our experiences on the Island of Mozambique. Though we had seen the headlines declaring a global pandemic, the gravity of the situation and its life-changing implications hadn’t yet settled in. To mark our last night in Mozambique, we enjoyed a meal and a magnificent sunset at a seafood restaurant overlooking the sea. We broke bread together, taking time to recount our most treasured memories of that hallowed week in Mozambique. We embraced for group photos, socialized without the constraint of masks, and even ordered dessert. As we walked the narrow cobblestone path back to our hotel, we had no idea that meal would mark the last few moments of normalcy we would enjoy before our world was upended.
I often wonder how Maundy Thursday may have felt for the disciples. Mark 14 begins with a description of a seemingly ordinary meal shared between 13 friends. The wine seems to indicate a sense of levity around the table. Though Jesus alludes to his untimely death during the meal, the solemn nature of this occasion goes by unrecognized by the disciples as they fall asleep in the garden of Gethsemane. Just like our group soaking up last moments in Mozambique, the disciples had no idea what was to come.
The term Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin word for “command” and references Jesus’ commandment that the disciples “love one another as I have loved you.” If the past year has taught us anything, its that we are not in control. All we can do is heed the words of the Christ and continue to love.
Reflection by Judith Rowland
Recent
Screen Time Discussion Guide - Week 2
April 14th, 2024
Springtime Reminders: Joy Comes with the Morning // M-Note 4.13.24
April 13th, 2024
Screen Time Discussion Guide - Week 1
April 7th, 2024
Screen Time: Troubleshooting our Relationship with Technology // M-Note 4.6.24
April 5th, 2024
Easter Discussion Guide
April 5th, 2024
Archive
2024
January
Clean Slate: Week 1 Discussion GuideStarting & Sustaining Change // M-Note 1.6.24Clean Slate: Week 2 Discussion GuideStarting Small, Dreaming Big // M-Note 1.13.24Clean Slate: Week 3 Discussion GuideTogether Towards Change...and Healthy Habits // M-Note 1.20.24Clean Slate: Week 4 Discussion GuideSlowing Down for God to Show Up // M-Note 1.27.24
February
More Isn't Always Better // M-Note 2.3.24Money Talks: Week 1 Discussion GuideAshes for Valentine's Day? // M-Note 2.10.24Money Talks: Week 2 Discussion GuideLenten Devotional 2024Money Talks: Week 3 Discussion GuideWhat's your legacy? // M-Note 2.17.24Strength in Numbers: Community in Ministry // M-Note 2.24.24Entourage Discussion Guide - Week One
March
Entourage Discussion Guide - Week TwoUpdates from Clayton and Easter Invitation // M-Note 3.2.24Twenty Students Confirmed Last Sunday // M-Note 3.9.24Entourage Discussion Guide - Week 3How serving at Easter can really make a difference // M-Note 3.16.24Entourage Discussion Guide - Week 4Can You Know Joy Without Pain? // M-Note 3.23.24Entourage Discussion Guide - Week 5It's time for EasterSTL at The Factory // M-Note 3.28.24
2023
January
February
Explore - Week 1Explore - Week 2Explore - Week 3Explore - Week 4God is Leading Us Forward // M-Note 2.3.23SENT: Week 1 Discussion GuideSomething To Try This Weekend // M-Note 2.10.23SENT: Week 2 Discussion GuideWe're Doing Something Big! // M-Note 2.17.23SENT: Week 3 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 1Lent Devotional Day 2Lent Devotional Day 3SENT: Week 4 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 4Lent Devotional Day 5Lent Devotional Day 6Lent Devotional Day 7
March
Lent Devotional Day 8Lent Devotional Day 9Celebrating BEYOND // M-Note 3.3.2023Who Is Jesus: BONUS Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 10Lent Devotional Day 11Lent Devotional Day 12Who Is Jesus: Week 1 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 13Lent Devotional Day 14Lent Devotional Day 15Lent Devotional Day 16Lent Devotional Day 17The Evening Service is BACK!!! // M-Note 3.10.23Lent Devotional Day 18Lent Devotional Day 19Who Is Jesus: Week 2 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 20Lent Devotional Day 21Lent Devotional Day 22Lent Devotional Day 23The Most Important Sunday of the Year // M-Note 3.17.23Who Is Jesus: Week 3 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 24Lent Devotional Day 25Lent Devotional Day 26Lent Devotional Day 27Lent Devotional Day 28Lent Devotional Day 29Lent Devotional Day 30The Power of Easter and Invitation // M-Note 3.24.23Lent Devotional Day 31Who Is Jesus: Week 4 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 32Lent Devotional Day 33Lent Devotional Day 34Lent Devotional Day 35Lent Devotional Day 36Lent Devotional Day 37You Can't Miss This Part // M-Note 4.1.23Lent Devotional Day 38
Categories
Tags
1 Kings 3
1 Kings
1 Timothy
2 Corinthians 9:5-7
2 Timothy
Belden Lane
Beyond Simple
Celebrate
Change
Christ
Commit
Confidence
Denee Bowers
Devotional
Discussion Guides
Distractions
Divine Love
Doubt
Easter
Ephesians
Equity
Evangelism
Explore
Five Shared Practices
Focus
Frederick Buechner
Fresh Take
Friends
Generosity
God
Gratitude
Hebrews
Holy Ambiguity
Holy Spirit
Hope
Humanity
Identity
Inside Voice
Isaiah
Jesus
John 21
John
Joy
Kids
King Solomon
Lectio Divina
Lent
Life
Limitations
Longing
M-Note
Matt Miofsky
Matthew
Nadia Bolz-Weber
No Filter
Open
Parables
Parenting
Patience
Paula D'Arcy
Paula D\'Arcy
Paula D\\\'Arcy
Paula D\\\\\\\'Arcy
Paul
Privilege
Proverbs 1
Proverbs
Psalms
Purpose
Questions
Redeem
Rejoice
Righteousness
Sabra Engelbrecht
Second Chance
Self-Love
Struggle
Success
The Bible
The Church
The Gathering
Timothy
Uncertainty
Untethered
Vision
Weird
acts
adulting
advice
challenge
commitment
creation
deconstruction
deconstruct
faith
finances
fitness
forgiveness
forgiving
foundation
freedom
give
growth
kelley weber
love
meister eckhart
money
mystery
new life
opportunity
reconstruction
reconstruct
redemption
relationships
responsibility
simplify
sin
social
thomas merton
transition
truth
willingness
willpower
will
young adult
No Comments