Welcome to the 2014 Virtual Vigil

Thank you for joining us today. You are about to embark on a journey that invites you to enter into reflection and meditation that aims to bring the ancient story of Christ's passion into a personal experience in the life of the seeker today. We have designed today’s experience for you to go on a journey into the life of Christ. It is not a “Stations of the Cross” however some of the thresholds are designed around that “Holy Week”. They do not follow in order though.

We have designed a series of “thresholds” (the starting point for a new state or experience; the smallest detectable sensation; the entrance, the space through which you enter). You are invited to step across the threshold to another time, another place. Using all of your senses, you are encouraged to participate fully in each one.  Each threshold of the physical vigil will be presented in a separate post on this blog. Be sure to continue to the older posts" to see all of the thresholds.

Feel free to “journal” your experience. We encourage you to share any special thoughts you may have and leave it n a comment for those who come after you to read. Throughout the day we will add notes from the physical vigil to the virtual vigil and vice versa. At the end of the day, we will have a service in the church sanctuary beginning at 7:00 p.m. At that time we will read aloud any comments that have been left.

We invite you to participate fully in the life of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Brimfield.  Please visit our web site to learn more about us.

"God is at his best when our life is at its worst. We often learn much more from our trials than from periods of happiness...God's right there even if you can't see him. That's the message of Lent and the Resurrection. There is always something wonderful and surprising around the corner on earth and beyond. That is the sacrificial truth of Lent, the music that builds to the miracle of the Resurrection." - Max Lucado

Every time someone encounters Jesus, the outcome is surprising, not what they expected would happen. In the thresholds you see today, it is our hope you will encounter Jesus as you contemplate the stories of others' encounters with him. Get ready, you may be in for a surprise!

Like a Rock

"For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ."

I Corinthians 10:4;

Long before "Like a Rock" was a popular Bob Seeger song, and later the theme for a macho Chevy truck commercial, it was a phrase used in the Bible to describe God. For example, Psalm 18:2 says: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge . . ." A rock means strength and security: "solid as a rock." But God could use even this unbreakable solid object to provide the people with nourishment, as we see in Psalm 81, when God promises to satisfy the people with "honey from a rock. " And in Exodus 17 Moses strikes a rock in the wilderness and water flows out to nourish the thirsty people. It is this story in Exodus that the Apostle Paul is referring to here: "the rock was Christ," the one who provides living water to all who thirst.How else might we think of Jesus being "like a rock?" My Welsh forebears would often end their prayers "in the strong name of Jesus Christ." Their faith knew that Jesus was solid, unshakable, immovable, dependable, and strong.

- "Like a Rock"Richard L. Floyd

The Last Supper

When it was time, he sat down, all the apostles with him, and said, "You've no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. It's the last one I'll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God." Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, "Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I'll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives." Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory." He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you. "Do you realize that the hand of the one who is betraying me is at this moment on this table? It's true that the Son of Man is going down a path already marked out—no surprises there. But for the one who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man, this is doomsday." They immediately became suspicious of each other and began quizzing one another, wondering who might be about to do this.

Luke 22:14-23

Join Jesus at the table, the folding chair is for you, Jesus sits in the other.  This meal has been prepared just for you.  Take a piece of bread and dip it in the cup.  As you cup your hand under the soaked bread you may catch a drop of the grape juice.  Recall that Jesus proclaimed this to be his blood.  What does it mean for you this Good Friday to have Jesus’ blood on your hands? Do you know God loves you so much God wants to break bread with you? 

Loaves and Fishes

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied,“They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

John 19:1-3, 28-30

The disciples complain to Jesus and tell him to send the people away. He tells them to feed them instead! Then in an amazing twist, after feeding more than 5000 on 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, they have many leftovers! Has there ever been a time in your life when you knew you didn’t have enough? Perhaps your paycheck could only stretch so far….Were you ever surprised by help at the last minute? Did you realize it was God helping you? Stretching your meager amount into much more!

The Suffering of Jesus

So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, and approached him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they greeted him with slaps in the face. Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, "I'm thirsty." A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, "It's done . . . complete." Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.

John 19:1-3, 28-30

There are no words to describe the suffering that Jesus had to bear. There is nothing that you have gone through or will go through that he has not gone through. You are not alone in your suffering. Jesus is there no matter what happens to you.

Jesus Calms the Storm

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Matthew 8:23-27

Fear can be immobilizing, causing terror-filled moments. Are there times when you are filled with fear? Jesus tells us to have faith, He is there with you. There are many different storms in life. He is there through them all. Sometimes, Jesus will either calm your storm or allow it to rage while He calms you.

Jesus in the Temple as a Child

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Luke 2:41-52

While you are in this space, think about the fact that Jesus was just a boy when he went to the temple alone without his parents in a crowded city. Do you wonder what Jesus was talking to the teachers about? Scripture says he asked questions. What questions would he have asked? What would you ask?