The Red Sea and Holy Week

God encouraged us and taught us during Holy Week. And we finally crossed the Red Sea.

But first, we had MK Camp. It was a great time to get out of the city and see old friends and make some new ones.

We had some fun, studied God’s Word together, and even spent a day at the lake.

Back home, we had a great weekend celebrating God’s love. We had a Good Friday service Friday evening, with readings from the Gospels and a time of worship.

And on Sunday morning… well, we crossed the Red Sea.

We’ve been studying Exodus, and it so happened that we finally got to the shores of the Red Sea on Palm Sunday, and crossed through on Resurrection Sunday.

Planned by God and not us, we also read Psalm 66. We read a Psalm each Sunday, in order, and Psalm 66 was especially appropriate;

Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him…

Psalm 66:5-6

It was interesting connecting the parting of the Red Sea and the salvation of Israel with the Resurrection and our salvation. And the theme will continue next week, as we sing along with the Song of Moses on the other side. I’m preaching next Sunday, so I’m enjoying Exodus 15 already.

Many people have connected these events together, of course. One of those was John of Damascus, in his hymn, written about 1300 years ago, which we also sang on Sunday (in Spanish, of course). I’ll include it at the end of this post.

After the service we had a potluck, which was fun except quite a few people weren’t able to stay.

So we were very blessed to spend time with God’s people, and to meditate on His Word. Praise the Lord – He is alive today and forever!

Come, ye faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness;
God hath brought forth Israel
Into joy from sadness;
Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke
Jacob’s sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot
Through the Red Sea waters.

’Tis the spring of souls today;
Christ has burst His prison,
And from three days’ sleep in death
As a sun hath risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From His light, to whom we give
Laud and praise undying.

Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendour,
With the royal feast of feasts,
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to glad Jerusalem,
Who with true affection
Welcomes in unwearied strains
Jesus’ resurrection.

Neither might the gates of death,
Nor the tomb’s dark portal,
Nor the watchers, nor the seal
Hold Thee as a mortal;
But today amidst the twelve
Thou didst stand, bestowing
That Thy peace which evermore
Passeth human knowing.

Alleluia! now we cry
To our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars
Of the tomb’s dark portal;
Alleluia! with the Son,
God the Father praising,
Alleluia! yet again
To the Spirit raising.

John of Damascus