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Our Messiah, our God, demands nothing less than everything, 100 percent, complete devotion. Our Messiah does not ride in on a donkey, humble and holy, and ask for occasional fidelity. Our Messiah does not hang on a cross to his death to engender sporadic respect. Our Messiah, the Son of God asks that we leave behind our selves, our selfishness and egotism and reorient our lives toward God. Completely. Wholly.

Perhaps that is why it is so painful to revisit this story. Because we know what we did to God in the world two thousand years ago and we know we continue the same crimes against our God today. Perhaps, we know that when we do try to reflect God's love in the world, we will endure pain we do not wish to face. We know what happens when we stand up to the powers and principalities, so we keep quiet. We watch.

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Our guest preacher for the Holy Week Preaching Series is The Rev'd Dr. David Bartlett. Dr. Bartlett is a professor of New Testament at Columbia Seminary in Decatur. He came to Columbia from Yale Divinity School, where he was dean of academic affairs and Lantz Professor of Preaching and Communication. He is an ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches, USA. His latest book, "What's Good About This News? Preaching from the Gospels and Galatians," explores how to reconcile the biblical text's message to our contemporary context and a particular congregation's character and need.

How can we sustain this life of service? How can we get past our own baggage, our own difficulties and continue a life of love through serving others? Perhaps this is why Jesus wanted us to celebrate the Eucharist.

Our guest preacher for the Holy Week Preaching Series is The Rev'd Dr. David Bartlett. Dr. Bartlett is a professor of New Testament at Columbia Seminary in Decatur. He came to Columbia from Yale Divinity School, where he was dean of academic affairs and Lantz Professor of Preaching and Communication. He is an ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches, USA. His latest book, "What's Good About This News? Preaching from the Gospels and Galatians," explores how to reconcile the biblical text's message to our contemporary context and a particular congregation's character and need.

Our guest preacher for the Holy Week Preaching Series is The Rev'd Dr. David Bartlett. Dr. Bartlett is a professor of New Testament at Columbia Seminary in Decatur. He came to Columbia from Yale Divinity School, where he was dean of academic affairs and Lantz Professor of Preaching and Communication. He is an ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches, USA. His latest book, "What's Good About This News? Preaching from the Gospels and Galatians," explores how to reconcile the biblical text's message to our contemporary context and a particular congregation's character and need.

Our guest preacher for the Holy Week Preaching Series is The Rev'd Dr. David Bartlett. Dr. Bartlett is a professor of New Testament at Columbia Seminary in Decatur. He came to Columbia from Yale Divinity School, where he was dean of academic affairs and Lantz Professor of Preaching and Communication. He is an ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches, USA. His latest book, "What's Good About This News? Preaching from the Gospels and Galatians," explores how to reconcile the biblical text's message to our contemporary context and a particular congregation's character and need.