Week Six Reflection: What Still Lingers

This week did not stay in silence.
It began in the stillness of return—
but it ends in the swell of voices.
The jar was broken.
The scent rose.
And the procession has begun.

We walked with Jesus from the quiet of Bethany
into the chaos of the city—
from fragrance to shouting,
from kneeling love to waving palms.

And in between,
we watched a miracle still breathing,
a woman pouring all she had,
a crowd gathering—some curious, some cruel.

This was not a week of easy worship.
It was a week of cost.
Of nearness.
Of choosing what kind of follower we will be
as the road begins to descend.

This week taught us:

Love prepares.
Love anoints.
Love walks forward—even when it knows what’s coming.

We were not left watching from the sidelines.
We were invited into the story—
to touch, to carry, to witness, to stay.

And now the voices rise.
Hosanna.
Blessing. Praise.
A cry not of triumph alone,
but of longing. Of need. Of hope placed in someone who will not meet expectations—but will still save us.

So let what was poured out this week remain on you.
Let the scent still cling to your skin.
Let your palms stay open,
not for performance,
but for surrender.

Because this is not just the beginning of Holy Week.
This is your beginning too.

Reflection Prompts for Week Six

Take some space today to pause before the week deepens. You might reflect in writing, stillness, or shared conversation.

  1. What part of the story did you find yourself in this week?
    The table in Bethany? The moment of anointing? The crowd? The procession?

  2. What did you pour out this week—or long to?
    What offering rose from your life, even if it felt hidden or misunderstood?

  3. How did it feel to move from silence into shouting?
    What stirred in you as the crowd gathered, as the hosannas rose?

  4. What scent still lingers?
    What part of this week refuses to fade—what story, gesture, or truth remains with you?

  5. What is your posture as Passion Week begins?
    Are you ready to follow, to stay near, to let the story move through your whole self?

A Quiet Closing

Choose one word or phrase to carry into the days ahead.
Let it rise from your lived experience, not your expectations.
It might be:

Stay.
Pour out.
Prepare.
Walk with him.
Let it linger.

Write it down.
Carry it into the next breath, the next turning.
You are not outside this story.
You are part of the way being made.