Join us for Gospel Sexuality: Creation, Culture, and Communion with God, a women’s symposium exploring the beauty and complexity of God’s design for sexuality in today’s world.
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Here, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, set apart some time to read this short devotional by Claude Atcho or work through this 10–30 minute meditation guide. You can do these things individually or with a household.
From Rhythms of Faith
This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid Him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.
Holy Saturday calls us to sit in the stillness of the starkest heart-ache the world has ever known: the Light of the world extinguished and the Lord of life dead. Imagine what ran through the minds and hearts of the female disciples, standing just feet away as the Lord’s body was sealed in the tomb. Imagine the grief Joseph felt, lifting and wrapping Jesus’s lifeless arms and nail-scarred hands, his bruised and breathless body in linen for burial. The Lord who spoke the words of life breathed no more.
Writer John Onwuchekwa says, “Tragedy doesn’t ruin us; hopelessness does.” The silence of Holy Saturday combines both in one fatal blow—tragedy strikes, and hope is nowhere to be found. Yet the fact that the Father does not raise Jesus immediately speaks volumes.
Holy Saturday teaches us that wherever we are overwhelmed by hopelessness, silence, or grief, we are not alone. Even in the void, God is present. In our grief and tragedy, the Lord mysteriously works. We neither grieve nor suffer alone. truths drawn from the story of Jesus’s own life. In the silence, None of these assertions are trite religious clichés—they are truths drawn from the story of Jesus’s own life. In the silence, Jesus descended into the bowels of death, snatching away its ultimate power. The hush was real and suffocating, but it was not final. Jesus would speak again, breathe again, rise again.
Holy Saturday teaches us that with God, there is always something on the other side of silence. This something does not bypass pain and grief but engulfs and redeems them. This something is resurrection.
Holy Saturday teaches us that God is with us in tragedy and that neither silence nor hopelessness is ever the final work.
O God of the living, on this day your Son our Savior descended to the place of the dead: Look with kindness on all of us who wait in hope for liberation from the corruption of sin and death, and give us a share in the glory of the children of God; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Have a timer handy for moments of silence.
After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Holy Saturday. A day we often miss entirely. In our flurry and hurry of preparation to ready ourselves for the celebration of Easter morning, we forget that there was an entire 24-hour day in between the horrors of Good Friday and the joys of Easter. More than a full day between death and life. Between the last exhale and the next inhale. A full day between the darkness of despair and the dawn of new hope.
We already know the full story, so it’s easy enough for us to skip straight to the “happy ending.” That feels more comfortable and much less awkward to us, especially in this day and age. And, if we’re honest, this is what we’re tempted to do with all of our problems, griefs and “little deaths” we experience during our time on earth. We tell ourselves, “everything will be fine in the end!” We push down our discomfort and sadness, jumping straight to an optimistic perspective. We find silver linings. We sugar-coat. We strive to turn our situation around as quickly as possible, and if that doesn’t succeed, we often try to escape, or medicate, or numb ourselves from feeling the pain. These are considered normal reactions in our broken world.
But is it how God intended us to live?
Why would God allow for an entire day between Good Friday and Easter? Is it “productive?” What good does it do us? What good did it do the disciples? Couldn’t Jesus have risen on Holy Saturday? Or, for that matter, immediately after being crucified? Why did He make the disciples wait till the third day?
It seems that, through some great mystery, God chose to use the waiting and silence of Holy Saturday for some deeper meaning and purpose. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways, and His timing is not our timing. It wasn’t Abraham’s timing, waiting for a promised child. It wasn’t Job’s timing, waiting for his family to be restored. And it wasn’t the disciples’ timing, waiting for the coming Kingdom and the resurrection.
So how do we approach these “confusing in-betweens” with appropriate health and faith? Have you ever considered how Jesus, the only perfect human to ever live, wept over the death of His friend Lazarus? He took real time to feel sadness and grief even though He knew He would resurrect Lazarus from the dead within a few hours! Jesus models time and time again that we are made as humans to slow down, to allow ourselves to feel emotions before God, and to wait for God to move in His timing.
On Holy Saturday we remember this most painfully confusing “in-between” that the disciples faced millenia ago. But we also recognize that each of us are facing our own “in-betweens” right now, as we wait for God to answer our prayers and ultimately redeem all things. We might be waiting for God to heal a disease or an emotional grief. We might be waiting for reconciliation with a friend or family member. We might be struggling with the recent loss of a life, a home, or a career. We may deeply desire a new relationship or a new chapter in life. We may be waiting for God to pull us out of a “dark night of the soul.” When we slow down, we may even simply feel the weight of the world’s brokenness and our longing for Christ to make all things new.
Yet, through each of these Holy Saturdays we live through, we are not alone. We find ourselves in the company of all who walked with Jesus before us, and even more preciously, we find ourselves in the very presence of our kind Savior who gave up His life for you and me. He who once lay still and breathless in the belly of a cold tomb now sits with us here in this moment.
Right now, take a few moments to think about one or two “in-betweens” you’re experiencing, whether great or small. As they come to mind, allow yourself to feel sadness over your unmet longings. Silently ask God to fulfill these longings, even if you’ve asked countless times before.
Then, if possible, set a timer for 2-5 minutes to sit in silence and stillness before God. Remember that He is with you. Recognize that He also weeps with you over the “in-betweens.” Allow His presence with you now to bring comfort.
O God, Creator of heaven and earth:
Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath,
so we may await with him the coming of the third day,
and rise with him to newness of life;
who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(From the Book of Common Prayer)
Again, set a timer for 2-5 minutes, then sit in silence and stillness before God.
Adapted from a 2019 blog post by Joel Limpic. Photography for 2026 by Seth Coulter.
“Fasting.” Just hearing the word can make us tighten up. Some of us feel guilt. Others become defensive or even angry. It’s a practice many of us have heard is probably a good thing and yet few of us engage it with any regularity.
Why is this practice so foreign? Why is it so difficult? Why do we run from it and then justify our avoidance of it? Why can’t we see the gift behind this discipline?
Richard Foster, in The Celebration of Discipline, reflects, “Why has the giving of money, for example, been unquestionably recognized as an element in Christian devotion and fasting so disputed? Certainly we have as much, if not more, evidence from the Bible for fasting as we have for giving. Perhaps in our affluent society fasting involves a far larger sacrifice than the giving of money.”
While there may be no direct command in the New Testament for the Church to fast, the words of Jesus in Matthew 6 appear to imply that all of His disciples will engage in this practice. “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (verse 16). Notice He says, when you fast. His assumption is that his followers will fast.
Following this assumption, Jesus is teaching us that our motives are what’s really important when practicing fasting. If we’re looking for praise or some kind of religious trophy, we might receive that—but it’s all we’ll receive. Jesus offers a better way: “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (verses 17-18). He is not saying we must avoid others’ knowledge of our fasting at all costs. The Bible is full of examples of corporate fasting (Acts 13 and 14, Esther 4, 2 Samuel 1, etc.). He is, however, concerned with why we’re fasting.
He wants our hearts. He wants us to be focused on Him above all else. He wants to give us a reward that can’t fade or be stolen from us.
So, despite our potentially-mixed bag of motives, we go together before God to engage with this practice. We want to put God first. Or, we want to want to put God first. We deny ourselves food to discipline our body, soul, and spirit and say that God is more important to us than food—than anything.
Below are a few ideas for best-practices and questions to consider for individuals, households, and Gospel Communities:
We’re inviting everyone in the church body to practice fasting on Wednesdays during Lent (February 17-March 31). Set a reminder for this upcoming Wednesday (or Tuesday evening) to join us because it’s so easy to forget!.
What exactly is fasting? David Mathis defines fasting as “voluntarily going without food—or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God–for the sake of some spiritual purpose.” Some people, for medical reasons or otherwise*, can’t fast from physical food but that doesn’t mean they’re excluded. Many have found that fasting from social media, Netflix, particular activities or foods has shown itself to be a helpful way of intentionally engaging with God. Fasting ultimately is about refraining from one thing that we might engage more intentionally with another, namely God.
Sam Storms comments: “The ironic thing about fasting is that it really isn’t about not eating food. It’s about feeding on the fullness of every divine blessing secured for us in Christ. Fasting tenderizes our hearts to experience the presence of God. It expands the capacity of our souls to hear his voice and be assured of his love and be filled with the fullness of his joy. Let me say it again: Fasting is not primarily about not eating food. It is primarily about feasting on God.”
Take a moment before Wednesday to prayerfully consider how you might engage well with God through this practice. Many will choose to go without food for breakfast and lunch. Others will skip one meal or go the entire 24-hours only consuming water (or maybe a cup of coffee). There isn’t a hard and fast rule here; the end goal is to increase relationship with God and ask Him to increase our desire for Him.
One healthy practice is to use the time you would’ve spent preparing and eating food to actually stop and pray! We can miss the point if we simply work through the lunch hour to keep our minds distracted from our hunger. Use the questions below to guide your time in prayer.
Many of us will feel some negative emotions and attitudes rise when we go without the food that our bodies are used to. This is normal and can actually be a gift from God. It is often being revealed what is inside us all along – weakness, dependence, anger, greed, etc. We often use good gifts like food to cope and cover up our inadequacies without even realizing it. Take these emotions before God in prayer, and give yourself grace for these feelings that certainly don’t seem very “spiritual.”
A note to those who choose to abstain from something other than food: You may decide that fasting from food is not a good idea because of a medical condition or because you are pregnant or nursing. Others may have an eating disorder or unhealthy relationship with food or body image, and this may not be a practice to try at this time. That’s okay! We’d encourage you to ask yourself before God, “What’s a good gift that I could give up temporarily in order to help train my heart to long for God more than His gifts?” Otherwise, perhaps now is a time to pursue healing and hunger for God in some other way. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your Gospel Community Leaders or a staff member if you need help walking through this.
For families with small children, this practice may not be possible to engage with all together. Depending on the ages of your children, you may be able to choose one thing to give up together on Wednesdays like dessert or screen-time. Read through the “Individuals” category above and decide if you may be able to cast vision for your whole family to practice a form of fasting together. You may phrase it something like, “We wish we wanted God more than dessert, but usually we don’t. Tonight, we’re choosing to pray and ask Him to be happy with His presence instead of eating dessert, and thank Him that many days we do get to enjoy it.” Again, if possible, spend time praying together in the same time-slot you would have been engaging in whatever activity you’re abstaining from. Use the questions below to guide discussion or prayer time together.
For spouses and housemates, read through the “Individuals” category above and decide if you want to practice fasting together in the same manner. You may choose to keep each other accountable to practicing it (regardless of whether you practice it in the same way). Again, if possible, spend time praying together in the same time-slot you would have been preparing and eating food. Use the questions below to guide discussion or prayer time together.
If you call Park Church home and are contemplating your charitable giving here at the end of the year, we encourage you to consider an end-of-year gift to Park Church that is above and beyond your regular giving.
End-of-year giving has always been an important part of our annual financial plan, helping us to finish the year strong and prepare for the year ahead. This year also finds us in the middle of a meaningful season of preparation—our Two-Year Vision for Park Church, calling each of us into prayer, generosity, and engagement. You can learn more about this initiative or give using the buttons below.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to love our neighbor through the joys of life and through its pains. We are called to be there in times of righteousness and in times of injustice. At Park Church, we encourage everyone who calls Park home to live this mission. As always, we are inviting our community to participate, loving and serving our neighbors by getting involved with one of our Missions Partners. Scarlet Hope is a great example of this kind of opportunity!
Mission and Action: Scarlet Hope seeks to love and serve those who are in the adult entertainment industry and to share Jesus with those who are exploited and trafficked.
Who is Served: Scarlet Hope serves those in the adult entertainment industry and often connects with and serves those who are being trafficked.
Why is it Important: There are 65+ adult entertainment establishments in Denver. Colorado is ranked 15th in the U.S. for highest volume of signals to made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Learn more about trafficking and exploitation in Denver. (Source Scarlet Hope).
Ways to Serve: There are opportunities to serve with Scarlet Hope’s Outreach (going into clubs to share Jesus and care for the women there) or by providing meals taken to the clubs.
Give: You can give by visiting Scarlet Hope’s website.
On Sunday, September 21, Calden Scranton, our Director of Missions and Outreach, announced a new partnership we’re excited to embark on as a church—CarePortal. CarePortal is a resource for viewing and responding to real needs faced by individuals and families in our area.
Watch the video above to learn more about CarePortal, and consider joining us on Monday, November 17 for our Mission & Outreach Night.
On Sunday, August 31, Neil Long wrapped up Be With Jesus: Rest, a mini-series aimed at helping disciples of Jesus learn more about what it means to “be with Jesus” by growing in the practices of rest and Sabbath.
The tried-and-true illustration of the “Big Rock” reminds us that prioritization leads to the rest—and even the margin—that our souls crave. Use the button below to listen to the entire sermon. See the rest of our resources for the series by clicking here.
