2021: A Year in Review
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • Mental Health Advocacy
      • BIPOC Mental Health Grant
      • Growing Communities of Inclusion: A Faithful Response to HIV
      • Citizen Science
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Criminal Justice
    • Immigrant Rights
    • Public Education
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
  • Events
  • Resources
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

2017 Lenten Guide — Maundy Thursday

Nicole Johnson, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Denominational Support · April 12, 2017 · Leave a Comment

For this year’s Lenten Guide, each member of the Council staff chose a verse from a favorite hymn to write about. We will post their reflections throughout Lent, for Ash Wednesday, each Sunday, and throughout Holy Week.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

“Were You There” — The United Methodist Hymnal #288

Powerful. Moving. Visceral. Every year these words and this melody stop me in my tracks. Why? I wasn’t there when Jesus the Christ was nailed to a cross. Nor was I there standing as a physical witness to such suffering.

“Were You There” was forged in the crucible of a community whose faith stood in the face of slavery and oppression. These words and melody have a history that have been difficult to trace, but continue to connect with the inexplicable mystery of a God who is with us in the middle of suffering. These words and this melody call us to remember, to bring the past into the present; asking questions that invoke us to action.

Of course, we were not there when Jesus the Christ was nailed to a cross, suffered and died. We are being asked to remember the life and words of Jesus the Christ who called and still calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to love the Lord our God with everything that we are, to hear the cry of the needy, to feed the hungry, to care for the widows and the orphans, to make disciples, to be witnesses, to be reflections of love in this world, and to be God’s kingdom people.

This Lenten season when we sing these words imagine if they said:

Were you there when my children had no bread?
Were you there when my life came to its end?
Oh, sometimes I wonder if you see me, see us, see them?
Will you come and be in our suffering?

 

Filed Under: Blog

About Nicole Johnson, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Denominational Support

Nicole has had the wonderful opportunity of living in different countries, having been born in Belize City, and currently calling North Carolina home. She is deeply convicted in her belief that faithful congregations can meet the environmental, social and ethical challenges of the 21st century in practical and tangible ways. Her travels and beliefs have motivated her to seek ways of merging faith, health, sustainability, justice and ethics. Nicole is a graduate of Salem College and of the dual degree MDiv/MA program in sustainability at Wake Forest University. Her PHW work is focused on building connections with congregations in the Triad/Metrolina area and developing denominational initiatives that support the health and wholeness ministries of faith communities. Her favorite things to do include traveling, hiking, growing things, trying new recipes, and spending time with family.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

2017 Lenten Guide — Maundy Thursday

Latest Tweets

Since redistricting affects who is elected to governmental bodies, the decisions about boundaries also affect policies these bodies enact. Anyone who cares about the way laws affect communities should care about this. Learn more #2022CriticalIssues bit.ly/3KZgi7z @scsj pic.twitter.com/sls7…

About 5 days ago

Through the assistance of @CarterCenter, Jennifer Roberts & Bob Orr are assembling a cross-partisan network of respected North Carolinians advocating for adherence to democratic & civic values in NC elections. Learn more & register: bit.ly/3KZgi7z #2022CriticalIssues pic.twitter.com/dCTl…

About 2 weeks ago

RT @healthactionnc Help us keep Medicaid expansion in the spotlight by joining our letter to the editor campaign. Never written an LTE before? No problem, register for our Action Hour and get all the tools you will need! bit.ly/MedExActionHo… twitter.com/healthac…

About 2 weeks ago

Our Democracy is being threatened more than ever and together we can learn the facts, educate ourselves, and preserve our democracy and protect it from those who would cause it harm. Join us for #2022CriticalIssues every day starting May 23 until May 27. bit.ly/3KZgi7z pic.twitter.com/NKKl…

About 2 weeks ago

RT @NcAging May is #OlderAmericansMonth and this year's theme is #AgeMyWay. The theme is a reminder for us to reflect on our own desires as we age, as well as, explore creative solutions for older adults to remain involved and included in our communities. Join us in celebrating this month.🎉 pic.twitter.com/Lb7L…

About 2 weeks ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

RT @FaithCompassWFU Consider becoming an HIV & Faith Ambassador! To learn more, plan to join us for a virtual information session on 05/18 at 2 PM, 06/30 at 2 PM, or on 07/20 at 11 AM, all EST. Register now: bit.ly/FaithAmbInfo #faithandHIV #faithcompassWFU #transformthestory pic.twitter.com/oZo7…

About 4 days ago

Join us now Attorney General Josh Stein for a virtual conversation, “A Faith-Based harm Reduction Approach to the Opioid Crisis.” youtube.com/watch?v=…

About 2 weeks ago

RT @NCAGO Join Attorney General @JoshStein_ today at 1 p.m. for a discussion on a faith-based harm reduction approach to the opioid crisis with representatives of Olive Branch Ministries. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webi… pic.twitter.com/XB05…

About 2 weeks ago

Register here! #phw #MentalHealthAwareness ncchurches.ourpowerb… pic.twitter.com/VTN7…

About 2 weeks ago

Please Join Us! ncchurches.ourpowerb… pic.twitter.com/KG6o…

About 2 weeks ago

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @interfaithpower North Carolina congregations with @NCIPL are taking advantage of their utility's solar panel rebate program to save on their lighting and space heating and cooling costs. #Faiths4Climate #EarthWeek twitter.com/PNS_NC/s…

About 3 weeks ago

RT @scennetwork1 This past weekend, Alexander Easdale, our Executive Director, attended the Fight for Our Future rally in Washington D.C. to advocate for climate action! Read more about this event here and see if you can spot our SCEN T-shirts in one of the pictures: nytimes.com/2022/04/… pic.twitter.com/5voq…

About 3 weeks ago

RT @interfaithpower 2 DAYS TO WEBINAR! with Christi Cooper, the filmmaker of this year’s featured film, YOUTH v GOV, and two young plaintiffs from the film - Nathan Baring and Miko Vergun. April 27 at 4:30pm Pacific /7:30pm Eastern. Register here: bit.ly/YvG_IPL @youthvgov @youthvgovfilm pic.twitter.com/HC3b…

About 3 weeks ago

RT @interfaithpower IPL invites you to pray for the Earth during Earth Week. Today pray along with Rev Dr Gerald Durley, IPL Chair of the board. Hop on over to IPL's FB to view. New prayers posted daily during Earth Week #Faiths4Climate #prayer #prayfortheearth #EarthWeek pic.twitter.com/lBz1…

About 3 weeks ago

RT @interfaithpower “I think folk recognize that being stewards of creation is part of our baptismal identity and purpose in the world,” he said afterward. “We can’t do everything, but we can do something. This is one thing we can do.” #Faiths4Climate @NCIPL twitter.com/SEenergy…

Last month

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2022 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine