Presbytery of Northeastern New Jersey Updates
- Prospect Webmaster
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
The Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey
As we approach the sacred rhythm of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, you may be feeling the quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) pressure to get everything just right. The sermons, the music, the liturgy, the hospitality, every detail carries the hope that it might touch hearts and draw people back into the community of faith.
Recently, I came across a humorous meme: “I’m a vegan plus bacon.” It’s obviously contradictory but I thought it made a good point. Even when we can’t commit to something perfectly, we can still try. We can still move in the right direction. Imperfect effort is still effort and we "don't let perfection become the enemy of good."
And that’s a word many of us need to hear this time of year. Scripture tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God has never required flawless execution. God only asks for willing hearts. What may feel incomplete or imperfect to us can still be deeply meaningful in the hands of God.
The truth is, doing something and offering what we can, with the time and energy we have, is far better than holding back because it doesn’t meet an impossible standard. A sermon that is 80% polished but prayerfully prepared can still change a life. A simple service, offered with sincerity, can still share the power of the risen Christ.
Holy Week itself reminds us of this. The crowds on Palm Sunday did not fully understand. The disciples on Maundy Thursday were confused and afraid. Good Friday looked like a failure. And yet, through what seemed incomplete, misunderstood, and even broken, God was at work bringing about resurrection.
So as you prepare, take a breath. Do what you can. Trust that it is enough. And remember that the power of these days does not rest on your perfection, but on Christ’s presence because you are not called to be perfect. You are called to be faithful, and that is more than enough.
Steve Huston
Organizing Co-Leader/ Resource Presbyter
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