n the days following Easter’s celebration, it’s easy to remember the beauty of the moment—but forget the many hands that made it possible. This week, we pause not for a new teaching, but for a word of gratitude and recognition. From worship leaders to volunteers, from youth to staff, from those who serve quietly behind the scenes to those living out their faith in daily life—you are the church. This episode is both a thank you and an invitation: to remember that every act of service, every prayer, every moment of kindness participates in the life of the church and the transformation of the world.

James reflects on Maundy Thursday through the lens of the disciples’ responses to Jesus—abandoning, denying, and betraying—and invites us to consider how these same patterns show up in our own lives. Rather than dwelling in guilt, he frames this honest self-reflection as part of the Lenten journey of realignment, where we recognize the ways we forget the path and gently return to it. Drawing on the grace that welcomed the disciples back, he reminds us that it is never too late to come back, to re-engage the way of Jesus, and to allow our lives to become places where healing, growth, and transformation continue to unfold—not only within us, but through us for others.

As Lent draws to a close and Holy Week approaches, this reflection invites us to pause and gently ask: how is our realignment going? Throughout this season, we’ve been exploring what it means to return to the place God created us to hold—to rediscover our purpose, our calling, and the unique gift we bring to the world. Yet along the way, we may feel distracted, weary, or even overwhelmed by personal struggles and the brokenness we see around us. In these moments, we are reminded that we are not alone—held always in God’s presence and within a wider human community that transcends all divisions. Lent calls us not only inward into reflection but outward into engagement, grounded in love. As we move toward Easter, we are invited once more to realign ourselves with that love, to follow the path of Jesus, and to live as people who remember who we are and whose we are.