You're probably wondering why we tried to get everyone to guess the scenes of Holy Week with charades and pictionary this morning.

St. Francis said we should preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words, and that's what we were trying to do today. We were telling the story of Jesus – at least parts of it – without words: but it's not that easy.

If you've ever played charades or pictionary, you know how frustrating it can be. You know exactly what you want the other players to see in what you do – but too often they just don't see it.

Over the past few months, we've played quite a bit of both of these games in our group. By playing more and more, we've gotten a lot better at getting each other to see what we mean, and at knowing what we're supposed to see. But that's within our group. If it's your first time playing, you're going to need some words to explain what's going on.

So even though we know how to show you a movie or hymn title or whatever, if you don't know the special gestures we've set up ahead of time, you're going to have trouble. You need to hear those necessary words that tell you why we're acting the way we are – like the words from the Bible we read to confirm the correct guesses.

But even though those words are necessary, they're not going to be enough. Just knowing the story of Easter, just knowing what Jesus did for you doesn't mean a whole lot unless it changes your life.

Like it says in the book of James, we're supposed to be doers of the word, and not just hearers. We need both of them – to preach the gospel at all times with our lives, and to use words when they're necessary to let someone know that good news.

As we said, it's not easy, but with practice, we get better and better at showing the Gospel with our lives. There will still be those times when words are necessary, but the more we do them both, show the world that we know Jesus through our lives and our words, the easier it will be.

Father –

We thank you that you sent your son Jesus to live with us, to die for us, to rise victorious, and to live in us.

We thank you that he showed us your love by his life and in his words.

We thank you for the necessary words you have given us in your word, and ask that by your Spirit you would help us to get your word in our lives, so that others will see you shining out of us.

We pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray, saying

Our Father, who art in heaven...