Good Morning Rehoboth,

This week we have a decision to make. And it’s a little more complicated than choosing between the gospel or the epistle. The question for us this week is do we want to preach palms or passion. We often call this last Sunday in Lent Palm Sunday in celebration of the day when Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. This is the day that Jesus rode in on a colt as the people cried out “Hosanna.” Palm Sunday was always one of my favorite Sundays growing up. Usually, that Sunday began with everyone in the church parading through the sanctuary waving palm branches and cheering and celebrating. The hallways of my church had palm branches on the ground that led into worship. And after all of the parading, we would sit back and relax and enjoy the Easter Cantata. It was a joyful day, filled with singing and praising and we would leave that place with a sense of hope much like those who gathered to see Jesus enter into Jerusalem. This is the first option for this Sunday.  A Palm Sunday celebration filled with hope. 

The other option is Passion Sunday. Passion Sunday is exactly what it sounds like; it is a service that concentrates on the death of Jesus Christ. This is a service that acknowledges that Jesus “triumphant” entry into Jerusalem was not triumphant in the way that we would want it to be. The palm branches and the parade were military, or kingly, symbols and our Lord Jesus came as a peaceful savior. Passion Sunday launches us into Holy Week already reflecting on the fact that the same people who shout “Hosanna” also shout “crucify”. 

This Sunday I think we will do both. We will have a Palm/Passion Sunday service. We will have that joy and hope of the triumphant entry to Jerusalem, but we will also be forced to sit with the pain of holy week. I’m not sure how this will function as a sermon. But I think the heart of this week is a recognition that the crowds are the same. Where in our lives have we supported Jesus until Jesus starts acting in ways we don’t agree with? Where in our lives have we wanted Jesus to come in and strike down all our foes and leave us standing safe? Where in our lives have we wanted a Jesus that doesn’t die on the cross? If we focus on just the palms, I think we miss the point of Easter. You can not have Easter without Good Friday. We cannot have a resurrection without death. Maybe this Sunday we will just read the story. We will let the power of God’s word do the talking. We will imagine ourselves as though crying out “Hosanna” but also see how quickly we can change our minds. Many people will come to church this Sunday and not darken the church doors again until Easter Sunday. I am glad they will be there, but I fear they will miss something, they will miss the reason for all the celebrating on Easter morning. So I think this Sunday I will not preach. I think this Sunday we will preach together. We will sing, and we will read so that on Easter morning when we celebrate the resurrection the last thing in our mind is not a royal entry into Jerusalem but an outcast’s last breath on a cross. 

How do we reconcile Palm Sunday with Passion Sunday? Why do we as Christians want to skip over Good Friday quickly? These are some questions I am struggling with this week. Let me know what you are thinking. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for letting me ramble this morning.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Lee