Worship
for the Lord’s Day: Palm Sunday
April
5, 2020
A Note
before we begin this day’s worship:
Many of us had hoped that we’d be back
in our sanctuary seeing family and friends face to face by Easter. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen and
we’ll be using this method of worship through the rest of April and into
May. As we get through this month, we’ll
evaluate how things are going based on the nation’s and world’s response to the
virus will be. We’re going to have a
long road to recovery when this is all said and done. For me, that means, more time with God. Not to plead for it all to end, but rather to
lean into the lessons I’ve learned through this, be more thankful for each day,
and find ways of being Christ’s ambassador in a more fully consistent way in my
life.
As
I mentioned last week. Settle in to this
“new normal” (whether you’ve come to like the word or despise it), find a place
to relax and really concentrate on the words, the thoughts, the prayers, the
readings, and the music. Find a space in
your home that you could make sacred or create one. For example, a folding table or a small
existing one that you set up near you with a plate of items that you find
soothing, pictures of loved ones, a lit candle, a cross, a bell. Anything that helps you create a Sacred
Space. If you need to take a moment to
do that…do it now.
Since
today is Palm Sunday and we have no Palm branches to share with one another, you
might want to take a leaf from one of your own houseplants and lay it on the
space that you’ve created. Perhaps you still
have last year’s palm frond (often made into a cross for Easter) that you could
lay out on the table. Get creative – you
might want to even draw one!
If
you are worshiping at home with a small group of you in the family, you could
even make home made instruments using Tupperware, pots and pans, or wooden spoons
– practically anything in your house can be used to make some noise. Even if you are worshiping alone, embrace the
opportunity to be a child again for a moment and be present with the other children
that march into the sanctuary while the church sings the Palms for our first
hymn. Just because we are home,
separated from one another, doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy worshiping God in
all its glory!
Let’s
begin:
Opening
Prayer
God our
hope, today we remember that when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem the
people shouted hosannas and waved palm branches. But within the bounds of the city there were
those who feared him. Even on this day,
O God, there are those who let fear claim their lives. Lord, enter our lives this day with Your healing
presence. Be with us as we march with
You toward the cross. Amen.
Prayer
of Confession
O God, we
stand at the gate, hesitant and uncertain; we are reluctant to answer your
invitation; we are slow to embark on the journey toward your reign. Forgive us, we pray. Grant us the help we need to be your people - the
courage to join you in the procession; the selflessness to lay our cloaks
before you; the freedom to lift our palms to your glory; and the knowledge that
by your grace we are forgiven. Amen.
Words
of Assurance
Hear this
good news! The procession is ever moving
forward. We can join at any moment. The invitation still stands! In the name of Jesus Christ, you are
forgiven! Glory be to God! AMEN
Pastoral
Prayer
Praise be to You, O God, who boldly asks
us to march into the Jerusalems that confront us each day. We would like to think that we will be loved
and cherished wherever we go; our witness of faith will be gladly
received. But it will not necessarily be
so. For there are those who fear faith;
who question the reality of Your love and healing power. With each step we take, guide our lives in
Your paths of peace and hope. Give us
courage and strength to witness to Your love.
Help us feel the powerful presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, calling
us to come with Him to truth and eternal salvation.
In
this time of prayer, we also lift up those who already walk the path of healing
and compassion in their everyday lives.
We pray for the nurses and doctors, aides and hospital staff that risk
their lives every day. We pray for the first
responders in times of crisis that they find solace in Your peace. We pray for the lonely who battle difficult
days. We pray for those who can not see
loved ones and ask for Your comfort.
These are difficult days, Lord.
Surround us with Your love.
I lift my own prayers up to You now….
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever.
AMEN.
Scripture
Readings
Old
Testament Reading:
Psalm 31:9-16
9Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.
10For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.
11I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.
12I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.
13For I hear the whispering of many— terror all around!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
14But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
15My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.
New
Testament Reading:
Matthew 21:1-11
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Sermon
Back in late February, beginning of March, I
had planned to do a dramatic retelling of the Palm Sunday story and Jesus’
entrance into Jerusalem. I wanted us to
re-encounter some of the characters we’d met along the way during this season
of Lent. At first, I thought I should scrap
that and do something else, something more pertinent to our times and being
isolated from one another. After all, the
celebration of Palm Sunday is anything but isolation. The people gathered in the streets, there
were throngs of the faithful and the curious jostling about to get a glimpse of
this Jesus.
Palm Sunday has always been one of my favorites
in the Church calendar. You can lead a
parade (which I have done numerous times) and bang on instruments (how many of
you have heard us?). You can sing
Hosannas and act like a child, waving palm fronds whenever the word “Hosanna”
is said or sung in worship (you know you secretly liked doing this, right?). But it all feels so strange this year.
However, we have met some interesting
characters in our scripture readings during Lent. And a retelling of their stories might just be
what we need this year; a reminder that God continues to work through people,
that God has a story to tell through us.
What will our stories say?
On this Palm Sunday, here are the stories we’ve
heard about during Jesus’ time on earth.
I’d like to re-introduce you to them even if we aren’t all together in
the parade, marching toward Jerusalem.
If you remember from years past, we’ve talked
about the significance of this day. The
crowds surged into Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover. This was the high, holy time--a time when
something wonderful could happen in the lives of believers. They came offering sacrifices and prayers,
bringing their hopes and dreams, their burdens and sorrows. All these were mingled together with the
aromas of incense and sacrifice--smoke billowing toward heaven - toward God.
And the congregation, or you at home, says out
loud (waving your palm branch or houseplant – lol):
Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of
the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Behold,
the king comes. He comes riding on a
donkey. Surely this is the son of God. Hosanna in the highest!
How many of you remember the story of Nicodemus,
a leader in the temple, who came to Jesus “under cover of darkness” to ask
Jesus a few questions. Well, here he is.
Nicodemus:
I came here to the central part of the city to
be part of the usual festivities that surround the preparations for Passover. Everything must be done correctly, and I am
one of those who is charged with that authority. But my heart isn’t in it. I can’t seem to get the face and words of
Jesus out of my mind. He is like no
other prophet we have ever known; there is something so different about him. A great teacher? Perhaps. But something more. He saw into my soul. He knew my longings and my burdens. Now he has come to Jerusalem. I saw him, riding on a small donkey. People were waving palm branches, and some
were even throwing their cloaks in the path in front of the donkey. His disciples were shouting. People began to sing, “Behold, the King
comes!” The King of this kingdom? I don’t think so. His kingdom would be much
larger. I don’t know what’s in store for
him here. I do know that he is in great
trouble with the Temple hierarchy. They
want to get rid of him. He threatens
their authority; and more, he challenges their faith. He is a dangerous person in their eyes.
The story about the woman at the well was the
Sunday that I had planned to be in Florida, but you know the story well. She had come to the well to draw water in the
middle of the day when the rest of the women were gone, to escape their mocking
criticism. Instead, she encountered Christ,
who knew all about her.
Woman
at the Well:
So, this is Jerusalem. I have never been here before, but after the
time we spent with Jesus, that miraculous day when he told us of God’s power
and love for us, I had to follow him here. I have been on the outskirts of town on the
Mount of Olives with some of his followers. We listened to him speak in that soft tone
that seemed to comfort us. Today, he
rode a small donkey down the path into the city. It seemed that all Jerusalem turned out to
greet him. People were stripping palm
fronds from the trees and waving them like banners and shouting “Hosanna!
Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord!” Some people lined the path of the donkey with
their cloaks, so that he would not step on stones or stumble. What an incredible sight! This city is so fortunate. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One, and he
comes to bring them good news of peace.
But I sense something sinister here. Something is not right. There are whispering voices and suspicious
glances; the religious leaders are more in evidence than I thought they would
be. Perhaps it is only my imagination. After all, I am an outsider.
Maybe it is always like this at Passover.
I didn’t preach on the story of the Blind
Man this year. Although I’ve preached on
it many times. The man was a beggar in
the streets having been blind from birth.
When the disciples passed him, they asked Jesus about who had sinned,
the man or his parent’s, that their sins had passed on to the son. Jesus told them that neither had sinned, that
the man’s healing would be to show the glory of God. His story is one of the longest ever recorded
in the New Testament. An entire chapter
is devoted to the argument that ensues between Jesus and the Pharisees about
this man’s healing.
Blind
Man:
The colors are unbelievable! People, plants, colors, shapes, forms! It is almost too much for me to take in. When Jesus healed me--gave me back my sight--I
decided to become one of his followers. I am nobody special. I’ll never be one of the main disciples, but I
will always praise God for the gift I have received through Jesus. Like the woman at the well over there, I was
also on the hillside at Mt. Olivet. I
stood among the many that wanted to enter Jerusalem with Jesus. I have never seen the golden city before now. I followed him down the path. He was astride a small donkey. People were waving palm branches and putting
their cloaks in the pathway. It was overwhelming! “Here comes the King,” they shouted. I agreed with them. He would be the one to rule in my live. I wanted to learn more about him and the good
news he brought. There is so much to
see. One of the things that bothers my
sight is the sense that I get that some people here don’t like him. They seem to be wary of Him. I’ve even heard some whispers of finding ways
to get rid of him. But I can’t be sure
of that. After all, there is so much to
see, so much to do.
We’ve encountered Martha, Mary, and
Lazarus, the small family of sisters and their brother who died. We’ve heard about them in two different
stories. The first story was the time
that Jesus went to their home, Mary stuck around to listen to Jesus teach while
Martha was busy in the kitchen making all the preparations for dinner for their
guests. Neither of them was too pleased
with the other. The second encounter we
have with them is their grief over their brother Lazarus’ death. They are the final three characters in our group
today.
Martha:
We decided to spend Passover in Jerusalem this
year. Even though our home is ready for
the holiday, we wanted to come with Jesus to Jerusalem. There may be some way
in which I can help. I know how to make
preparations for meals and for accommodations and how to deal with the vendors
for food. Personally, I prefer to be a
background person and help in any way that I can. Lazarus wanted us to become part of the group
that traveled down the path from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem. He said it would be like a parade. I would rather have just gone into the city
and begun to make arrangements for our sojourn. However, there is nothing that I would not do
for my brother. So, we followed Jesus
down the path. He rode on a donkey. The crowds were gathering and swarming to meet
Jesus, shouting and calling out to him. They
waved palm branches. It was a parade! I wondered if Jesus was pleased. Everyone seemed to love him. But he wore a look of sadness, just as though
all the burdens of the people had been heaped upon his shoulders. Something is wrong. This should be a time of triumph, but it
isn’t.
Mary:
You can just imagine how exciting it was to
march down that path from Olivet to Jerusalem! People were shouting out to Jesus and
celebrating his presence. This was a
great parade! They were waving palm
branches! Some of the people were throwing their cloaks on the path in front of
the donkey. I was so happy! I wanted to shout to everyone who came to see
Jesus, “Here is the Messiah! Here is the King!” Some of the people seemed to know that, for I
heard shouts of “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of
the Lord!” The Lord entered the Holy
City and things will never be the same. He
will change things. Those who oppress
will be brought low. Peace will be
restored to our nation and our people. At
last we will be the people whom God called out of bondage, and we will be a
people of light.
Martha
says that something isn’t right. Martha
is worried, but that’s Martha. She
always worries. She will see. Jesus will turn things around here. Just you wait!
Lazarus:
Yes, I am the one whom Jesus raised from the
dead! You know, it’s hard for me to talk
about that. I am told that I died. Then one day, he came, and behold, I am alive
again! And my life has taken on a new
dimension. I feel such a sense of
freedom and peace. I wanted to walk into
Jerusalem with Jesus. I wanted to shout
at the top of my lungs, “Jesus raised me from the dead! He is Messiah, the Anointed One of God!” I convinced Martha, the reluctant one, and
Mary, the eager one, to accompany me on the journey from the Mount of Olives
into the city. We would be part of a
parade that would forever change the lives of all people. We would march in with the King. Jesus mounted a donkey for the trip into the
city, a sure sign that the King is coming, a definite reminder of the passages
in Isaiah’s scroll about the King, the Anointed One of God. He would ride into the city on a donkey, a
beast of burden. I believe that he is
the One! But the look on his face gives
me concern. He looks as though he has
the burdens of us all on his shoulders. He
should be excited. But he looks sad. It is as though he knows something that we
don’t know. It makes me uneasy to see
that expression. I wish I knew. Is something going to happen to him? Is there something I can do to protect him? Is this going to be his triumphal entry, or
will it be something else? I don’t know
what to think. I will just be grateful
that I am with him. I will help him all
that I can. Everything will be all
right. I’m sure.
In year’s past, Palm Sunday was solely a time
of joy and excitement. It was a day to
wave palm branches and to rejoice that “Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest!”
But this Palm Sunday is different. The throngs that gathered were oblivious to
the dangers ahead; the difficult week that would follow. Perhaps we’ve been oblivious for too long, as
well. Perhaps we’ve taken much, too
much, for granted. As the saying goes, “We
were living high on the hog” and completely unaware of the dangers ahead, to
even foresee how difficult the week, the month, perhaps the year might be.
The darkness in the week ahead in Holy Week
will be mirrored in reality for much of the world, for a while. Thankfully, every year that we’ve celebrated
Palm Sunday, Easter has ALWAYS come. And
it will come again – resurrection to new life.
Benediction
We do not
know what the future will hold for us, but we are assured that whatever
happens, God is with us! Go into this
week, though it may be difficult, with the knowledge that resurrection will
come, even when it seems there is no tomorrow.
In the name of the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.
