Palm Sunday

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday; the celebration of Jesus entering Jerusalem. This has always been one of my favorite days in the church year going back to my days as a kid in Sunday school.

            

In the 1960s children were rarely seen in worship, especially in larger, urban churches like the one my family attended. On Palm Sunday all of the children's classes would go to the sanctuary between the morning worship services. Dr. Stone would stand in the pulpit and tell us the Palm Sunday story and then he would invite us to yell, "Hosanna." You can imagine the thrill of the minister telling you to be naughty in the sanctuary. We would all yell, "Hosanna." Then Dr. Stone would tell us to do it again even louder.

            

I still enjoy Palm Sunday, but it isn't as much naughty fun as it used to be. I still love to wave a palm branch and shout out a "Hosanna," but I get tripped up in the Biblical story. One technique in understanding a story in the Bible is to read the perspective through the eyes of the people within the story. For example, when Jesus heals a woman in a synagogue on the Sabbath, the reaction is different for the woman who was healed, her friends, the synagogue officials, the disciples, and Jesus.

            

The Palm Sunday story lends itself to multiple perspectives of: the disciples, the crowd, the Jewish officials who are watching, the Roman officials who are watching, and Jesus.

            

I can imagine the disciples thought, "It's about time he took his rightful place." The crowds may have been mocking the Roman governor of the region who would come to Jerusalem during the Passover, to ensure that the peace was kept, riding a white horse and surrounded by all of the pomp of a military parade. The Roman and Jewish officials might have had the identical reaction, "We don't want anyone to stir up trouble this week." I am most curious and confused by what Jesus felt about this peasant parade. Did he intend to mock Rome? Was he presenting an alternative form of leadership to Rome, which ruled by the strength of the army? Was Jesus offering the rule of love/

            

This Sunday I will dive into this story once again. I invite you to come along and imagine the excitement of the crowd and the worry of the Romans. Grab a palm branch, wave it around and shout Hosanna!

Clothes Closet Collection this Sunday

As you are getting ready for Parkway's annual rummage sale, please remember that clothing will not be accepted for the sale.  However,  El Divino Salvador's congregation will be glad to have shoes and clothing for their Clothes Closet.  The collection date is this Sunday, April 14.  Please look for the container in the narthex.

Thank You Parkway

During my days of recovery, I have been so grateful for the many prayers, cards, visits, gifts of food and the love of my Parkway Presbyterian family. Thank you all. 

Much love,         

Margot Whitaker