Palm Sunday, 2014
13/04/14 04:35
I know that there are a lot of people who live lives that are very different from mine. There are plenty of faithful Christians who aren’t quite as immersed into the seasons and cycles of the church year as I. I no longer have the ability to distinguish between the faith disciplines that I do because I am a minister and those that I do for other reasons. My life is all of one piece. I can imagine that if I weren’t a minister, I might not be as involved in the day-to-day operation of the church, but since I am a minister, I don’t exactly know what that would be like.
I’ve been aware of the differences over the past week because of some of the conversations I have had with the workers who are installing new concrete in our entry way and preparing for our new front doors. To me, it was almost unthinkable that we wouldn’t be able to use our front doors on Palm Sunday. To at least some of the workers, there was a sense of “what is the big deal? It’s only one week!” Of course some of the workers have gotten an education by hanging around the church. Those who thought that the church was basically empty and without activity during the week have gotten an education about how many different things happen in the church. And even if they don’t know all of the events that are a part of Holy Week in our congregation, they have discovered how important the week is to me and all of them have acknowledged that Easter is a big deal to us. “That’s kind of your big show, isn’t it?” one worker asked me yesterday morning.
Of course I don’t think of it as a show at all. But Easter is a big deal. We have had a congregation steeped in grief during Lent. Five funerals averages one a week so far during this season. They didn’t line up one per week, however. And we have been dealing with an unusually large number of our congregation who are facing life-changing illness and end of life issues. Moves from homes to retirement communities, making arrangements for home health care, and going through the process of prearrangement at funeral homes have been on the agenda of members of our congregation this season.
Holy Week is, in part, about practicing. Each year we look grief and loss and death straight in the face because we know that death and grief and loss are real parts of human existence and because we want to develop the resources and skills to face those things with dignity when our time comes. So we use the events of Holy Week as a time to practice.
We live in such a fast-paced world that many don’t take time for Sabbath, let alone a week of focusing attention on spiritual disciplines. That is one great privilege that comes with my particular vocation - it is my job to take these things seriously. It is my job to lay aside other concerns and focus my attention on my relationship with God. I am well aware that others have to fit their religious obligations in and around their vocations.
This is the second year that our congregation has decided that more options serve our congregation better. By offering a spiritual discipline each day of Holy Week, we have more options for our congregation. Last year they responded by turning out in larger numbers than ever before. The total attendance at Holy Week services was four or five times what we had experienced in previous years. Most members of the congregation found their way to one or more of the mid-week services. And we aren’t a congregation that is big on mid-week events and services.
Today, as we begin our Holy Week journey, it seems to me that each of the special services is important to me - important enough that I think it would be worth doing even if no one came. Today is the liturgy of the palms. Tomorrow is the liturgy of the passion with the reading of all of the events of the last week of Jesus’ life. Separating the two services has been very meaningful for our congregation. Tuesday is our blues concert. Wednesday we have a wake with good music (jazz of course), good food, and time for telling the stories of Jesus in an informal atmosphere. Thursday is a traditional Maundy Thursday communion service. There is a modified stations of the cross service for Friday and the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday. Of course we have a sunrise service, breakfast and a glorious big celebration planned for a week from today when we celebrate Easter.
Along the way there is a service at an area home for persons with disabilities who are unable to get out. There are visits to be made and communion to be shared with those who are home bound or in institutions. There is the normal business of the operation of the church office.
And this year there is the added treat of construction. I have insisted that we need to be able to use the front doors on Easter. I’m pretty sure that the workers do get my passion on that one.
But I need to keep reminding myself that most people don’t live inside of this cycle of Holy Week. Most have to go to their regular jobs and take care of their families and keep up with household chores. Holy Week probably isn’t the biggest item in their lives this week.
I wonder if Jesus had a sense of “here we go” as he rode into Jerusalem on that day so long ago. Certainly he knew that a trying and potentially exhausting and overwhelming week lay ahead. Certainly he knew that what he was facing was something that he had not previously experienced.
I know I have a bit of nervousness about the endurance that will be required of me this week. I hope that I have prepared properly and that I will have the strength that is required.
It promises to be a week to remember.
I’ve been aware of the differences over the past week because of some of the conversations I have had with the workers who are installing new concrete in our entry way and preparing for our new front doors. To me, it was almost unthinkable that we wouldn’t be able to use our front doors on Palm Sunday. To at least some of the workers, there was a sense of “what is the big deal? It’s only one week!” Of course some of the workers have gotten an education by hanging around the church. Those who thought that the church was basically empty and without activity during the week have gotten an education about how many different things happen in the church. And even if they don’t know all of the events that are a part of Holy Week in our congregation, they have discovered how important the week is to me and all of them have acknowledged that Easter is a big deal to us. “That’s kind of your big show, isn’t it?” one worker asked me yesterday morning.
Of course I don’t think of it as a show at all. But Easter is a big deal. We have had a congregation steeped in grief during Lent. Five funerals averages one a week so far during this season. They didn’t line up one per week, however. And we have been dealing with an unusually large number of our congregation who are facing life-changing illness and end of life issues. Moves from homes to retirement communities, making arrangements for home health care, and going through the process of prearrangement at funeral homes have been on the agenda of members of our congregation this season.
Holy Week is, in part, about practicing. Each year we look grief and loss and death straight in the face because we know that death and grief and loss are real parts of human existence and because we want to develop the resources and skills to face those things with dignity when our time comes. So we use the events of Holy Week as a time to practice.
We live in such a fast-paced world that many don’t take time for Sabbath, let alone a week of focusing attention on spiritual disciplines. That is one great privilege that comes with my particular vocation - it is my job to take these things seriously. It is my job to lay aside other concerns and focus my attention on my relationship with God. I am well aware that others have to fit their religious obligations in and around their vocations.
This is the second year that our congregation has decided that more options serve our congregation better. By offering a spiritual discipline each day of Holy Week, we have more options for our congregation. Last year they responded by turning out in larger numbers than ever before. The total attendance at Holy Week services was four or five times what we had experienced in previous years. Most members of the congregation found their way to one or more of the mid-week services. And we aren’t a congregation that is big on mid-week events and services.
Today, as we begin our Holy Week journey, it seems to me that each of the special services is important to me - important enough that I think it would be worth doing even if no one came. Today is the liturgy of the palms. Tomorrow is the liturgy of the passion with the reading of all of the events of the last week of Jesus’ life. Separating the two services has been very meaningful for our congregation. Tuesday is our blues concert. Wednesday we have a wake with good music (jazz of course), good food, and time for telling the stories of Jesus in an informal atmosphere. Thursday is a traditional Maundy Thursday communion service. There is a modified stations of the cross service for Friday and the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday. Of course we have a sunrise service, breakfast and a glorious big celebration planned for a week from today when we celebrate Easter.
Along the way there is a service at an area home for persons with disabilities who are unable to get out. There are visits to be made and communion to be shared with those who are home bound or in institutions. There is the normal business of the operation of the church office.
And this year there is the added treat of construction. I have insisted that we need to be able to use the front doors on Easter. I’m pretty sure that the workers do get my passion on that one.
But I need to keep reminding myself that most people don’t live inside of this cycle of Holy Week. Most have to go to their regular jobs and take care of their families and keep up with household chores. Holy Week probably isn’t the biggest item in their lives this week.
I wonder if Jesus had a sense of “here we go” as he rode into Jerusalem on that day so long ago. Certainly he knew that a trying and potentially exhausting and overwhelming week lay ahead. Certainly he knew that what he was facing was something that he had not previously experienced.
I know I have a bit of nervousness about the endurance that will be required of me this week. I hope that I have prepared properly and that I will have the strength that is required.
It promises to be a week to remember.