LAKE JAMES

NORTH CAROLINA

 

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Palm Sunday March 20, 2005

 

Before we read the Passion I have about 5 minutes of comments. 

 

            On Palm Sunday we commemorate both the beginning and the end – Jesus’ triumphal entry at the beginning of the week and Jesus’ painful execution on Good Friday. We come from Fitzgerald Hall with palms and at the entrance to the church we pray “that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace.” Then we sing “All glory, laud and honor” and remembering that the “Almighty and everliving God who in his tender love for the human race sent his Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, thus giving us the example of his great humility.” We pray that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection.” And we make our prayer only by the merits and intercession of the same “Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.”

 

      Between the commemoration of the triumphal entry and the reading of the passion come a reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, from chapter 45 or from chapter 52 and 53. Chapter 45 includes God’s promise by the prophet that the same God who made the world offers salvation to the whole world. “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” St. Paul reminds the church at Philippi of God’s promise, “Christ Jesus  became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. 9 Therefore at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

 

            I believe God has brought from the painful execution of Jesus on the cross salvation for the whole world. I don’t fully understand God’s purposes; none of us do, but the God who made us has saved us in Jesus from the eternal death which is the natural consequence of our sins.

 

            Twenty-five years ago Maundy Thursday the Archbishop of El Salvador in Central America was murdered at the altar, gunned down during the communion service. We remember his death, and his ministry for justice and peace. Since the war in Iraq started two years ago a brutal dictator and his henchmen have been removed from power, though some of his supporters have continued their murder and banditry. Over 1500 American troops have been killed in that war, killed for freedom. We remember these brave men and women.  We pray for Terri Schiavo in Florida, for her parents who have fought to preserve her life, and for her husband who gave the order a day or so ago to take out her feeding tube.

 

      Evil will continue until Jesus comes for the last time to establish the fullness of his kingdom. But until he comes he gives us the promise of new life, the power to serve him, the good news that in the end, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

 

            Psalm 22, which we just read, begins “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and some have interpreted Jesus’ cry from the cross as despair. It may have been; I’ve never had to suffer as he did and I can’t tell what Jesus felt in his suffering. But the psalm goes on to end with these words, “To God alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; * all who go down to the dust fall before him. My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; * they shall be known as the LORD'S for ever. They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn * the saving deeds that he has done.”

 

            We are among those “yet unborn” and we gather to make known to all who will hear, “the saving deeds that he has done.”

 

 

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