Not a sermon for March 29 (Palm Sunday)

For Palm Sunday, we did not have a sermon at church. Instead, we had a short walk around the church and read the story of Palm Sunday outside (in the cold).  This year, for the first time, we bought our palm from a company called Eco palms.  They grow the palm in environmentally sustainable ways and pay the harvesters a fair wage for their work (think organic, fair trade palm). This was another part of my attempts to help people think about the products we use, where they come from and who made them.  At church we read the passion story from Mark’s Gospel (Mark 14:1- 15:47). These 2 chapters tell the story of Jesus final days as he is betrayed, put on trial, tortured and executed as a religious / political subversive.  Outside and during the service, I did share a very brief reflection on the meaning of Palm Sunday in our faith and lives. This is sort of what I said:   

Today, we remember Jesus triumphant and celebrated entry into the holy city of Jerusalem. We are reminded that Jesus went to that city and community first and most importantly to complete the work of our salvation through his death and resurrection. Jesus also went to Jerusalem to show signs of God’s presence and power, to heal the sick, teach the uncertain, correct the lost, comfort the suffering, console the frightened, encourage the struggling, provide for those in need, welcome the outsider and to announce God’s forgiveness.  We cannot do the first part, none of us can die and rise again for the forgiveness of sins. We can however do the other stuff.  That is, is fact,  our work here in this community, in the places we live, serve, pray for, help, take care of and announce God’s love to in word and deed.