"How Can One Day Contain So Much?" a Palms/Passion Sunday Sermon

Luke 19:28-40

“How Can One Day Contain So Much?”
Preached Sunday, April 13, 2025 

How can one day contain so much?

We have already paraded around the sanctuary with palms, echoing that subversive and powerful parade into Jerusalem, Jesus on the back of a donkey, palms and coats strewn out on the road, shouts of Hosanna! Save us!

We have heard from our monthly mission - an invitation to serve, to meet the needs right in front of us in our community. Certainly an apt action for Holy Week.

We’ve heard our children sing and we’ve even caught a glimpse of Easter as they sang “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” Which is getting just a little ahead of ourselves but still appropriate as every Sunday is a mini-celebration of the Resurrection.

And in just a moment, our choir will turn our attention to the Passion of Christ, those events that happened in the last 48 hours of his life - events that we will revisit later this week on Thursday and Friday.

When you leave church this morning you might think, “How could one day - one service, one morning - contain so much?”

And in this service we are really covering the events of a whole week of Jesus’s life…and yet even then! When you hear of all that happened in that final week, you may think, how can one week contain so much? With a disclaimer that some of the Gospels have these events taking place at different times, here’s a brief outline of some of what happened in Jesus’s final week before his crucifixion:

On Monday, Jesus drove the money changers from the temple.

On Tuesday, Jesus cursed a fig tree, verbally spared with religious leaders, and taught his disciples many things - including the Parables of the Great Supper, the Good and Wicked Servants, the Ten Virgins, the Two Sons, The Owner of the Vineyard, The Wedding Banquet, and the Ten Talents. In Matthew this is where we also get the Greatest Commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart - and love your neighbor as yourself.

On Wednesday, the woman anointed Jesus’s feet with precious oil.

On Thursday, Jesus shared a meal with his disciples, gave us the Sacrament of Holy Communion, washed his disciples feet, and commanded us to love one another. He went to the Garden, wept and prayed, was betrayed and arrested.

On Friday, Jesus was tortured and put to death on a cross, the death penalty reserved by the Roman Empire for the worst political offenders…We’ll hear more of that today.

On Saturday, the world held its breath as Jesus’s body laid in a tomb.

On Sunday, well…Death was defeated. Christ rose again.

Today we may ask - how can one Sunday service hold so much? This week we may ask, how can one week hold so much? And these are appropriate questions. The events of today’s service, the events of this week, the event that is the very life, death, and resurrection of Jesus - we could spend a whole lifetime exploring these events - this person - God revealed in Jesus - and what his incarnation and every word he said, and every action he took - including the cross and the empty tomb…we could spend our whole lives delving into the meaning…and we are called to do that. And it still wouldn’t be enough to fully comprehend. Comprehend the mystery. Comprehend the beauty. Comprehend Divine Love.

And so today, as we turn from Palm to Passion. And as we move through the events of this week. And as we approach the Joy of Easter. I invite you to marvel at the mystery, beauty, and Love of these events - of the person of Jesus. How can one person…contain SO much? God came to us in Jesus to offer us more than we could ever comprehend. Let us wonder at God in Jesus in praise and thanksgiving. Let us be moved by the events of this week. Let us weep and pray and rejoice and sing and everything in between.

May it be so. Amen.

"Again & Again: We Turn from Palms to Passion" a sermon on Mark 11:1-11

Mark 11:1-11
“Again & Again: We Turn from Palms to Passion”
Preached Sunday, March 24, 2024

Hosanna! They shouted. Now, Hosanna can have multiple meanings. We are used to Hosanna meaning a praise for God. Hosanna as in “praise the Lord” or Hosanna as in “blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” And it does mean that --- And, in a more Biblical and literal sense, it also means “Save us.”

Save us! Save us! Save us! The crowds chanted as Jesus rose into the city.

Save us!

Save us from what?

Two marches, two parades, were happening that day in Jerusalem. Every year Pontius Pilate was sent to Jerusalem during Passover to remind the Judeans that while they may have some leeway to celebrate their festivals and to worship their God, they were still under the rule of the Roman Empire. Pilate rides into Jerusalem for Passover to squelch any uprisings that the festivities may bring. He comes with military fanfare. He comes riding on a war horse, decked out in the symbols of the Empire. He comes with power and prestige and foreboding to remind the Judeans that Caesar is King and they are under his rule - so don’t go getting any ideas.

Well, on the other side of town, Jesus and a whole lot of people were getting other ideas. Whereas Pilate entered at the main gate, Jesus came to the city through a back entrance. Whereas Pilate entered on a war horse, Jesus entered on a donkey. Whereas Pilate came to remind them that Caesar was King - Jesus rode in to shouts of, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord-- the King of Israel!" That is - Save us, the King of Israel!

Their shouts meant that to them, Jesus was King - and Caesar was not. Save us! Save us from the injustice and oppression of the Roman Empire! They wanted to interrupt the status quo which was the oppression of the Roman Empire. They came and they shouted and laid cloaks down in the road and waved palms for the same reason because they wanted so badly for things to change.

…Now, today is a weird Sunday. Because we’re really observing two things today. Palm Sunday - the day the crowds shouted Hosanna, shouted save us, and Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem. And also Passion Sunday - looking ahead to the events of Thursday and Friday, Jesus’s betrayal, arrest, and death. Again and again, we turn from palms to passion. And the turn, from “Hosanna” to “Crucify Him!” reminds us that some of the same voices that shouted “Save us!” also shouted for Jesus’s death.

Hosanna! Save us! Save us!

Save us from what?

Save us from our own ideas of what Jesus is - many in the crowds that day expected Jesus to fit their ideas of who he was and what he came to do - a powerful figure who came to conquer and overthrow - to start a political revolution. When Jesus didn’t do this in the way they expected him to - their “save us” turned to “condemn him.”

Hosanna! Save us! Save us!

Save us from our own self-serving ideas of who Jesus is and what we expect him to do for us. Save us from images of God that are made in our own images. Save us from oppression and save us from the ways we oppress. Save us from our own tendencies to lash out in anger. Save us from our tendencies toward retribution and violence. Save us from our inclination to gloss over the events between today and Easter, Save us from the desire to point the finger at anyone but ourselves. Save us, Save us, Save us!

Hosanna!

As we once again turn from Palms to Passion, I invite you to immerse yourself in the story of this week. Both this morning as the choir brings it to us in voice and music and this week at our 6:30PM Thursday and Friday services.

We know that God does save us. God saves us from our bondage to sin and death. God saves us from our fear of the Grave. God saves us - from ourselves. God saves us for Life and Love. So let us walk this journey together - hearing our own voices shouting “Hosanna,” hearing our own voices shouting “Crucify him,” and hearing our own voices finally shouting “Alleluia.”

Amen.

"Full to the Brim: Even the Stones Cry Out" a sermon on Luke 19:28-40

Luke 19:28-40
“Full to the Brim: Even the Stones Cry Out”
Preached Sunday, April 10, 2022

“Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap.” - St. Hildegard of Bingen, who lived 1098 - 1179

I have this quote from Hildegard, my favorite saint, hanging on my office wall. It inspires me to say the things that need to be said. I actually feel like that’s a pretty apt job description for a pastor: to say things that need to be said.


To speak life in the midst of death
To speak love in a world of hate
To speak peace in times of war
To speak truth to power
To speak justice in a world of oppression
To speak God’s glory in a secular world

Of course this isn’t just the job of a pastor. It is a call of all Christians - to use our voices for God’s glory and God’s Kingdom. This is what Hildegard did. At the time of her life she was one of the only if not *the* only woman given permission by the Pope to speak in front of mixed gender audiences. As a woman, even as an abbess, she would have only been permitted to speak to other women. But she could speak in front of men and women. She was granted permission to speak and teach in front of men as she said she was not speaking as a woman but speaking as a “mouthpiece of God.”

We are all called to be mouthpieces of God - after all, it’s either us or the stones. Because some things NEED to be said - and if we don’t say them - God will still find a way to get it out. Now, that’s not to pass the buck or excuse those times we fail to speak up. Instead, I pray it may bolster you, give you courage to speak the words that God calls you to - speak or even shout them out!

From our Gospel lesson this morning:

“Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’
He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’”

The Greek word here for “shout out” is krazo which is an onomatopoeia for a crow. Our best translation today would be caw-caw. “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would caw out.” Krazo means to cry out with a loud and urgent scream or even a shriek. It’s “inarticulate shouts that express deep emotion.”

At what point in your life have you had to caw out like a crow? Something that needed to come out of you, expressing deep emotion?

Perhaps it was the first time you told someone you loved them. That’s something you never forget, the way the words feel in your mouth, how right it feels.
Or perhaps a celebratory shriek when you see a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, a cheer of celebration at a milestone.
And those times perhaps when you’ve lost a loved one, the guttural cries or wails that escape you, that you don’t know where that sound came from.
Or when you finally ask for help.
Finally confess.
Finally stand up for yourself…or finally stand up for someone who needs stood up for.
When you use your voice to advocate for others.

There are times when these words or sounds may just tumble out of your mouth - one minute they’re in your head or your heart and the next you’ve made that leap from silence to the boundaries of speech and you didn’t even think about it. Instantaneous.

Or there are other times when you spend time rehearsing the words. Going over them again and again. Saying them in the mirror. Piecing them together in your head.

Perhaps times like testifying in court. My friends shared he went over and over what he was going to say in court for the adoption of his daughter. Words that needed to be said, that came from a deep place of emotion, but words he needed to get just right and be said in the right time and place.

Perhaps you go over and over the words in your head when you’re about to do some conflict management, your heart pounding - you don’t WANT to do it but you know you need to. And you know the wrong word could be a minefield.

Any time you’re nervous, you want to get it right, you know you NEED to say them - the words just take longer to get out.

And still too there are those times you are walking into a situation and you have no clue what to say or what you’re going to say. Perhaps someone has a krazo moment to you. Where they confess something to you, ask you for help, or call you to stand up to injustice - and you’re at a loss for words but then the Holy Spirit gives you the words to say. I often feel this when I pray, when I hold the hand of someone grieving, when I am by a deathbed…all my words fail. But the Spirit has the words to give me. Or perhaps, the Spirit leads me to say nothing, just holding a hand - that too is a version of saying what needs to be said. Sometimes nothing needs to be said.

Our Christian siblings, the Quakers have much to teach us about saying only what needs to be said - and nothing more. In lieu of sermons and hymns, many Quakers have an unprogrammed meeting. They gather together, often in a circle, and wait expectantly for God’s voice. When and if someone has been given something to say by God, a mouthpiece for God, like Hildegard - they speak. Speaking not to fill the silence or to say it cause they like the sound of their own voice or to say it cause they’re convicted of how right they are - but to say it because they believe it is something that God has given them to say, that needs to be said, that would be for the benefit of all at the meeting - they break the silence, and they speak. They call this vocal ministry. Some meetings may be filled with the voice of God, coming out of the mouths of those gathered. Some may be all silence. It all depends on the need to - caw caw - at the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The crowds in our Gospel lesson this morning had something that they needed to say, needed to shout out.

“As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen,
saying, "’Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!’”

This is something they needed to say - words that needed to be shouted out.

So today I ask - what words need to be said? What words is God calling you to say?

To speak life in the midst of death
To speak love in a world of hate
To speak peace in times of war
To speak truth to power
To speak justice in a world of oppression
To speak God’s glory in a secular world

Are you using your voice for joyful praise, to testify to all that God has and will do? Like those who lined the streets on that day with palm branches - do you feel compelled to shout out how great our God is?

Speak out! Dare to declare. Make the jump from the shores of silence to the boundary of speech - it’s either us acting as mouthpieces of God or the rocks will cry out. Let it be us.

Amen.

Prayers of the People for Palm Sunday, Amidst COVID-19

Friends, let us come before the Lord in prayer. Praising God’s name, claiming Jesus as our Messiah, and entrusting our lives and world over to the God who is worthy of our praise. Saying:

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

We are in the midst of strife and uncertainty, anxiety and illness and a global pandemic. It is too easy to turn to fear. To bickering and pessimism. Keep us from despair. Deliver us from all burdens and may we find rest and peace in your care.

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

Soon the shouts of Palm Sunday will turn to the jeers of Good Friday. We know that we have the capacity for both within us: to praise and to scorn, to accept and reject. To choose that which is life-giving and that which is death-wielding. Forgive us for those times we have joined in with the crowds of Good Friday. Nevertheless,

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

We know that if we were to keep silent, even the rocks would sing out your praises. Your creation rings out your majesty. From the shores of Lake Erie to the first daffodils of Spring. Even among our current circumstances, we join creation in your praise. We thank you for all that is good and well in our lives.

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

Today especially we ask that you be with those who work in healthcare: doctors and nurses, janitors and administrators. From nursing homes to hospitals. Protect them. Keep them safe. Help give them the tools and protections needed to care for the sick and the dying. Give them strength and endurance, compassion and peace.

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

Be with those workers deemed essential: from factories to grocery stores and everywhere in between. Keep them safe and protect them in their daily task. May you labor alongside them, that they feel your presence with them.

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

May your wisdom be given to your leaders: in all levels of government, in all positions of leadership, in the world and in the church. May they make decisions that prioritize saving lives. May their leadership be filled with compassion and love for the least of these.

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

Be with our local businesses, Lord. We know and love this town. We know the people in each shop, the workers, the owners, the relationships and mutuality we have with each other. Help us weather out this storm together.

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

Be with your church, O God. Scattered, yet gathered. Eagerly awaiting resurrection and yet mourning this year’s loss of Easter traditions. Knit us together at this time. Help us truly embody the love of Christ to each other, to our neighbors, to the world. May we be the Church outside of the building walls.

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

And lastly, Lord, be with the sick and the dying. Where there is hope, bring healing. Where there is death, may they find life in you. May all those who are alone in hospital rooms feel the loving presence of your Holy Spirit. May all those who pass from this life be reunited with us in the resurrection that is to come.

L: We choose to say:
P: Hosanna! Praise the Lord!

We join the crowds in praising Jesus this day. We know and claim him as our Messiah. We trust in his unending love and care. May praise never be found far from our lips and may our hearts ever be directed in prayer to the one who always hears us.

And so now with the confidence of children of God, let us pray that prayer that Jesus taught us...