While growing up, the beginning of Holy Week started with Palm Sunday. It was mainly a Sunday when the common refrain was to give me a palm. We went to church to get some palms—a gimme!
As I grew older, Palm Sunday became known as Passion Sunday. We heard the reading of the Passion of Christ, introducing us to the death of Jesus. It was not intended to be a celebration but a reminder of how much was happening this week. It was a stark reminder of how we are bought-off we can be and, waving palms and throwing our coats on the road, claiming Jesus as king. We had our palms, and it was all good with the world. Passion Week became a stark reminder of the human proclivity to get lost in enthusiasm and passion until it gets too hard. But we did get our Palms.
Palm/Passion Sunday remains a Gimme Sunday, ending our Lent. Depending upon our ages, we mark our week as Holy or Passion. The week marks how much our Christ will and has taken on for us. We celebrate Jesus the King and get our Palms. We deride Him for being anointed at dinner and, oh, Perfume on his feet even. At a later Dinner, He washes the guest’s feet. Sharing a meal, sharing himself, unbeknownst to the guests, preparing to die. His friends fall asleep. The group’s treasurer betrays him with a sign of affection. Arrested, Beaten, betrayed. Nothing Great about this week, blood, gore, and a grave. Yet the greatness is found in all that Jesus, our Christ, has done for us. Our Christ showed us that God brings heaven near to us. Greatness that walks with us as we are, reminding us that we are created to live and sometimes get a Palm.
Journey well! You are Blessed!
Donald Lemke, Interim Pastor
The Assembled People of God at Trinity Lutheran Church of Middle Village
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