Palm Sunday Reflection

 Note: I preached extemporaneously from the center aisle on Sunday. This is my early Sunday morning reflection on Facebook ,

Good Palm Sunday morning, good Christians of the world! And to those of you whose understanding of God is different, good morning to you, too.

It's a chilly morning this morning here at Llangollen, our wee cottage on the Sparkling Marshes on the Small Estuary of the Delmarva Penninsula on the Big Water of the East Coast of these divided United States of America.

It's a crisp 43 degrees outside, air quality is good at 29, UV index is as low as it can get at 0, and the wind is coming from the WNW at 9 mph. The sun is out right now and is predicted to be out most of the day, which will help the temperature rise to a high of 54 degrees. 

 

It's a great day for a parade, no? 

 

We're about to have one at church this morning. Well, not a parade, exactly. More like a walk around the church block together. With palms. Big ones. Well, moderately big but not those silly spears that we've used for decades. The ones someone in the church always turns into 'palm crosses'. 

 

If you've ever been to Jerusalem - or even if you've just been part of a Palm Sunday Service that uses actual palm fronds - you just can't ever go back to those palm spears. 

 

You just know that they didn't throw down palm spears at the feet of Jesus when he made his entrance into Jerusalem. It makes no sense. Using palm fronds does. 

 

But it's hard to break old habits. It's even harder to change tradition. And, in The Episcopal Church, the second time something is done, it becomes "the way we've always done it."

 

Institutional memory is very short. Well, about some things. Everyone will always remember when Jenny Smith broke the glass bowl that belonged to the great-grandmother of Evelyn Jones who gave it to the church which has been used for as long as anyone can remember on Maundy Thursday. 

 

And, only Maundy Thursday. Well, except for the time someone took it out and used it for the Punch Bowl that was served at The Festive Coffee Hour during The Bishop's Visitation. 

 

Lillian Johnson, the Altar Guild Directress, was mortified. It was right after that incident that Ms. Johnson started putting locks on all the doors in the Sacristy. You had to get her permission to unlock one of the cupboards or closets and you had to put a check on the checklist of what you had taken out. 

 

They also say they've forgiven Jenny but you wouldn't know it by the pressing need they have to tell the story over and over and over again. And, the locks are still on all the doors, but to tell the actual truth, no one has touched the checklist in years. 

 

We're also going to walk in The Palm Sunday Procession while the Bell Choir tolls the bells. Which I think is just a brilliant option to trying to sing, "All Glory Laud and Honor," while walking and waving palm fronds and trying to synchronize the front and the back of the line in the singing of the verses. 

 

Something happens. I'm not sure what. But, something happens to throw the verse off in the middle of "the crowd" by half a second, which throws the back of the procession off by a full second. Now, you wouldn't think that would be much to throw things off that badly, but, oh boy howdy, does it ever!

 

The Tolling of the Bells changes all that. It allows you to get everyone safely around the side of the church and up the front steps where the priest can pause and say a prayer. The loud AMEN at the end then tips off the organist to start playing, "All Glory Laud and Honor," which the choir leads and the organ helps us all to keep our proper places while people find their seats in the pews. 

 

As long as I'm on this liturgical thread, let me just say this: I am absolutely all in favor of the movement to change the order of service for The Sunday of The Passion. It makes absolute sense to have the Liturgy of the Palms, including a sermon, then off you go into the church in the usual way, celebrate Holy Eucharist and then, end the service with The Reading of The Passion Story in parts. 

 

You can even chant it if you prefer. But do end the service with The Passion. 

 

Leave the ends ragged. No music. No blessing. No dismissal. Just " . . . and Jesus breathed his last . . .", etc,. and then just silently dare them to not come to church for more of the story on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. 

 

Either way, it makes The Sunday of Resurrection, Easter Day, even more meaningful. 

 

Well, that's what I think, anyway. You are absolutely allowed to disagree. Won't make much difference. This has become a movement in The Episcopal Church and the only thing stronger than a Tradition is a Movement. 

 

I'm just sayin'. 

 

That said, this is not what's happening at St. Paul's this morning. We are doing the service in the usual way. Because, you see, the infrastructure has been so seriously damaged that the preacher wants to give them a solid foundation of the BCP before she starts moving the pieces around. 

 

In any event, the sermon will be short. Very short. She's timed it. It's actually less than 5 minutes. She's going to talk about that Last Breath of Jesus. The one which carried him from being Jesus to being The Christ. 

 

In one breath. That's what it took. 

 

Well, that and a whole lot of suffering but it happened in the time it took for one last inhale and one last exhale. And, he went from being Jesus to being on his way to being The Christ after three days in the Spiced Tomb (that's pronounced "spice-ED", by the way.). 

 

But, it started with that Last Breath. Which starts the journey to Eternal Life for all of us. One Last Breath which carries us from this life to the next, just as one First Breath brought us from that life to this one. 

 

It's pretty profound, when you think about it. Well, the preacher thinks so, anyway. We'll see how it plays in Georgetown. 

 

Meanwhile, all the major themes of the story of Palm Sunday are playing out in the events being reported in the news all over the world. There's still political corruption in our culture and in religious organizations. Betrayal. False accusations. Denial. Political expediency. 

 

It's all there. Still going on. Which is why, I think, the story of The Passion is so compelling and needs to be told again and again, year after year. In whatever way makes the most sense.

 

I hope you have a wonderful day, today. I hope your Sunday of Passion is deeply meaningful and helps you to reflect on the moments of passion in your own life. Your own moments of being betrayed or betraying others or yourself. Your own moments of trial. Your own moments of suffering which led to a transformation in your life. 

 

Today is the day to do that. Well, it's one day. You may choose another. It's just important that you choose a time in your life to seriously reflect on those themes in your life. 

 

Why? So that you can become a better person. Because that's how the world changes for the better: one person at a time. 

 

Why not start with yourself?

 

Please be safe. COVID is still with us. Wash your hands. Wait a safe distance. If you are going into a large crowd, wear a mask.

 

Off I go then, into this glorious new day. And, as they say on the streets in Jerusalem, "Boker tov" - as long as it's before midday and then you'd say, "Shalom!"

 

PS: This is the bloom on the plant our granddaughter Mackie Jane gave to us at Christmas a few years ago. Isn't it a beauty? It smells glorious. 

 

PPS: Happy 7th birthday, to our granddaughter Ms. Willow Elizabeth. We love you. So very much. 

 

PPPS: Happy birthday, Anne Lamott. Keep rockin' with your 68-year-old bad self.