NEWS FROM SANCTUARY –

Worship Attendance: 102 Kids: 6 Offering: $12,496.95

Holy Week: Good Friday Service 7pm @ Upper Crust (85^th & Greenwood)

                        Easter Sunday Resurrection Worship: 10am @ Taproot

Coming Soon: Mutual Commitment Gathering for Sanctuary Church Membership. Information? Write Summer Mohrlang smohrlang@sanctuarycrc.org

PRAYERS –

We pray Lord, for Patty Morgan Smith’s brother, Kit, who is extremely ill. Be with him and his family and bring him safely to where you need him to be.

God, we lift up our brother Don to you following his heart attack and we pray for health and restoration of body and soul.

Lord Jesus, for all expectant parents, give encouragement, strength and health. We especially pray for Rachel who has had a tough early pregnancy.

Spirit, guide and assist all those making key life choices this week, especially those in our community at Sanctuary who are shopping for first-time homes.

We continue to pray, Lord, that your eternal peace won on the cross will find its way into our warring circles and bring violence to an end.

REFLECTIONS – on “The Parade of Your Lifetime” Mark 11:1-11

Jesus’ parade on Palm Sunday – the beginning of a week that offers all of the up’s, down’s, sideway’s and everything else that it means to be human beings created in the image of God.

After all the work, the miracles, the walking about, the teaching of the disciples…he finally makes the big time…

Let’s read about it in the Gospel of Mark ..

 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

⁴ They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, ⁵ some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” ⁶ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. ⁷ When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! ^a” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” ^{b 10} “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” ¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

 Jerusalem is located up high….Bethphage and Bethany were small villages on the way “up to” Jerusalem. The significance of the colt is that dignitaries often entered into cities in parades wherein they road a young beast of burden like this. The Divine mystery is added to this story by disciples going up to the owners and saying “the Lord has need of it” and getting permission to take the animal. (Don’t try this at home). 

During parades in the time of Jesus it was not uncommon to see the crowd MAKING A WAY – make a big deal about a very important dignitary entering the Holy City of Jerusalem. Throwing cloaks, branches, palm fronds (like you see here) on the ground was not unusual. At the same time “MAKING THE WAY OF THE LORD” was a concept of anticipating the Messiah and his coming to SAVE Israel. So, there is a working tension for those at this parade….. what is it they are seeing? Another interesting angle as we cover this story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is that someone so UNACCEPTED by the local religious authorities and so UNACKNOWLEDGED by the ruling government could receive such a large, public welcome.

There is a longing in the people for spiritual truth, spiritual deliverance, spiritual meaning – they are parched, and willing, and open and hungry and thirsty --- and READY. So, THEY MAKE A WAY and shout HOSANANA – ‘blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord”. By the way: The Hebrew word from which the people of Jesus’ day god HOSANNA – is a pleading form of shouting “S A V E !”

Palm Sunday begins our personal pilgrimage of Easter. A Parade - Acknowledging the presence of AN EXTREME Dignitary. A willingness to go public with our spiritual thirst and longing, even if it doesn’t fit the ORDER OF THE DAY. ABANDONING ourselves to the moment – throwing down whatever we have and being in the parade.

THE TERMINUS of this parade route is the cross…This forces us to look at life from lots of complicated angles. We love the idea of celebrating and parades … of births and weddings. We mourn over breakups and death. Yet these are so often linked in the human experience…TRIUMPH TRAGEDY are inextricably linked here. What can that tell you and me about our triumphs and tragedies? No good thing we do or experience stands by itself or lasts forever, or defines us. No bad thing defines us either. We live between the good and the bad, the rejoicing and the suffering and BEING A FOLLOWER OF JESUS IS ALL ABOUT HOW WE RESPOND TO AND WORK WITH THE RHYTHM OF LIFE

I love the high times, but they don’t shape me. I wish they did. The high times, the triumphs…strengthen and energize me. BUT…I am one of those guys who is most shaped by adversity and TRAGEDY. I don’t by any means go looking for it. But, I change most and grow most when it’s DO OR DIE; when the tragedy finds me.

AS I witness the parade of life – and the parade of God’s actions IN FRONT OF ME … I throw down who I am and abandon myself to ‘ever moment of life”. THE SYMBOLS OF PEOPLE THROWING DOWN GARMENTS AND BRANCHES to make a way for Jesus is returned by JESUS AS HE THROWS DOWN HIS LIFE ON THE CROSS AT THE END OF THE PARADE. Jesus will go to the cross and die for all of the spiritual thirst and hunger he has seen. He will go to the cross and die for all of the brokenness and sin he has seen. He will go to the cross and throw down his life for all of the longings and spiritual desires he has seen. Jesus will die that his triumph of the Resurrection will amplify and direct our personal triumphs. He will demonstrate that the greatest triumphs come through the greatest sorrows.

IF you were in this parade….what would what you threw down symbolize….? What do you lay before Jesus that he would take to the cross to fulfill and MAKE A WAY for you??? A habit pattern that needs broken? An emotional pain or loss you cannot overcome? A physical condition? A failed or broken relationship?

Well, right now, you have a chance to walk the parade route covered with palm fronds RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW. What triumphs and assets do you have to thrown down in front of Jesus today? Close your eyes and imagine them…

Now imagine your sorrows, pain, losses and longings…your TRAGEDIES….keep your eyes closed and let them be there…and join me in this prayer …

Lord, we often let our Triumphs become tragedy, because we expect bliss and don’t capitalize on it and grow from it when good things do come our way. we can easily take those things, and you, the giver of all good gifts for granted.

Father, we often let our Tragedies define us negatively rather than seeing the resurrections beyond the crosses we bear.

What we really need is a delicate balance and a ability to find you and grow in you in the midst of our lives PARADES and THE KILLING FLOORS, the crosses.

As we enter this most holy of weeks, draw us into your parade wherein you make sense of all of life – the ups and downs – and draw us into your parade of redeeming all circumstances, reaching out to redeem all people and all the world. JESUS, you are the first in line. You show us how this is done. Grant us the courage and wisdom to follow you on the path of life, beginning with today’s parade….In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Have a deeply meaningful Holy Week as you walk with Him.

Much Love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org