Sermonstudio

Down from the Mount of Olives you come, O Lord,
riding on a burro.
The path is steep and narrow
but still you come,
knowing that the same people who shout, "Hosanna!"
will one day demand, "Crucify Him!"
Still you come.
Your accusers lurk in the shadows of that great walled
city and yet you ride down main street.
Is there no sacrifice too great for your love,
no fear too crippling?
You sit like a general upon your humble steed,
but where is your army?
Like a king, you ride before the cheering crowd.
O foolish king, where is your kingdom?
We would be your subjects but we cannot find your
kingdom.
We look in Jerusalem.
It is not there.
We look to governments.
None profess you as Sovereign Lord.
We ascend to the heavens and are met by infinite space.
Where then do we find your Spirit,
O Loving King?
Our voices praise you, singing, "Alleluia! Alleluia!"
and our mouths profess, "Jesus as Lord."
Only then
do our hearts burn within us.
Only then
do we feel the piercing penetration of your
crown of thorns
and fall on our knees
before the King of Hearts! Amen.



Palm Sunday (2)

Great and Glorious God, we join the timeless
hallelujah chorus in singing and shouting our praise
for the entry of Christ
into our lives.
To each of us Palm Sunday has become a unique,
personal experience of joy and celebration
for the triumph of love over hatred,
servanthood over oppressive power,
cooperation over exploitation,
unity over divisiveness,
peace over the noisy confusion of our time,
and hope over the debilitation of fear.
We know now that to follow the parade of self-giving
compassion leads almost certainly to a cross of
contempt and brutality.
And yet, we follow.
We follow the One who calls us forward to face the
turmoil and tempest with confidence in his transforming
power.
We follow him because he once pursued us
into the forest of our fear, the jungle of our savage
soul, and led us tenderly into a clearing,
out to a calm place of quiet rest and renewal.
We follow even though the path is frustrating and
treacherous because it is the only way, the only truth,
the only life.
And because he leads us.
God, forgive us for stumbling and pulling away from
your grasp.
May we choose to march in your parade with courage
and go where it takes us, trusting in the power of
your Holy Spirit. Amen.



Palm Sunday (3)

O Palm Sunday God, who enters our heart with leaping
hosannas, we rejoice and are glad to welcome your
entry.
Come into our city and restore humility and honor.
Come into our church and transform us with eagerness
and enthusiasm.
Come into our families and unite us as a supportive
community.
Come into each of our lives and drive out the
"moneychangers" in our minds:
the passion for position and prestige;
the long-term guilt that eats away at our confidence
and self-worth;
the bitter loneliness that keeps us from caring.
God of Palm Sunday, point us to Good Friday.
Give us the courage to die to self-justification,
to pseudo-symbols of worship,
to false faces in the crowd,
to meaningless endeavor,
to expectations of magical cures for complex human
struggles,
and to apathy which turns its face from
pain.
Give us the courage to care,
to know your love in our hearts,
and to rise to your expectations of us,
even as we ride in the parade of faith. Amen.



Palm Sunday (4)

God of Grace and Glory, we praise you for the
sacrificial love of Jesus Christ,
who was victorious only because of his obedience.
He came not to be served but to serve.
He came not as a man of war but as the Prince of Peace.
He rode into Jerusalem with shouts of "Hosanna!"
For he came to save us from the captivity of our own
corruption, self-deceit, greed.
Free us, Son of David, from the fears that haunt us,
the sorrow that finds no solace,
the guilt that plagues our thoughts and destroys our
self-worth.
Free us from doubts that debilitate,
contentment that converts to apathy,
cynicism that makes cowards of us all.
May we not stand idly by as your parade passes.
Rather, may we march with you and ride tall in
humility.
We rejoice in the invitation to join the grand
procession of peace and justice,
to walk with him who comes
in the name of the Lord. Amen.



Palm Sunday (5)

Great God of joy and celebration, we lift our songs
and voices with gladness for that great parade of
hope.
He has come to our city, our streets, our homes, our
hearts, and left nothing unchanged.
We have been touched by his grace and felt his
friendship in our suffering.
For we, too, have known the pain of betrayal,
the shiver of fear in the garden,
the frustration of unfair systems, unjust laws,
the abandonment of close friends in a time of need.
So we clap for joy at his arrival.
We shout, "Hosanna!" at his coming.
We dance the dance of freedom.
We sing the songs of liberation.
For his love is everlasting;
his forgiveness is sure;
his hand is strong and will not let us lie where we fall.
Thank you, God, for Palm Sunday,
for festive occasions,
for the laughter of children, both young and old,
for sounds of cymbals and drums, trumpets and
tambourines,
but most of all for your Son, Jesus Christ,
the King of kings,
the one who brings healing and health to broken lives,
crippled bodies,
failed dreams,
tortured minds,
and starving souls.
May we take this parade of hope to friend, family,
and stranger and share our love,
our gifts,
our courage,
and our certainty of a God who cares. Amen.