Lection: Luke 19

Luke 19:29-40
Luke 22:39-46
Luke 23:44-49

“Your Will Be Done”

For those joining us in worship today from Trinity Presbyterian Church in Grenfell, and for others who may not have been with us for worship through the Season of Lent, I want to begin by mentioning that our worship themes during Lent have been guided by a devotional study written by the Rev. Konnie Vissers called “Practicing Jesus’ Seven Last Words.”

Each service has focused on one of the phrases spoken by Jesus from the cross, according to the various Gospel accounts of the passion story. Along the way, we’ve reflected on forgiveness, heaven, the bonds of family and community, suffering, need, and fulfillment. If you’re interested, you could feel free to watch any of the YouTube videos of our worship to explore those themes yourself.

But today’s theme, inspired by Jesus’ last words according to the Gospel of Luke, is “surrender.” And that’s a difficult word.

I mean, the study suggests that “surrender” is something that Jesus chose to do at the end of his life, and it invites us to consider what we may be called to “surrender” as well.

But when I think about “surrender” I think of an embattled army waving a white flag, … Read more »

Luke 19:28-40

“The Stones Will Shout”

Sometimes I really appreciate the silence. When the TV or the radio has been blaring for a long time, it is lovely just to switch off all the noise for a while. When I’ve been in a busy restaurant or conference hall filled with the sounds of loud conversation and laughter all around, stepping outside into the quiet is a gift. And folks have told me that even in our worship, with all the music and all the words, some silence is received with gratitude – some quiet moments for personal reflection and lifting up the prayers that are in our hearts.

Of course, silence is not always golden – when the quiet comes from isolation and goes hand-in-hand with loneliness. Some of us have experienced a bit of that kind of silence in the last couple of years. We know the gift of a friendly voice on the phone or a visitor at the door after many days of restless quiet and unwelcome solitude.

And silence can be deadly when someone in trouble is unable to express what they need from others. It could be a young woman too scared to say something when her teacher or … Read more »

Luke 19:28-40
Psalm 118:1-4, 19-29

“Thy Kingdom Come”

When Palm Sunday comes around each year, we buy some palm branches and we re-enact Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The crowds sang, “Hosanna” and hailed him as the king. They shouted out their praise, laid their cloaks along his path, and waved palm branches in the air.

Some congregations gather outside their church buildings on Palm Sunday. They pass out the palms, and everyone parades down the street and up into the church. In other churches, I have heard, they have someone dressed as Jesus, and someone with some farm animals offers a donkey for Jesus to ride on. In one congregation that I used to attend, we got up part way through the worship service, and had a parade around the neighbourhood. Some people played their instruments, we all sang lots of “Hosannas”, and we witnessed our faith in Christ to the people who heard and saw us pass by.

But no matter how elaborate our rituals become around Palm Sunday, I always have the feeling that we’re not as enthusiastic or as excited as the crowd would have been on that day when Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Some might say that it’s because we’re … Read more »