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SUNDAY MORNING from the pastor April 13, 2003 I am scanning the eastern sky for the sun to appear. It will be any moment now. I’ve already brewed the coffee, squeezed some tangerine juice, read an e-mail from my daughter Mindy, who is now in Spain, and thrown the cat off the keyboard--twice. I was coaxed awake and into this new day by a remarkable chatter of birds--around 5:30. It is Palm/Passion Sunday--and the first day of Holy Week--the holiest time of the year for Christians. In the old days, Methodists merely called it Palm Sunday. Most would come to church and hear the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem--replete with crowds waving palm branches. And then the same congregation would show up a week later--to hear the triumphal story of Easter--Jesus being raised from the dead. Only a few would show up for worship services during the week--to hear of the pain, suffering, and death of Jesus. Yet the "down" side of Jesus’ story is integral to the "up" side. So in order for more people to hear the FULL story of Jesus, we started calling the Sunday before Easter "Palm/Passion" Sunday and using the occasion to read the full story of the suffering of Jesus. (The word "passion" comes from a Latin word meaning suffering.) Because there is so much scripture reading today in church, and because there is so much music that accompanies Palm/Passion Sunday, the sermon will be very brief. I don’t know why I feel that I should apologize for that--as in over 30 years of preaching--no one as ever objected to a sermon of mine being too short! Holy Week brings us some wonderful worship opportunities. WellSpring on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.) will give us a chance to sing and pray for healing in our lives and world. Maundy Thursday worship (7 p.m.) will be a time to re-live the last supper Jesus had with his disciples. Good Friday (12:15--12:45 p.m.) will be a time for song, scripture, and reflection in our sanctuary. That evening (7 p.m.), the choirs of area United Methodist Churches will present a Good Friday concert at the New Horizon United Methodist Church (off Bloomington Road east of Champaign). And from 9 p.m. to midnight on Friday, our sanctuary will be open for prayer and meditation. On Saturday evening, Easter Eve, we will welcome Easter with a beautiful worship service called the Easter Vigil (7 p.m.) It begins outside at a campfire and climaxes in a banquet in our fellowship hall. You may bring a dish of food to share if you wish. Next Sunday, our worship times will be different--to accommodate Easter Sunday. We will have one worship service--at 9 a.m. Our whole congregation will be together for Easter Sunday. We will also have a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. and a breakfast in the fellowship hall afterward. Finally, three notes on other topics. The church council meets tonight to act on the vision proposal and first steps for Grace Street and Grace Years. It is an open meeting--for all interested persons. Second, Marsha and Dale Johnston participated in a Marriage Encounter Weekend last week, and I am eager for other couples in our church to participate in this program. Ask them about it. And finally, following the worship services next Sunday, I will be heading to Rome, Italy to meet up with my daughter Mindy, and spend nearly two weeks with her in Europe. I’ll return May 3, so if you need to see me about something prior to that, make sure you contact me this week. --Mike |
