March 20 -- Palm Sunday

Grace to you and peace…from the one who comes, riding in on a donkey, in peace.  AMEN.

That was the symbol, you know: riding in on a horse always meant war, brutal force, violence, the world’s idea of power.  But riding in on a donkey meant peace.  (“The Lord needs it.”)  Love, welcome, grace, mercy, non-violence: God’s idea of power...which is incarnational presence, forgiveness and love.  The greatest of these is love.  God on a donkey.

All these themes that we’ve seen through the Gospel of Mark, come to a head here in this “counter-procession”, as some scholars have called it, this parody of the the Caesars’ triumphal entry and ascension to his throne.  Here begins Jesus’ march to the throne -- that is, his cross.  Because we live in a different time, we miss this, but it would be as if someone did a parody of all the sacred national rituals that we hold dear.  That’s the level of tension Jesus (through the Gospel of Mark) is creating here with his entry on a donkey; his going up to the temple; his procession to Golgotha, the place of the skull; his being offered wine on the cross…Each of these is a sacred spoof on something the Caesars would have done.   But all of Jesus’ very political demonstrations are ultimately for the sake of peace.  He’s mocking and countering Rome’s warring ways, with peace-filled ways -- from the entry of Jerusalem on a donkey to the release of his final breath from the cross, from Palm Sunday to Good Friday.  It’s all about peace, mercy and love.  It’s all about emptying himself of power rather than hoarding it and exploiting it.  That’s God’s power -- foolishness to the world but to us, it is the power of God (I Corinthians), this self-emptying.  [pause]

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I’d like to spend some time here this morning walking us through the journey of Holy Week, this journey that is before us.  

I want to do this for a few reasons.  Mostly because I’m not sure when else to talk about what we do in worship on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil.  We always just do it, but without some reflection on what it means or why we do it, it can come up a little flat.  

Some of you may not be able to make it on Maundy Thursday and/or Good Friday, which in effect can “shrink” Easter.  So I think it’s good, at least, to know what you’re missing, and know why and what we’re doing here on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.  

There’s been some incredible liturgical renewal in the last 15 years in the ELCA and beyond -- Lutherans digging up, re-discovering, and reclaiming Early Church rituals and traditions around Holy Week and Easter, much of which was lost and forgotten in recent centuries, and for large parts of our own lifetimes -- I mean, I didn’t even grow up with this stuff (I grew up thinking Good Friday was Jesus’ funeral) -- leaving us a little shorted, quite frankly.  I’ve even heard, from certain blunt scholars who are passionate about these ancient practices, “Friends, we’ve been doing it wrong these past decades; we’ve been missing out.”

OK, enough about why I want to walk us through this, let’s go…

What I want to talk about are the Great Three Days.  Triduum.

“In Christ we die and rise.”

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Saturday.  The real celebration is the Easter Vigil.

Forgiveness.

The Mandate: 

“Love one another.”

Washing & Meal.

Tenebrae.

Scattering.

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Gospel of John. (J.S. Bach, Luther)

Silence, but...Triumph. 

Bidding Prayer. 3^rd c.

Procession & Adoration of Cross.  4^th c.

Solemn Reproaches.  9^th c.

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Fire and Paschal Candle!

Procession with candles!

The Easter Proclamation: 

“This is the Night!”

Vigil Readings: 12!

Easter Gospel!

Baptism!

Meal & Sending!

Let’s close with prayer:  

God guide us through these holy days.  

Bless us in our prayer, bless us in our devotion, bless us in our silence, bless us in our celebration.  

We give you thanks for scholars and worship leaders through the centuries, who have passed on traditions to be kept, rituals to be practiced, prayers to be said.  

May our worship this week bring us closer to the truth that in Christ we too die and rise.  

Let us come to dwell -- not in our own pride, glory and power, not in our own ideas of power, but -- in your glory and power, through the life-giving passion, death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.  AMEN.