Greetings to all:
This Sunday (Mar 24) is Palm Sunday on the church calendar, the opening
of Holy Week. As is Holy Week, so too Palm Sunday is an occasion of
contrasts including joy and sorrow, welcome and rejection, defeat and victory,
to name a few. Anne Weems' poem, "Holy Week," suggests the variety of
experiences ahead of us.
Holy is the week...
Holy, consecrated, belonging to God...
We move from hosannas to horror
with the predictable ease
of those who know not what they do.
Our hosannas sung,
our palms waved,
let us go with passion into this week.
It is a time to curse fig trees that do not yield fruit.
It is a time to cleanse our temples of any blasphemy.
It is a time to greet Jesus as the Lord's Anointed One...
It is a time of preparation...
The time to give thanks and break bread is upon us.
The time to give thanks and drink the cup is imminent...
And on that darkest of days, each of us must stand
beneath the tree
and watch the dying
if we are to be there
when the stone is rolled away.
The only road to Easter morning
is through the unrelenting shadows of that Friday.
Only then will the alleluias be sung;
only then will the dancing begin.
(as found in Kneeling in Jerusalem)
The scripture lessons for Sunday, March 24, Palm Sunday...
Acts 16:16-40
Luke 19:28-40
Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, March 24, 10am, in Trinity
Hall. Our focus for the morning will be Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Was
it a spontaneous occurrence, a religious observance, or a political
demonstration?
Children's Choir - Children, elementary age through youth, are invited to
gather in Trinity Hall on Sunday, Mar 24, 10am, for music and singing.
Holy Week is coming. Keep the following special activities in mind:
*Sun, Mar 24 - Palm Sunday: Children's procession of the Palms
during worship and Egg Hunt after worship. Parents (and others) are
invited to bring one dozen stuffed eggs (candy or simple prize) for the
hunt.
*Thu, Mar 28 - Maundy Thursday - Evening Prayer at 7pm for
adults; nursery and activities for children.
*Sun, Mar 31 - Easter Sunday - Sunrise Service at 7am; Morning
Worship and Holy Communion at 11am.
Youth (middle and high school) are invited to gather this Sunday, Mar 24,
5:30pm - 7:00pm, to continue working on an Earth Day festival display.
Parents are welcome to help. Pizza will be served at the meeting. Let
us know by reply email if youth and/or a parent(s) will be attending, so
that we can have plenty of pizza available.
Lilies - As is our custom, the Sanctuary will be decorated with lilies on
Easter Sunday. If you would like to sponsor a lily for the Sanctuary, you
may do so at $15/plant. Lily sponsors are invited to take their plants
after worship on Easter Sunday and enjoy them at home.
The Good Earth, an ecumenical Earth Day festival, will be held at
Walnut Hill Church on Sunday, April 21, 4pm - 7pm. We will need plenty
of help providing hospitality to visitors from several participating
congregations. Mark the date on your calendar. Watch for more details.
EXPLORING OUR SPIRITUALITY (EOS) is ongoing offering a variety of
opportunities for your participation including...
*Sunday Conversations (10am) and Morning Worship (11am) around
the EOS themes. Join us any Sunday you are able.
*Home Activity flyers with suggestions for individual and family activities.
Pick up a weekly flyer in the Sanctuary foyer.
*Small Groups meeting on Sunday evenings, Monday evenings, and
Thursday mornings.
Use reply email to inquire about EOS activities.
Thanks to all who by ongoing or special service made it possible for
the Wards to enjoy some family time this past Sunday!
Peace to all.
Mike Ward
No comments:
Post a Comment