Jesus comes to Jerusalem, the city nearest you.
Jesus comes to the gate, to the synagogue,
to houses prepared for wedding parties,
to the pools where people wait to be healed,
to the temple where lambs are sold,
to gardens, beautiful in the moonlight.
He comes to the governor’s palace.
On this Palm Sunday, things are different.
No children waving palm branches in processions,
no collective singing of hosannas, loud hosannas,
no exultant crowds, here or anywhere.
The streets are quiet.
What resonates is the image of you, Jesus,
weeping over Jerusalem,
crying for a people surrounded by enemies,
who do not know the things that make for peace.
Holy Jesus,
you come to meet us in humble ways.
You meet us in the lengthening of the light.
You meet us in the fragrance of the earth, melting.
You meet us in the delicate petals of the first yellow crocus blossom.
You meet us in the first bee we see.
This year we will look for little signs of life, not passing them by,
but stopping and giving thanks for your presence in the beauty of our world.
Your holy presence is all around us.
Thank you for this congregation gathered to worship,
and for way you have shaped us into a loving supportive community
Go from here
singing hosannas
all the way home.
Do not be afraid,
Jesus is walking with you.
We come to meet you Jesus
in this ritual of giving.
You gave your life for us,
walking the road to Jerusalem.
Freely we have received, freely we give.
We lay these resources at your feet:
our hosannas to the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Do not be afraid, Jesus is coming!
Jesus is coming to parties where people celebrate.
Jesus is coming to hillsides where people listen.
Jesus is coming to sickrooms where people suffer.
Jesus is coming to an occupied territory where people long to be free.
Today we join with crowds
cheering for the heir of David on the road to Jerusalem.
Our hearts cry, “Hosanna,” as we meet Jesus in worship today.
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
On this day when we remember your triumphal entry
we admit that we, too, have paid lip service to you,
but have not wanted to follow when the road is difficult.
The words in our heads have often been,
“Can’t,” “Won’t,” “Never,” “Impossible.”
Believing our problems too deep for you,
we have underestimated your power
and stewed in our own misery.
We repent of this hardheartedness.
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus is coming!
From the mountainside, from the seaside,
from the homes of the rich
and the company of the poor,
from the bedside of those who are sick,
Jesus is coming!
Along dusty roads,
with a ragged band of travellers,
Jesus comes to Jerusalem,
Jesus comes to worship.
Will we greet him with Hosannas?
Let’s pray:
We have come to meet you today, Jesus.
The crowds offered you their coats to walk on,
they waved palm branches, honouring your presence.
Today we honour you, Lord,
with our faithful tithes and offerings.
We lay these gifts before you,
humble tokens of our love,
a public display of affection for our King of kings. Amen.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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