This week’s theme in our Sanctified Art worship series, Tell Me Something Good is:
the good news is … inspiring us to act.
The scripture passage is the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem – the story we always hear on Palm Sunday. It is also referred to as Passion Sunday, and the liturgical colour is red, and it marks the beginning of Holy Week.
Ever since theologians Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, wrote “The Last Week” in 2006, folks have asked the question “was Palm Sunday a parade or a protest?” Actually, I suspect folks in the know have been asking that question for a bit longer …
Borg and Crossan suggest that in fact there were two processions into Jerusalem that day … one from the western gate, and Jesus and his followers from the eastern gate.
The procession at the western gate would have been the imperial Roman army, marching into the city on war horses to keep the peace and maintain order during the Jewish festival of Passover, when the population of the city would swell from 50,000 to 200,000. And the procession from the eastern gate was of Jesus, on a donkey, and his followers. Parade … or protest?
I will talk more about this on Sunday. It probably won’t surprise you when I say that I definitely fall into the “protest” camp. Jesus was turning the symbols of imperial Rome and kingship upside down.
We don’t have to look too far to see similar protests today. Many of these have involved faithful Christians who see it as their duty to speak up for those who are being punished by unfair laws, budget cuts, wars, and the silencing of voices and dissent. At the Nova Scotia legislature this week we have seen several protests. In my social media today I saw a clip of Rev. Beth Hayward from Bedford United Church speaking to the Legislative Council yesterday. You can see her 5 minute presentation on youtube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT_XHo3X8H8
There was another rally outside Province House this afternoon, called the “All Hands on Deck Rally”, and many of my colleagues announced on social media that they were attending.
Tomorrow, there is another “No Kings Rally” in the US, which promises that it will be the biggest protest in US history, with more than 3,100 events planned nationwide to protest the actions and policies of the US government.
Part of being a follower of Jesus means, as we have been exploring during these past 6 weeks of Lent, taking action. Wherever we are, however we can, with the resources we have on hand. There are many ways to do this.
I confess to not following the Moderator’s Kitchen conversations during Lent. This is a six-part video series exploring faith, food, and the power of invitation, hosted by The Right Rev. Dr. Kimberly Heath.
Drawing inspiration and recipes from the United Church’s Lenten devotional, Bless Break Share: Recipes for Faithful Living, these are videos with guests from across the church, including book contributors, United Church youth, and the Moderator’s own family.
You can find them all at:
I took some time today to catch up with several of the videos, and will watch them all in the next couple of days. In week two, King Julez/Julian Rose talks with the Moderator about their experience at the pro-Palestinian protest encampment at the University of Toronto, and providing spiritual care and community in moments of crisis. They also discuss their experience participating in the A Place at the Table photo for the United Church’s centennial last summer, all while cooking a delicious broccoli frittata based on a recipe from Bless Break Share.
“A group of us came together and we thought, what more of a time will people be in crisis and needing each other and needing a way to encounter God and the sacred than at a protest?” —King Julez/Julian Rose
You can watch the video (and get the recipe!) at:
https://united-church.ca/blogs/round-table/kitchen-conversations-moderator-episode-2-frittata-julez
In our bulletin this week you will find a list of Holy Week services next week, which we are sharing with our friends at St. John’s, Hillside and Hope United churches. We hope you can join us.
Blessings as we enter this most holiest of weeks.
Martha
PS … on a completely unrelated note … Let’s go Blue Jays! Guess what we're doing tonight …