Dear Pali Pres,
This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, which begins the holiest week of the Christian year. We will start our worship service with a jubilant singing of All Glory, Laud, and Honor as we wave our palm branches during the refrain. It is a day of joy and celebration for Christians around the world as we remember Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem.
However, in the midst of our celebration we must also keep in mind the reason for Jesus’ trip—to be arrested, convicted, and then killed. That is why Palm Sunday is also known as “Passion Sunday.” Going back to the fourth century, the church has embraced the paradox of Palm/Passion Sunday, concentrating on both the glory and the passion of Jesus Christ.
It is an important tradition to keep observing, both in our church and in our personal walks of faith. To simply skip from the “Hosannas” of Palm Sunday to the “Hallelujahs” of Easter does a great disservice to Jesus Christ and his sacrificial gift to the world. We must be willing to embrace the full meaning of this most holy week by remembering the entire story of Jesus—his glory, his suffering and death, and his resurrection.
I hope you will join us here at Pali Pres as we journey through Holy Week together. This Sunday, in addition to morning worship, we will have a special concert by our chancel choir at 2pm, “Ride On, King Jesus!” Later in the week, on Maundy Thursday, we will gather at Brentwood Presbyterian Church at 7pm for a service of communion, reflection, and beautiful music. Then, on Good Friday we will host a special service in our sanctuary (7pm) focusing on the final hours of Jesus’ life through a dramatic reading from the Gospel of Matthew. I do hope you can attend one, if not all, of these services as we all prepare our hearts and souls for the glory of Easter Sunday.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Matt