This blog began on Palm Sunday last year. Reading the entry refreshed my memory of the importance of that day. Reading portions of Dante’s Divine Comedy provided a deeper understanding and appreciation for me of Holy Week 2006. Dante set his journey to follow Holy Week and the Divine Comedy and Holy Week last year each provided insights to one another.
This year I followed Pastor Dayle’s recommendation to read The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. This book also follows the Holy Week structure based on the gospel of Mark.
This reading is intellectually and emotionally challenging and has provided many insights and keys for understanding the movement of Christianity historically and possibilities that can be currently embraced.
Today’s service followed the ELW setting for Palm Sunday. The current overriding feeling may not continue, still it is hard not to think that this opening of Holy Week is filled with a mixture of deeper emotional swings than in the past. The swings move both higher and lower and with greater frequency than last year. Some of this mixture is planned and some is not.
The Creator community came into the week with the knowledge Bethany is not in remission. This will surely on our collective mind throughout this year’s Holy Week just as Easter plans and dreams are.
There was a personal disagreement and anger during the one of the services this morning which left the participants upset. Yet the services began with all voices raised for strong, intimate and joyful music in the narthex. Finally, the services ended with a beautiful, devotional piece, Jesus, Refuge of the Weary, sung by the choir. Geoff provided a viola accompaniment added specially for this performance by Kelly.
We later participated in the last annual Cross Walk for the Oregon Trail Cluster of the ELCA. It is a unique ministry. Church members and pastors follow a pre-planned route and carry a cross in a local neighborhood. At stops along the route each church leads the group in brief words appropriate to the service provided by those within the selected building. For instance, if it is a fire station, prayers would be spoken, appreciation would be given, and songs would be sung for the firemen. Those members of the church that lead are then responsible to carry a good sized cross to the next location.
A light rain seemed likely as we drive to Colton Lutheran but during the event it was a beautiful day, both cool and clear. The route moved from the church to Colton High School to a closed community center. Memories were shared about the initial hopes and dreams for this place. This emphasizes the feelings around today being the last of the Cross Walks. It is understandable given the participation and there are other thoughts about another event to commemorate Palm Sunday that brings the Oregon Trail Cluster together. Still bringing this current ministry to a close after six years puts a spin on the mood.
This year I followed Pastor Dayle’s recommendation to read The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. This book also follows the Holy Week structure based on the gospel of Mark.
This reading is intellectually and emotionally challenging and has provided many insights and keys for understanding the movement of Christianity historically and possibilities that can be currently embraced.
Today’s service followed the ELW setting for Palm Sunday. The current overriding feeling may not continue, still it is hard not to think that this opening of Holy Week is filled with a mixture of deeper emotional swings than in the past. The swings move both higher and lower and with greater frequency than last year. Some of this mixture is planned and some is not.
The Creator community came into the week with the knowledge Bethany is not in remission. This will surely on our collective mind throughout this year’s Holy Week just as Easter plans and dreams are.
There was a personal disagreement and anger during the one of the services this morning which left the participants upset. Yet the services began with all voices raised for strong, intimate and joyful music in the narthex. Finally, the services ended with a beautiful, devotional piece, Jesus, Refuge of the Weary, sung by the choir. Geoff provided a viola accompaniment added specially for this performance by Kelly.
We later participated in the last annual Cross Walk for the Oregon Trail Cluster of the ELCA. It is a unique ministry. Church members and pastors follow a pre-planned route and carry a cross in a local neighborhood. At stops along the route each church leads the group in brief words appropriate to the service provided by those within the selected building. For instance, if it is a fire station, prayers would be spoken, appreciation would be given, and songs would be sung for the firemen. Those members of the church that lead are then responsible to carry a good sized cross to the next location.
A light rain seemed likely as we drive to Colton Lutheran but during the event it was a beautiful day, both cool and clear. The route moved from the church to Colton High School to a closed community center. Memories were shared about the initial hopes and dreams for this place. This emphasizes the feelings around today being the last of the Cross Walks. It is understandable given the participation and there are other thoughts about another event to commemorate Palm Sunday that brings the Oregon Trail Cluster together. Still bringing this current ministry to a close after six years puts a spin on the mood.
Another part of Palm Sunday is a story my sister tells me about her trip to Kalaloch Olympic National Park Sunday. She prayed at the beginning of her trip to the gods for a variety of weather. She wanted to show a friend how beautiful non-sunny weather in the Pacific Northwest could be. Her prayer was not only responded to but the response, according to her, was playful. They experienced rain, sun, snow, sleet, mist and hail together with a spectacular sunset and a full moon over the ocean that night. She delivers a special prayer to the spirit of our father that made the last event possible for her.
The language she uses is spiritually charged. I wonder what words I would use to describe the same experiences. Hers is a different kind of prayer than what was discussed the past few weeks and what I have read about recently. It is the root of a profound experience she had of being connected to the world this weekend. Her vision informs my understanding of the world's spiritual nature while I also realize the road she takes to get there is different from my own. All faith appears to dance between the rational and irrational.
posted by Gary at
12:34 PM
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