Dear friends,

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the final Sunday in the season of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week — remembering the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Palm Sunday is a Sunday where children traditionally participate in worship by processing waving palm branches. We’re not able to do that this year because of the pandemic, but we have a special presentation for Palm Sunday — a children’s opera written by Mark Burrows, telling the story of Palm Sunday from the perspective of the donkey on which Jesus rode when he entered Jerusalem on the first day of the week. This 16- minute puppet mini-opera is entitled “To Carry a King,” and you can read more about it here.

I will offer a brief sermon looking at Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem, especially the days before Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. What did Jesus do and say during the days following Palm Sunday? We will take a look at those days as we prepare for the services remembering the Last Supper and Jesus’ crucifixion.

I look forward to our time of worship this Sunday at 11:00 in Sanctuary worship, in-person and livestreamed.

I want to remind you that our Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services will take place at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary. You may register here to attend the Maundy Thursday service in person and here to attend the Good Friday service in person. Both services will also be livestreamed.

Grace and Peace,

Dr. Tim Bruster
Senior Pastor

 

Matthew 20:17-19, Common English Bible

¹⁷ As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside by themselves on the road. He told them, ¹⁸ “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Human One will be handed over to the chief priests and legal experts. They will condemn him to death. ¹⁹ They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be ridiculed, tortured, and crucified. But he will be raised on the third day.”