Kim Panaro, ARCWP, and Dave Debonis led the Upper Room’s Palm Sunday Liturgy. Kim's homily starter is printed below the readings.
Opening song, Jerusalem My Destiny by Rory Cooney
Palm Sunday starts Holy Week. We know all the
key points of the Jesus
Holy Week story. Jesus comes into Jerusalem
triumphantly, has a last meal on Thursday, is arrested, tried, humiliated,
scourged and crucified on Friday, rests in the tomb through Saturday and
triumphantly rises from the dead on Sunday morning. I’m not worried that I spoiled the ending of
the story for you because it is one we re-enact every year. It is true that the
identity of any people can be found in the telling of their stories. It is true
that we pass stories down through the generations and thereby witness to the
actions of the Holy One. But we must make this re-living and re-telling an
occasion of deeper understanding and renewed personal commitment. If it doesn’t
lead to transformation then we are simply putting on a play like children at a
Christmas pageant. Let’s consider the core question of who the historic man
Jesus was and what some of the symbols found in today’s readings represent.
Welcome and Theme:
Our theme for this morning’s liturgy is to
consider the true meaning of Psalm Sunday by moving beyond a story of Christ
the Savior, triumphant and here to save the world, to story of a person, Jesus,
who despite his fear, believed so deeply in his message of love that he was
willing to die for it.
Centering Prayer:
Today our Centering Prayer is adapted from
Michael Morwood’s Book: Prayers for
Progressive Christians.
We ask everyone to close their eyes.
As you take a deep breath in, open yourself
to the grace that we need-
To recognize and experience the Mystery
That is the creative and energizing presence
That penetrates and pervades our innermost
being.
Seek to be more attuned to allow this
wondrous Reality
Greater space and freedom to stir within us.
Now, breathing deeply, call to mind Jesus who
urged his listeners
To be open to the treasure that is within
To be empowered and hopeful
To take risks
To dream of what could be.
Now with each exhalation,
seek release from negativity
From lack of trust
From small-mindedness
From selfishness
And from all that closes us in on ourselves.
Finally, take a deep breath that welcomes
fully
The wisdom and guidance that is our
sustenance.
Opening song, Jerusalem My Destiny by Rory Cooney
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading Isaiah 61: 1-4
God’s spirit is upon me, because the Divine
One has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for captives and liberation for
prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and a day of vindication
for our God, comfort to all who mourn, to provide for Zion’s mourners, to give
them a crown in place of ashes, oil of joy in place of mourning, a mantle of
praise in place of discouragement. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness,
planted by the Divine One to glorify himself. They will rebuild the ancient
ruins; they will restore formerly deserted places.
These are the inspired words of Isaiah 61:
1-4 and the community affirms them by saying AMEN.
All:
HoSanna Hey Sanna
Sanna Sanna HoSanna
Hey Sanna Hosanna
HoSanna Hey Sanna
Sanna Sanna HoSanna
Hey Sanna Hosanna
Gospel Luke 19:28-40
Having said this Jesus went ahead with the
ascent into Jerusalem, accompanied by those men and women close to him.
Approaching Bethpage and Bethany, near what
is called the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of the disciples with these
instructions: “Go into the village ahead of you. Upon entering it, you will
find a tethered colt that no one has yet ridden. Untie it and lead it back. If
anyone should ask you ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Rabbi needs it.’”
They departed on their errand and found
things just as Jesus had said. As they untied the colt, its owner said to them
“Why are you doing that?”
They explained that the Rabbi needed it. Then, the disciples led the animal to Jesus,
and laying their cloaks on it, helped him mount.
People spread their cloaks on the roadway as
Jesus rode along. As they reached the
descent for the Mount of Olives, the entire crowd of disciples joined them and
begin to rejoice and praise God loudly for the display of power they had seen,
saying:
“Blessed is the One who comes in the name of
our God! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you, if they were to
keep silent, the very stones would cry out!”
These are the inspired words of Luke and the
community affirms them by saying AMEN.
Period of Silence
Homily starter - Kim Panaro
Isaiah
prophesizes about one who would be the salvation of all the oppressed in
society. He would provide freedom and comfort from the afflictions that come
from unjust systems and the pains of human tragedy. At Lent we use this reading
to connect the Jesus story to the one whose coming had been foretold. As adult
believers we know that Jesus would never have equated himself with God. That
would be a grave sin for a Jewish man. Rather Jesus knew his scripture, his
people’s story and the hope on which they survived. He taught his followers to
start living as though the prophesy was already fulfilled by treating others
with justice, compassion and love. That love includes everyone with no
exceptions on the basis on politics, creed, gender, national origin or any
other false boundary. When Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, he
was well aware that he was likely going to his death. Why? First, he knew that
the military presence of the Romans was greatly increased during Passover when
the city was overflowing with pilgrims. The Romans routinely used this time to
make a show of force against the Jews from whom they constantly feared an
uprising. Jesus was literally riding
into the heart of violence. We see him
riding in on a donkey. In first century
Palestine military leaders and dignitaries would ride into cities on horses if
they were going to war. They would ride in on donkeys if they were trying to
create a message that they were coming in peace. It was a message of peace, not
a symbol of humility. By riding on a
donkey and with crowds welcoming him with cloaks and palms, Jesus and his
followers were essentially holding a counter protest to the entrance into the
city of the Roman military heads. It was an act of civil disobedience. The
symbol of people putting down their cloaks also signifies sacrificing the only
possession they may have had. People often only had one cloak and if they were
poor, the cloak would be used to collect the money they could beg on the
streets. It was an act of trust and hope.
He dared to show the people how they could
live a different kind life but one that would require immense personal risk and
sacrifice of long held beliefs and habits. Jesus knew he would never live to
see his dream of a just society fulfilled.
The kindom he envisioned would be
because of him but not for him. This Jesus of history is the man who lived in
hope and fidelity to a promise. The people who followed him hoped he would make
it all happen. When he died, they were in a quandary because the Messiah was
not supposed to die. Eventually this crucified man become the Christ of faith,
the anointed one who would save believers from the fires of hell. We must be clear who we welcome today. We
can welcome the Christ of faith who won victory over death and despair by
saving us from original sin through his atoning death. This is “one and done”
Christology. Or we welcome the Jewish
Jesus of history. This is the man who did not hold himself bound to religious
or civil law because he believed in a larger Love. Isaiah told of the one who
would come. Jesus’ contemporaries hoped it would be him. We understand that the
one we are waiting for is us. I suggest that the Jesus of history , our
brother, is who we should look to.
In a few minutes we too will have a chance to
put our palm branches on the cloak. In doing so, we make a choice. This is how
we make the retelling of the story transforming and real rather than simply
play acting a 2000-year-old drama. We commemorate Jesus’ journey into the
fulfillment of his destiny. We must ask if we are willing to choose to continue
to follow him knowing that he will die for his beliefs. Knowing that the story today
is much the same as it was then. The cost continues to be high. Sometimes it is
still death. Always it is on the margins, counter-cultural and in opposition to
civil and religious power structures. Jesus knew the instantaneous fulfillment of
his dream was impossible. He also knew it was his destiny to try. What did you hear?
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Presider 1:
As we prepare for the sacred meal, we lay our stoles upon the table as a
sign that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. And we bring to this table our blessings,
cares and concerns.
Please feel free to voice your concerns
beginning with the words
“I bring to the table....”
Presider 1: We pray for these and all
unspoken concerns. Amen.
Presider 2: Please join in praying the
Eucharistic prayer that we will be using today, which is from Michael Morwood’s
Book Prayers for Progressive Christians. Each of you here today is invited to proclaim
one portion of the prayer and then when all individual statements are spoken,
we will pray the rest of the prayer together, as one voice.
At any time during the prayer that you feel
so moved feel free to place your palm on the cloak in the front of the alter as
a sign of your commitment to living the words that we speak.
1
|
We gather
today mindful of the many times we have professed our readiness
|
2
|
To be true
disciples of Jesus
|
3
|
To be salt of
the earth
|
4
|
To be light in
the world
|
5
|
We acknowledge
the daunting challenge of this discipleship
|
6
|
In the society
in which we live
|
7
|
With its
economic systems that impoverish and disempower people
|
8
|
And its
political systems that enable the rich to get richer
|
9
|
And the poor
to become poorer
|
10
|
We remember
that Jesus encountered in his day systems as unjust as those we experience in
our day
|
11
|
And who surely
felt powerless to change anything on his own
|
12
|
We turn our
hearts and minds to his message
|
13
|
To his hopes
and dreams
|
14
|
To his ardent
desire for a better society
|
15
|
We focus on
his struggle
|
16
|
His reflections
|
17
|
His prayers
|
18
|
His questions
|
19
|
Where to
start?
|
20
|
How to start?
|
21
|
What to say?
|
22
|
Whom to
choose?
|
23
|
How to keep
going?
|
24
|
How to be
light?
|
25
|
We call to
mind how Jesus urged his listeners to put their trust in the power of neighbor
|
26
|
In the power
of God’s Spirit within them
|
27
|
In the power
of conversion from religious thinking and practices that made them feel
inadequate and worthless
|
28
|
Our prayer
today is a prayer of resolve
|
29
|
A prayer of
determination
|
30
|
That we, each
one of us, will do whatever we can,
|
31
|
In whatever
way we can
|
32
|
To bring the
real dream of Jesus
|
33
|
To fruition in
our lives.
|
34
|
At the start
of Holy Week, we focus on Jesus, human- like us
|
35
|
A person with
a dream for a better world
|
36
|
A person of
extraordinary courage
|
37
|
A person on a
journey to the end of his life
|
38
|
A person
willing to die for what he believed
|
39
|
A person who
knew he would never see his dream fulfilled
|
40
|
A person who
had to trust that those who came after him would keep his dream alive.
|
ALL: (With Raised Hands):
As we gather once more around bread and wine,
we recall Jesus sharing bread and wine with his family, with his friends,
shortly before he died. He invited them to eat and drink a sign of their readiness
to keep his memory alive, to give their all for what he believed and taught.
We, too, eat and drink. We stand up as a sign
of our readiness to be counted upon. We give our word. By our eating and drinking, we commit
ourselves to follow wherever Jesus dared to Journey. In gratitude and joy we embrace our calling
and we lift our voices to proclaim a song of praise.
All: In union with all peoples living and
dead, we unite our thoughts and prayers, asking wisdom and courage to discern
more wisely your call to us in the circumstances of our daily
lives: to act justly and courageously in
confronting the pain and suffering that desecrates the Earth and its peoples;
to take risks in being creative and proactive on behalf of the poor and
marginalized; and to love all people with generosity of heart, beyond the
labels of race, creed and color.
Holy One, your transforming energy is always
moving within us and working through us. Like Jesus, we will open up wide all
that has been closed about us, and we will live compassionate
lives, for it is through living as Jesus
lived, that we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to glorify you, O Holy
One, At this time and all ways. Amen.
Presider 1: Let us pray the prayer of Saint
Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Holy One,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Holy One,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
Presider 1: Please join in the prayer for the breaking of the bread:
Presider 1: Please join in the prayer for the breaking of the bread:
All: O Holy One, You call us to live the
Gospel of peace and justice. We will live justly. You call us to be Your
presence in the world. We will love tenderly You call us to speak truth to
power. We will walk with integrity in your presence.
Presiders lift the bread and wine
Presider 1: This is the bread of life.
Through it we are nourished and we nourish each other.
All: What we have heard with our ears, we
will live with our lives; as we share communion, we will become communion, both
Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge.
Presider 2: Our Eucharistic celebration is
all-inclusive. You are a spark of the Divine and nothing can separate you from
God’s love. All are welcome to receive at this friendship table.
Please pass the bread and the cup with the
words: You are called to be radical love.
Presider 1: Our communion meditation song is: Impossible Dream.
BLESSING
Presider 2: Let us pray. ……….. As we remember
the brave men and woman who entered into Jerusalem with Jesus, let us consider
our own calling to participate in the making of a new world order where this is
no “other” and where radical love triumphs.
All: AMEN
Presider 1: Please join in singing our
closing song, Higher Ground by John Denver.
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