I think it's fair to say that I was deeply disappointed with the Palm Sunday service this morning. Being an idealist, I do tend to have overly high expectations. I am especially prone to this on holidays. I had visions of palm branches being handed out, white lilies and other spring flowers sprayed around the room, and I could practically hear the hosannas ringing out from the worshipers.
I've spent the last week reading the Easter story with my kids from our various children's Bibles and books. My daughter has asked to read "the donkey story" every day since we got it in the mail from Grammy. I've been particularly moved by the Jesus Storybook Bible's recounting of the crucifixion, and though that version does not contain the Triumphal Entry, reading it grew this eagerness in me as we looked forward to Palm Sunday. I was so excited to come to church this morning, and raucously celebrate the Kingship of Jesus.
It was one of the few times in His physical life on earth that He was celebrated as a king. And I wanted to be part of that today. I wanted to relive and perhaps some how cosmically join in with saints through out history who've remembered the day that people made a "red carpet" of sorts for the King of all Kings with the coats off their backs and the leaves off the trees. I wanted to proclaim Him as my king, as the ultimate king, and sing my heart out worshiping Him with a room full of other people who think so, too!
I stayed up late last night printing coloring pages of the Passion week events for my three-year-old to color. We planned to keep her with us so she might experience the grandeur and perhaps wave her own palm frond for Jesus.
What I encountered this morning looked like every other Sunday morning, except there were even less people than usual in attendance. Granted, it had snowed last night and the roads were not great. Plus, last week was spring break so a lot of the student population is still making their way back today. Never the less, I was disappointed to see so many empty seats.
We entered the sanctuary and I was handed the same bulletin and sermon notes as always, no palm frond. There was no special decor denoting any celebration. The music while well-performed was certainly not "celebratory", and not one hosanna was uttered. There was no royal party here.
We did sing one song that was new to me, called "Kingdom and a King" by Robbie Seay, which could have been great if someone had kicked up the beat and put a little of their soul into it. Perhaps the writer didn't intend for the song to be sung that way... (and after seeing him play it himself on Youtube, I don't think he did), but the lyrics certainly seem to imply some fervor.
My heart is beating faster in my chest
As I sing of where my loyalties will rest
To never wait on the governments to move
As the broken and the poor cry out for You
For the Kingdom and the King
For His glory we will sing
for the rescue of our souls
He has come
For the kingdom and the cross
Oh the triumph and the loss
Love has broken through and I'm redeemed
Through the kingdom and the king
The rest of the lyrics are great, too, and reading them on the screen I wanted to stand in my chair, raise my "Sword of Truth" and shout, "FOR THE KINGDOM AND THE KING!", William Wallace style. Surely this was what I'd been waiting for all week! Instead, the guitars strummed lazily along and all around me everyone stood still dutifully filling melody with words.
When the music team traded places with the pastor, I sighed (dare I say with relief?) and prepared my heart to dive into the Biblical account of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Instead, we talked about Lazaraus. Raising Lazarus from the dead. I must have done a double take at my sermon notes, WHAT!? The remark was made that the event "occurred near" the original Palm Sunday, and that was the last we heard of that.
I can understand how perhaps this story would prepare people for Easter with its foreshadowing of Jesus' resurrection. Jesus looks right at Lazarus' sister, Mary, and asks her "Do you believe this?" after describing the life He offers us. It's good stuff. Really. But it's not Palm Sunday. Maybe they were trying to do something different this year, mix it up a little, but for me it was disappointing.
You see, I have no problem with tradition. I don't get bored doing the same celebrations every year. In fact, I suspect that maintaining traditions is even Biblical. God laid out all sorts of feasts and celebrations for the Jews to celebrate so they might remember what He had done for them. And if you think God doesn't have an eye for detail, I charge you to go look up His work orders for the Tabernacle.
Like I said, I'm an idealist, but I'm not convinced that's entirely a bad thing. I have a capacity, a gift if you will, to see things as they could be. My heart has Eden written all through it and aches for God to restore the world to its original beauty and glory.
If we really believe we are a part of Christ's Kingdom, then how is today not a day set aside for a royal celebration!? We should mark this day with flowers, palm fronds, candles, and other symbolic elements of beauty. We should dress for the occasion. We should choose songs to sing that are full of joy, praise, and hallelujahs! Not out of duty, but out of hearts full of gratitude!
Sometimes I can see so clearly some of what is ailing the modern day church. It is uninspiring and lacks heart. During the sermon, the pastor came to the part of the story where Jesus calls loudly for Lazarus to come out of the tomb. He jokingly promised to spare us the "calling loudly" part. Why? Was he afraid he might actually wake us up? I'm sure when it happened, the loud voice of Jesus had some impact. Why should we scale back the retelling?
We do this far too often. We have so down played the accounts of the gospels, that our impression of Jesus has become soft, gentle, and reserved. Personally, I don't need a soft, genteel person to come tell me a bunch of rules on how to live a better life. What I do need is a God-Man full of life and passion, who cares so deeply about me He was willing to experience excruciating pain on every level to spare me from the eternity of excruciating pain that my sin deserves. A God-Man who explains to me in His Word how He intended for life to be lived and shares His plans for how we can live life now while we wait for Him to put everything back to the way it belongs.
The argument has been made that it's more "relevant" to the unchurched person who didn't grow up with these traditions. I think that's a load of crock, too. I'm sorry, but if we are just like the rest of the world, then why on earth would they want to join us? What are we really offering besides another program to try?
I think we desperately need to see, and HEAR, a little more heart on Sunday mornings. We need celebration. We need beauty and tradition. We need to show that we really believe we are part of a kingdom. Our King deserves better than this. It is PASSION week after all.
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