This reflection is written in response to yesterday’s serendipitous worship experience.
In a neo-Gothic sanctuary, and a very ‘liberal’ congregation we had not planned to attend,
my husband and I experienced a dramatic reading of the entire Passion narrative
as found in Matthew’s gospel.
It was stunningly beautiful and we are grateful.
Joining tonight with Michelle at Graceful and
LL at Seedlings in Stone.
The holiest week of the year begins with the shouting…
…and somehow the garden seems to know…
…even the fruit trees put on their brightest show…
…and the bearded ladies join the throng of all who cry, “Hosanna!”
The biggest, boldest, brightest blooms…
…and the smallest, densest bits of branching glory…
…join the noisy, brilliant flow.
The very trees of the field clap their hands and shout for joy!
The Lord of Glory comes!
Striding through the streets of Jerusalem,
weeping over the city,
teaching his friends of love til the very end.
Then
silent before his accusers,
shouldering his own cross,
willingly,
courageously,
lovingly
enduring the scorn,
the loneliness,
the darkness of death itself.
Why?
Why this willing self-sacrifice,
this bold movement up that hill?
For me.
For you.
For the world he
so carefully crafted,
giving us full freedom to take it or leave it,
to take him or leave him.
So let us join the glad array,
and sing a song of Christ the Lord;
let us move through our dismay,
as Love is freely poured.
And when the third day dawns again,
we’ll sing and shout once more.
But this the song of transformed hearts
now shaken to the core.
May Jesus Christ be praised!
A blessed Holy Week and glorious Easter celebration to all.
Beautiful!
I haven’t thought of it that way before, that spring’s riotous blooms are shouting Hosanna in his name. I love that image. And your pictures are beautiful…balm for me in this gray, cold week in Nebraska!
Wishing you joy and peace this Holy Week…grateful to have met you through the community!
Thanks, Michelle – praying real spring will soon come your way. Thanks again for the devotional guide – we have been using it whenever we’re at home for dinner and are grateful for your work and skill.
The roses! Oh, especially the roses…
Oh my yes, the roses. Every April – it is wondrous to behold. But this year, because we lost a wonderful, huge old oak tree (in a previous blog post there are pictures of that sad day), we had a tree-trimmer come in and lace out most of our big trees. So the light and warmth of the sun has gotten to the roses earlier and more strongly than in years past – and the result you see in the first couple of pix.
At this quiet moment, as I sit on my bed beside our 14 month old granddaughter as she naps, I can see a climbing Joseph’s Coat out my window – 10 big gorgeous ones. Being a Californian has its perks! However, we NEVER get a snow day.