Holy Week, here we come.

So today was Palm Sunday. The day we celebrate Jesus ridin' on in to Jerusalem on a donkey. We Presbyterians miiiight even move around enough to wave a palm branch or two. I mean, at 2PC the whole congregation even starts outside and processes in together waving palms amidst the occasional declaration of "Hosanna!" Woah now.

It's a generally happy morning, and marks the beginning of Holy Week, which ultimately culminates in Easter. But what about the stuff in the middle? During his sermon this morning, Blake (2PC's interim pastor) pointed out that Palm Sunday and Easter traditionally have lots of people in attendance, but Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services are usually quite small. We tend to look over the "bad" stuff. The depressing, challenging, heartbreaking stuff. Easter is so full of joy and hope and forgiveness...but Jesus has to die first. He has to be betrayed and arrested, he has to suffer, and he has to die. That's pretty significant. Why aren't we as eager to remember that as we are to go to church on Easter?  Why does the hard stuff have to happen in the first place?

Besides the obvious answer that Jesus couldn't have risen from the dead if he hadn't died, another thing from this morning's sermon still has me thinking. The idea that these events had to happen to God's son, so that God can relate to us. Obviously I can't speak from a parent's perspective, but I'd imagine there wouldn't be a whole lot harder than watching your child go through what Jesus went through. It makes sense then that when we are suffering or going through unthinkable things, God is that much closer to us. It seems that it's the least we can do, then, to take some time this week and remember the trials and tribulations that challenged God and God's son. At the very least it will make the joy of Easter that much more magnificent.

Love,
Allison