Claimed, gathered and sent

Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi, quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum. Qui passus es pro nobis, Domine, miserere nobis. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. O Lord, who suffered for us, have mercy on us. 1. How will you pray and worship today ? I had planned on joining the seminary community in the stations of the cross this afternoon, but I took a tumble the other day and am very sore. Today, weather permitting, they will be done outside, going to various stations around the campus. But tonight I will be at Rural Lutheran assisting with the Good Friday liturgy. 2. Share a powerful memory or memories of Good Friday past. One year when I lived in the Holy Land, an ecumenical group gathered and did a prayer walk to the various places Christ went prior to the crucifixion. We completed our walk at the Church of All Nations . What made this such a profound experience is that it hammered home to me the reality

As Bob Dylan wrote, “The times they are a changin.’ This Sunday is one of those changing, transitional times in our church year. The end of Lent is near as we move through Holy Week towards Easter. Today, we’ve heard and participated in the celebratory parade with Palms, singing “All Glory Laud and Honor,” walking down the Mt. of Olives with Jesus during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem . Did you hear the hosannas? This crowd was excited. They wanted to crown Jesus as king! When I lived in the Holy Land in the 1980s, on Palm Sunday, Christians of all denominations and languages would gather on the Mt. of Olives . We would sing, pray, and joyfully walk down the Mt. into Jerusalem . We were Christians of all nationalities and languages singing and shouting, “Hosanna!” It was like being transported back in time to Jesus ’ time. Can you imagine what it must have been like on that first Palm Sunday? This morning our readings take us to other place