Day 35 in the wilderness with Jesus Christ

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.” ’ So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’ (Luke 19)

When I was growing up in Lincoln, Nebraska we would often have parades in the summer with all the neighborhood kids. So on Palm Sunday this year we gave out tabourines to the kids in worship and we marched around the Sanctuary, beating on the tambourines and collecting money for One Great Hour of Sharing. I expected it to be a good way to enter into the celebration and festivity of the day, but I was overwhelmed by the interaction between the children and the adults. What I had expected to be a little 3 minute parade turned into a 6-7 minute connection and affirmation between the adults and the children as we collected more money that we could have imagined in those little OGHS fish. And the money we collected will go to build up the Kingdom of God as disaster relief efforts around the world. Certainly the children who encouraged us in our giving on Palm Sunday were blessed in the name of the Lord!