Palm Sunday A – The Greater Irony

Dear Partner in Preaching, Have you ever noticed that Palm Sunday isn’t really Palm Sunday anymore? I’m familiar with the variety of liturgical rationales for the change to “Passion Sunday,” not least of which is the practical recognition that if our folks don’t come to Holy Week services they go from glory (triumphal entry) to glory (resurrection). But even with that awareness, I still mourn the loss of what was one of my favorite days of the church year growing up. Processing in with palms, singing “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” hearing the story of Jesus entering the city on a donkey (or colt, or donkey andcolt in...

Starting With “Why”

This will sound like a rather odd recommendation, but here it is. I find Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, a little full of himself. I’d heard the advice to start with questions of purpose and passion years ago, well before he wrote his book, so the idea that he invented or came up with all this is, well, a bit much. And his work with brain science feels at the same time both oversimplified and overstated. Finally, while he may be a perfectly lovely human being, he comes across as a bit self-important. Having said all that, I’d still encourage you to watch his TED Talk, based on his...

Matthew 26:14-16

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. Here is the heartbreak. To be betrayed...

Matthew 26:1-2

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” The “all these things” that Matthew references is the set of parables and teaching Jesus offered his...

Luke 22:39-42

He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you...