Along with most churches around the world, we’ll be celebrating Palm Sunday this week, and recalling the day long ago when people waved palm branches in celebration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. It’s a special day – so we too will be waving our palms, singing “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna,” and reflecting on this special and meaningful occasion.

I’ve always enjoyed Palm Sunday parades. But the challenge of this day is to remember what happened after Jesus entered that special city. For all four gospel writers tell us that the crowds quickly disappeared, that Jesus struggled to come to terms with what was likely to happen to him, and that he was soon surrounded by soldiers and officials who had him arrested and brought before Pilate. While we know this part of the story well, it can raise some challenging questions, so we may be tempted to focus exclusively on the joys of Palm Sunday and ignore everything else.

Indeed, many Christians have come to do just that. The writer Barbara Brown Taylor tells of paging through a new story Bible with her four-year- old goddaughter Madeleine. Starting with Adam and Eve, they looked through all the lovely pictures, and Madeleine was fascinated. But when they got to the story of Jesus, Taylor reports that she had to look really hard for any mention of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and death. This part of the story received virtually no attention, because it’s a part that no one likes to read.

Still, it is important. So, this coming Sunday we’ll be celebrating “Palm/Passion” Sunday. In addition to waving our palm branches, we’ll be reflecting on some of the reasons why Jesus was seen to be such a threat. We’ll also ponder some challenging questions that can arise when we follow Jesus, and discuss the importance of trying to make decisions that are consistent with Christ’s Word and Way.

I look forward to sharing this special day with you this coming Sunday at 10:30 am.