April 10, 2025
Dear Central Church,
A few years ago I had the opportunity to be in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It was an incredible experience as several different Christian groups held processionals into the city. They marched together, waved Palm Branches, and paraded through the narrow streets of the world’s holiest city. For a few moments, our group walked with the worshippers on our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where a Palm Sunday mass was being held. I felt like I was a part of this story we tell ever year.
I’ve been to major sporting events where there is a lot of “energy” in a crowd, but the air in Jerusalem that day was punctuated with an expectancy that far surpassed a crowded stadium waiting for a big game.
I think about that experience every Palm Sunday. I think about what it was like to wave a palm branch on the streets where the original event took place. I think about what it was like to walk in the footsteps of the donkey that carried Jesus through those streets. It felt good to be part of the story, but then you realize the drastic turn this story takes. Those who cry “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday will change their tune to, “Crucify him!” by week’s end.
That’s the journey we are embarking on this Sunday as we begin Holy Week. There are 52 weeks in the year, but this week is different. It is set apart as an opportunity to live into the story of Jesus. It’s a moment to find our place in the narrative and experience the holy moments that God used to create a holy people.
Join us this Sunday as we experience together the holy moments required to become a holy people. We’ll experience the Last Supper this Thursday (6 pm) at our movie event; we will watch Jesus take his last breath on Good Friday (6:30 pm); we will experience the loss and confusion of Jesus’ disciples on Holy Saturday (10 am); and we will gather with friends to proclaim the heart of the Gospel on Easter Sunday (9 and 10:30 am): “He is risen. He is risen, indeed!”
Check out all the info about these events in today’s Loop. I look forward to experiencing them with you in the days ahead!
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark