April 13, 2003 - Palm/Passion Sunday
Communion & Food Bank
Conversation Time
The Life And Work Of The Congregation
Youth choir practice
“Jesus’ Struggle our Struggle”
As Jesus approached the cross, he struggled, he worried, he fretted and he journeyed anyway.
I’m going to share with you, a piece of music that captures some of Jesus struggle and echoes our struggle.
Listen with me and reflect as you hear, “What Good Am I?”
What Good Am I? by Bob Dylan (Copyright © 1989 Special Rider Music)
What good am I if I'm like all the rest,
If I just turned away, when I see how you're dressed,
If I shut myself off so I can't hear you cry,
What good am I?
What good am I if I know and don't do,
If I see and don't say, if I look right through you,
If I turn a deaf ear to the thunderin' sky,
What good am I?
What good am I while you softly weep
And I hear in my head what you say in your sleep,
And I freeze in the moment like the rest who don't try,
What good am I?
What good am I then to others and me
If I've had every chance and yet still fail to see
Bridge: If my hands tied must I not wonder within
Who tied them and why and where must I have been
What good am I if I say foolish things
And I laugh in the face of what sorrow brings
And I just turn my back while you silently die,
What good am I?
Without Good Friday there couldn’t be an
Easter Sunday and without Palm Sunday there couldn’t be a Good Friday. Jesus’
high profile, his popularity with the people, his ministry celebrated in the
face of the religious leaders who had nothing but contempt for him …all these
things guaranteed his demise. He could have turned away but he
didn’t…he could have resisted the call upon his life to move toward Jerusalem
but he didn’t. What was at stake for him if he did not follow the call was a
greater and more tragic loss than what was at stake for him by moving to
Jerusalem. There are worse things than death and
Jesus knew it. Before he faced his death he gathered with those closest to him
and he talked to them about their relationship and about the common bond they
shared in life and would even share in death. Last week Jane and I took in the movie,
The Pianist. Who here has seen it? It is the story of a Polish Jewish
family in Warsaw that follows them from before the outbreak of World War 2 to
the liberation of Warsaw. Not easy stuff to watch. There is one scene that takes place when
the family, herded into a courtyard with few belongings are waiting to be told
where they will have to go next. They really have nothing and in those moments
of uncertainty a young fellow approaches them selling caramels for an exorbitant
price. Pooling their resources they buy one caramel candy and the family
patriarch carefully cuts the single Carmel into six small pieces. They
distribute the caramel among themselves and then they all partake together. In that family’s uncertainty they pause
and gain strength from this caramel communion experience. In that experience they affirm their
connection with one another even in the face of horrible uncertainty. Today in our individual journeys we
remember Jesus struggle, we engage our own day to day struggle and we pause in
our communion experience to share with each other in an experience that binds us
together. In our Humility and our common action,
God is known. We can not fully aspire to know where our journey with God will
take us. We can’t possibly know what comes next in our life, the life of our
families, our community, our church. But, still we gather, we share, we
remember Jesus and when we do, he comes among us as strength, as hope, as
promise and as light that shines upon us, then within us and then from within
us. But it doesn’t happen in spite of us…no,
it is a choice that we make. That’s why our communion experience in this place
and at this time is so important. We all choose to be here, to participate, to
engage the elements as a community of faith, bent on remembering Jesus now and
until we sup with him again in whatever form that takes. A first Nations grandfather told his
grandson this story. “Sometimes I feel as if I have two
wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is vengeful, angry, and violent. The other
wolf is compassionate, loving and caring.” “Grandfather, which wolf will win the
fight in your heart?” “The one that I feed.” Jesus learned early which one to feed.
His life, death and resurrection into our hearts offers us the courage and
humility to make the same choice. Jesus looked around and said what do I need to
do to fully engage life…then he did it. It is our struggle too, daily. I pray that in the power of Jesus
communing presence we will do it too. Amen.