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Pastor's Commentaries
Between Palm Sunday and Easter | Reading the Bible | Powerful Words
Between Palm Sunday and Easter
It is tempting to jump from Palm Sunday to Easter - to go directly from the waving palm
branches and singing children to the wonder and joy of the empty tomb. Our work and
school schedules help us along by keeping us busy in the days between these two holy
festivals - and so it's not too difficult to just skip over the events that happen
between Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his rising from the tomb.
And yet the days of Holy Week, between Palm Sunday and Easter, are as important as
any in the whole church year - and what Jesus did between Palm Sunday and Easter is
absolutely central to who Jesus is and to what he does for us and the world. Jesus
did not run away in the face of oppression, nor did he respond with violence.
Instead he faced his enemies with courage and resolve, he bore the brunt of human
sin, he became a victim so that victims everywhere could know for sure that God is
with them no matter how terrible their humiliation and pain.
We live in a culture that seems to encourage us to try to be happy all the time.
We are offered entertainment twenty-four hours a day and we are encouraged to
distract ourselves from pain and grief and sorrow. But this isn't realistic.
Life includes good times and bad - and often these are all mixed together.
What Does It Mean Today?
Last week my son Peter attended a funeral for a classmate who was killed in a tragic
car accident. At this service, the minister talked about Jesus weeping for his friend
Lazarus and about how Jesus is still weeping with us and for us whenever we are
suffering. Through his life, his death and his resurrection, Jesus allows us to
see that God weeps with us. If Jesus had always been happy and if nothing bad ever
happened to him, how could he have shown us the depths of God's love?
This year at Pilgrim we will have several opportunities to mark the events of Holy
Week. On Palm Sunday we will have a palm parade, we will read the story of Jesus'
passion from the gospel of Luke and we will sing traditional Lenten hymns. Then
on Maundy Thursday, we will have a Seder dinner similar to the one Jesus shared
with his disciples in the upper room. After supper we will celebrate Holy Communion
using matzo bread and grape juice from the meal. Finally on Good Friday, we will
have a light lunch at noon, "stations of the cross" service at 12:30 and the
sanctuary will remain open until 3 pm for personal prayer.
I hope that you will be able to participate in some or all of our Holy Week activities.
I hope that we will all take time for prayer and meditation in the days between Palm
Sunday and Easter.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Ruth Wagner Bradshaw
Reading the Bible
I recently read an on-line news article about the controversy surrounding a particular
method of mining coal. This type of mining involves using explosives to move away
large pieces of mountain, and many people are worried that this will cause irreparable
environmental harm. At the end of the article, there was a place to post comments, and
one of these comments read something like this: "Read your Bible. Especially the Book
of Revelation. The world is going to end soon anyway, so we might as well use the
resources that are here."
Then, a couple of days later, I read another article discussing the widespread belief
that the "end times" and the "arrival of the Anti-Christ" will be preceded by a
"socialist takeover" and a world government. Some of the people who believe this
have been lobbying against healthcare reform because they sincerely believe that
a change in our healthcare system is the first step toward a terrifying end-of-time
scenario.
There are many ways to interpret scripture. And there are certainly a multitude
of legitimate arguments on all sides of environmental, healthcare and other
political debates. My concern, though, is that the Bible is sometimes being used
to promote ideas that may in fact be contrary to the overall teachings of scripture.
What Does It Mean Today?
I wonder sometimes if we in the mainline Protestant churches have been remiss in
our study of scripture. We have gotten by with a kind of general knowledge of the
Bible, and we have applied it more-or-less to the issues of our day. And yet it
feels sometimes as if we are inadequately prepared to apply biblical teachings to
our understanding of the world and its social and political problems. It's almost
as if we've created a vacuum; and now all kinds of interpretations have filled that
vacuum, whether or not they meet basic guidelines for a faithful reading of the
biblical text.
The road to greater biblical literacy is not one we can travel overnight. But
it seems we might begin by considering the importance of sound biblical knowledge
and faithful interpretation. With that in mind, we have included in this newsletter
a list of favorite Bible passages and some helpful tips for interpreting scripture.
Perhaps in the weeks and months ahead, we can begin to think about ways to provide
more opportunities for biblical education here at Pilgrim Church.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Ruth Wagner Bradshaw
Powerful Words
Words have power. The words we speak help shape our character, our relationships
and our communities. Words can build up and words can tear down and so it's no
wonder that sages and prophets and Jesus himself focus so much attention on the
words we speak to one another.
One of the things that defines our society is our freedom of speech. We can say what's on our minds without
fear of reprisal. We can write a letter to the editor or picket with a sign. We can
draw cartoons, make jokes, or post our thoughts on a website and with only a few
exceptions (We may not yell Fire! in a crowded theater) we can pretty much
say whatever we want to.
And yet with great freedom comes great responsibility. The Bible exhorts us to
choose our words carefully. And though I am convinced that when Jesus warns us
about being angry with a brother or sister he is not saying "it's not OK to get
angry" but rather "don't nurse your anger and hold onto grudges", he
is nevertheless very clear that hurting people with words is just as bad as hurting
them physically.
Speaking To Others
As Christians, we don't have the prerogative to tell everyone else how to behave.
And yet I believe it is appropriate for us to remind one another how important it
is to be careful how we speak. How easy it is to slip into name-calling when
we're talking about people whose political views are different from our own.
How easy it is to raise our voice when we express our own opinions. How easy
it is to get sucked into the furor when radio personalities and demonstrators
and even elected officials start shouting their views and in some cases even
threatening others.
I am convinced that as Christians we are called to model another way. It is fine
to hold passionate opinions. It is fine to express ourselves with energy and
zeal. And it is our duty and obligation to point out injustice and to speak up
for those who are getting a raw deal. But we must never lose sight that God
loves everyone, that all people deserve our respect, and that it is not up to
us to judge someone else's character.
How Do Words and Prayer Affect Us?
One more thing: I believe we are called to pray. For good or ill, words have
the power to motivate people and to create an atmosphere that affects the way
people behave. Or in theological terms, words have the power to affect the
spiritual climate of our society. Prayer, though, also affects our spirit,
both individually and collectively. And so I would encourage all of us to
pray for ourselves, our communities and our country. Pray for our leaders,
our citizens, and the news media. And, perhaps most importantly, pray for those
with whom you disagree. It is through prayer that our hearts can be softened and
our minds opened. It is through prayer that we invite God to be with us so that
rancor can be changed to dialogue and so that ill will can be diffused and
transformed into constructive action.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Ruth Wagner Bradshaw