This past Palm Sunday kicked off a week, to most Christians, that represents an important time in the life of the Church: Holy Week. The week before Easter is a special time in which Christians remember the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Is this week holier than all others? Well, yes and no.
Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and an executive editor of Christianity Today, helps us understand this week in light of its “holiness”:
My son, Rowan leading the Palm Sunday procession… confusion ensues.
Call to Worship
Leader: On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the Holy City, Jerusalem. The crowds cheered and cried out;
People: Hosanna to the Son of David!
Leader: Jesus rode upon a donkey and the crowds spread their garments before him, cheering:
People: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Leader: When the leaders asked, “Who is this?” the crowds said:
All: This is the prophet, Jesus of Nazareth, from Galilee. (Matthew 21:11)
Prayer of Confession
Leader: On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the Holy City, Jerusalem. The crowds cheered and cried out;
People: Hosanna to the Son of David!
Leader: Jesus rode upon a donkey and the crowds spread their garments before him, cheering:
People: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Leader: But by the end of the week, the crowds were gone and only a few followers remained.
Let the people be silent, offering silent confession.
Leader: The night he was arrested, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, as was his custom.
People: May we pray with Jesus as we remember the night he was arrested; may our faith prove true and sure.
Leader: Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”
People: May we, too, pray not for comfort and ease,
not for the easy road, not for a life without trial or worry;
but, like Jesus, may we pray that we will do the will of the Lord,
no matter the circumstance, not counting the cost.
Let the people pray in silence.
For some unknown reason, my parents never let me have pets. Growing up several of my friends had dogs, cats, snakes, and other animals but I could not have one. My parents most likely did not want the mess, fur, and the waste around the back yard. I really did not mind the idea of an animal around the house, but I think my parent’s did not like the concept of an dirty animal walking around the house with us.
In ancient times, people and animals lived close together. Throughout the Bible we see animals playing a role in God’s creation and God’s people. Animals are mentioned from Genesis to Revelation. For a complete list of animals in the Bible check this out. What we might not realize is that we can learn valuable insight from these animal stories. Scripture teaches us that:
God created all the animals (Psalm 104).
“Then God commanded, ‘Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life; domestic and wild, large and small, and it was done. So God made them all, and He was pleased with what He saw.” Genesis 1:24, 25
All animals belong to God (Psalm 24:1).
“All the animals in the forest are Mine and the cattle on thousands of hills. All the wild birds are Mine and all living things in the fields.” Psalm 50:10, 11
God cares for the animals (1 John 4:16).
