Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
3rd Avenue at 111th Street
in the historic Lansingburgh section
of the city of Troy, New York
Sermon Links
Lent - Easter Sermon Series 2006
Palm Sunday
The Sunday of the Passion
"The Hallways"
("Palm Action")
April 9, 2006
Zechariah 9:9-10
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 11:1-10
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Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
For those of you who weren't able to be at worship Ash Wednesday evening or the last 5 Sundays, we're now in the season of "Trading Spaces," looking forward to the "Extreme Makeover" of creation even of our very selves. "Trading Spaces" and "Extreme Makeover" are two very popular TV shows which seek to completely change the living space of the family home. This season I'm going to be doing something a little different. As we examine the meaning and centrality of the Cross in the furniture scheme of our lives, of our living space, our home, we will consider the "Extreme Makeover" of creation that allowed us to be "Trading Spaces" with Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One.
Mark's Gospel constantly points to the Cross as the defining moment of history the time when EVERYthing changed the event upon which all future would be determined, both corporate and personal. The resurrection and all of the power we derive from it would not have "been," had there not been God's action of the Cross. Hence my desire to speak of the centrality of the Cross in the "down and dirty," that is to say, our everyday existence, our daily lives. Consider this as this five-Sunday season of Jesus' "Trading Spaces" with us, taking our place upon the Cross. As such, I continue to mix my metaphors of our daily lives, our living space and our Lutheran "theology of the Cross."
At least this week it was only 9 holes of golf still exhausting but then a place of quiet theological thought will tire you out. And upon returning home, this Saturday's dinner? No Perdue Oven Stuffer chicken this week, no; dinner this week why, Snowman, of course! No time to nap when the ice cream is waiting! Ah but then, Snowman ice cream doesn't last long in my bowl. And, it's Saturday no time to flop in bed for a nap. Sunday's sermon is calling. Having sadly carried the now-empty bowl in the palm of my hand to the garbage can, and out of the kitchen to the den I went to do some of that head action I talked about a couple of weeks ago. In order to get to the den, I walk through the living room where I would rather be putting my feet up and relaxing, and then, down the hallway. Without the hallway, I couldn't get to the den I'd have to go outside and crawl in through a window. Believe me that would not be a pretty sight! The hallway is the way we get from one part of our home to another; from one task to another; from being alone to finding a naked baby running out of the shower he'd just turned on; from making small talk to hearing Carol say "stop walking the hall and get your sermon done." So then, just as the front door gave us access to the home; the hallway brings us to all the possibilities that await us throughout the home.
Today's Gospel lesson from Mark, as well as the offerings from the other 3 Gospel writers, includes the story of Jesus walking the hallway not of a home but the hallway of the center of the universe. Down the halls of the home of the Jewish people, into the center of Jerusalem; from the task of preaching, teaching and healing to confronting the evils that separated God from his people. And so we find Jesus riding on a donkey (don't try that at your home!) symbolic of his status as the one who would soon be crowned as king of the universe. In these hallways we see, in double entendre, Jesus' palm action palms thrown before him, as you would welcome a king; and Jesus' own palms raised in blessing for those who would cry out "God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord."
As we have come through the front door by the power of the Cross, the hand action, the power of Jesus' right hand, nailed to the Cross; as we have watched Jesus put his feet up on the Cross, welcoming us to the eternal living room of creation; as we experienced the kitchen's "Ove Glove" - God's love," Jesus' message of salvation was made clear as he dropped all divine protection, his right hand nailed to the Cross and we said "mmmmmm," that tasty message; as we hear the den of creation calling to us; that we now consider with our head that which God has actually done; melding thought, compassion and love to action, head action - and we considered this bedroom, this place or rest and the heart action that in the Jesus event on the Cross; God's heart opened completely. Now, we come to this hallway to eternity, finding Palm Action, as well. Yes, we will get palms after worship. But, when we consider just how we've behaved this past week and all the weeks before, we may come to think of palm action as being a negative, a slap in the face, a whack on the tush; a "stop right there!" But in this hallway, we find palms outstretched the palm action of the pastor in the Confession and the benediction, announcing God's love and forgiveness and sending us on our way, God's having made peace with us all. This hallway brings you to all of the rooms in the home of God.
Do you remember Viola Tschumi? Well, many do, but I suspect not most. Viola was a wonderful woman of Christian action in our congregation for many, many years. But, well, when I would go to visit her, yikes. I would knock and I would hear "come in." But, and this is NO exaggeration, if she were in the kitchen, it would be an adventure trying find my way to her. Viola was, to say the least, a "pack rat." Piles of "stuff" as high as an elephant's eye filled her entry hall, living room and clogged the hallway to the rest of her home. I remember one time I yelled to her, "Viola, a little palm action please, clap so I can figure out where you are!" She would laugh and put her palms together, me finding my way to her.
Yesterday, as they were leaving this hallway, this sanctuary, I told someone "I think next year, during the week before Palm Sunday, we should put a sign on the lawn with 4 HUGE letters "FREE" and 5 small letters "palms" and "this Sunday." I thought myself: "quite funny" but Arlene pointed out to me that "nothing's free." I was ready to counter with "God's grace is free, God's forgiveness is a gift and free!" But then, I thought of that hallway ride that Jesus took the palm action. It didn't stop in the hallway and it was anything but free. So many angers, so many looking for power, satan clogging the hallways; attempting to make it impossible for God to find his way through that final hallway to God's people his palms bloodied from the beating he took, from the Cross he had to carry. When we consider God's palm action, God's clearing the hallway for us, we should full well cry as if it were the time of death for someone who meant the world to us; for that is what God was then and is now; that is what God did then and does now- clear the hallways with his palms so that our palms might not be bloodied but be able to be lifted up in rejoicing.
As you enter your hallways at home; as you move from one room to the next; as you keep the hallways from being clogged; consider this room, give thanks for this room, this hallway a place where all the clogs have been cleared by God's palm action on his way to the Cross. As you enter your hallways, consider Jesus' ride through the hallway of Jerusalem and the centrality of the Cross in the furniture scheme of your life. Consider the "Extreme Makeover" of Creation that allowed us to be "Trading Spaces" with Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One. Now, that is more reality than you'll ever see on ANY TV show. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
