Palm Sunday

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem - Anthony van Dyck

You would be forgiven for not realizing that this Sunday is Palm Sunday.  Without the rhythm of ordinary church services, the seasons of the church year seem to be in a muddle.  The fact that much of life has ground to a halt has given us a particularly frustrating form of Lent that won’t end, and it seems like Easter should not come until we are allowed to return to ordinary life.  How can we enter Holy Week, with all of its church services that culminate in the celebration of the resurrection, while waiting impatiently in our homes for a new day to break?  Yet this Sunday is still Palm Sunday, and next week is still Holy Week, even if it doesn’t feel like it. 
 
Perhaps there is a blessing for us in this.  Perhaps not the one we would choose, but the one we need nonetheless.  Consider the following with me:
 
We normally have an easy time celebrating Palm Sunday, because it is enjoyable to watch the kids wave palms and march around, and Easter is a delight because of the weather and egg hunts and big meals.  In other words, we celebrate Holy Week because life is obviously good in these moments.  It is like celebrating the birth of Christ—it is easy to rejoice in the fact that God became man on our behalf because Christmas itself is so delightful.  And this is a good thing!  It is a blessing from God to have these wonderful moments when it is easy to celebrate!  He gave Israel feasts, numerous feasts, to help them know him and delight in him.
 
Yet it is altogether too easy to lean on and delight in the wrong thing.  The joyous moments help us celebrate, but they aren’t what we are supposed to rejoice in.  There are times when we need to relearn how to delight in God, and not just in the good times.  As St. Augustine said, “our hearts are restless, until they rest in You, O Lord.”  One of my chief prayers these last few weeks is that I would rest and delight in God alone.  I have been praying this for you all, as well.
 
Palm Sunday serves as a reminder of the one in whom we are to rest and delight.  Jesus entered Jerusalem as king—the triumphal entry was a coronation ceremony!  The history of Israel, even the choice of a donkey as a vehicle (read I Kings 1:32-34), point to this reality.  The prophecy that lies behind the procession (Zech. 9:9) makes this clear.  Jesus is the rightful King of Israel and the world.  We are supposed to be resting and delighting, in him, because he is our king!
 
We all know this, but it is still too easy to rest, delight, and trust in the circumstances of life rather than the one who is king.  And so there is a blessing for us, a chance to learn to delight in the king alone this Sunday, because we don’t have everything else in life just the way we want it.  In other words, we have nothing else to cloud our vision (like the good gifts of time with friends and children waving palm branches).  I pray that our hearts would see and love the king clearly this weekend, perhaps more clearly than normal, because we aren’t distracted by anything else.
 
In Christ,
Steven

Be Still

One morning I took a seminary roommate to the hospital after he vomited 10 times before 9:00. Once he was admitted and medicated, he looked at the whiteboard on the wall and read the Bible verse scribbled on it: “Be still, and know that I am God.” It’s a verse you can see on mugs and cross-stitches around the world, and for good reason—it’s a verse of great comfort.

My roommate saw it and mumbled “they left out the part where God melts the earth.” Even in his stupor, he knew Psalm 46. Take a moment to read it. When God says to his people “be still, and know that I am God,” he’s saying “I’m the one who fights for you.” When he says it to the world, it’s like he’s taken three squabbling kids and put them in time out—“don’t move until I say it’s time.” It reminds me of Jesus saying "be still" to the wind and the wave in Mark 4:39. Storms rage and kingdoms totter, but when God says a word it all comes crashing down. All the “powers” of the world that threaten God’s people shatter. In a world of chaos, he is our refuge. God is in the midst of his people.

We don’t feel the threat of warring nations right now, but we are seeing our world grind to a halt because of a microscopic threat. We are not looking for the earth to melt, but we do long for hope and healing. So when quarantine makes you feel lonely, when market downturns make you feel vulnerable, when avoiding an enemy you can’t see leaves you unnerved, hear God’s words. “Be still.” You don’t have to fight for yourself. God is your fortress. He is your refuge and strength. He is your help in trouble. And even when we cannot gather together He is here in our midst.

Take some time this week to sit in God’s presence. Remember the times you have seen his faithfulness. Meditate on Psalm 46. Confess your worries and ask for the faith to trust. God’s “be still” is not a quarantine. It’s the promise of his presence, even when the world is upside down.


Justin

What We Can Do

This is a strange time for all of us, and we're in the midst of something we have never experienced before. We are trying to make the best of things in a largely unsure world. With all social activities canceled, many of us have been given the gift of time. It is our hope that when we look back on this season, we will not think of this time as wasted but as time well spent. The first and foremost thing we can do is pray. Prayer is powerful and it has been so encouraging to see how we have come together to pray already. We will be hosting Morning Prayer on Sunday and Compline on Tuesday and Thursday but we also encourage you all to find other ways to pray together. The links and liturgy for each of these meetings are included in the events section of this letter.

We also want to take action during this time. There are people around us who were food insecure before the crisis and now things are worse for them given the empty shelves. There are two ways we have decided to provide support during this time. Richmond City Public Schools is setting up distribution centers around the city to provide food for those who would normally be receiving school meals. These shifts are three hours or less and will be running on all week days until school resumes. You can sign up for a volunteer shift here. We are hoping to get a few of us to volunteer a couple of days next week. If you are not vulnerable to the effects of infection, and would like to join, please sign up for Thursday at Carver Elementary here. Please sign up for Wednesday or Friday at Binford Middle here. Please keep in mind that the spots are first come and there are a limited number available.

The other way we are helping is by providing support to Grace & Peace. This is a ministry that serves in the Mosby Court area of Richmond City. Many of those they serve receive food stamps (and so were unable to stock up) and often the families living together are very large. They are currently delivering food directly to those they serve. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so here and put in the comments that it is for food for the COVID-19 crisis. They are also accepting food donations if you prefer that. Please reach out to me if you would like to make a food donation, I have worked with this ministry before and will help coordinate dropping off the food.

Katherine