Palm Sunday – April 10, 2022

Dear SDUMC Family,

I look forward to an exciting Palm Sunday with you all this week! Worship will look a little different this Sunday as we experience some dramatic worship moments to share the message of Palm Sunday. The children and youth will lead us into worship as they wave their palm branches. Our Chancel Choir and Bell Choir will fill the sanctuary with inspiring music.

I hope you'll pray about inviting a friend to join us (share our Facebook Palm Sunday post) as we remember the excitement of the people waving their palms and shouting, "Hosanna!" Like all of us, they desperately needed God's gifts of hope, joy, and peace to bring renewal to their lives.

Although we share the familiar Scriptures year after year, the journey through this next week is always full of new insights and answers for our daily travels. I hope you will join me as we sing and share "Hosanna!" on Sunday. Also, take some time to look over our Holy Week Schedule and Easter Sunday times.

Henri Nouwen shares a glimpse of the journey ahead, "As he rides into Jerusalem surrounded by people shouting 'Hosanna,' cutting branches from trees and spreading them in his path (Matt. 21:8), Jesus appears to be completely concentrating on something else. . . His eyes see what nobody around him can see; . . . There is melancholy, but also peaceful acceptance...Above all, there is love, an endless, deep, far-reaching love born from an unbreakable intimacy with God and reaching to all people, whoever they are, were, or will be. . . . There is nobody he does not fully love."

I look forward to worshipping with all of you this Palm Sunday at 8 a.m. (half-hour Communion Worship in the Chapel) or 9:30 a.m. (in the Sanctuary and Livestreamed).

Grace, Peace, and Lenten Blessings,
John