What
is the real meaning of Palm Sunday? What relevance does
it have to the church today?
Palm
Sunday traditionally has two focal points. One is the entrance
of Jesus into Jerusalem just
days before his
arrest, trial and crucifixion. He was greeted with acclaim
by residents, who placed branches of palm trees in his path,
a sign of respect for an arriving messiah. Within a week,
of course, the people of Jerusalem were making a different
cry: “Crucify him!”
The
other focal point is the reading of the Passion Gospel,
the entire story of Jesus' final hours,
beginning with his torment in the Garden of Gethsemane
and concluding with his death on the cross and the placing of his body in
a tomb.
Thus the day usually is known as the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday.
In
many churches, the liturgy for that begins with an enactment
of the procession into Jerusalem, with palm branches waved
by worshipers. (Some of those branches
will be saved until next year and then burned for use as the ashes on Ash
Wednesday.)
The Gospel reading for the day is the Passion Gospel (from Mark this year),
sometimes in a dramatic reading by several readers, with the congregation
taking the part of the Jerusalem mob.
Many
consider this the most moving liturgy of the year. Its
relevance is both to tell the
story of “Christ crucified,” as Paul put it,
without which the story of Easter has no meaning; and to
call attention to our complicity
in turning against Jesus.
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We
are a Christian couple who met, married and raised a family
in the United Church of Christ. Recently, we are troubled
by the direction of the UCC, and our three grown daughters
have converted to the Catholic Church. As
a married couple, Christ has been at the center of our
relationship and our family, but we now find ourselves
without a church home. We have visited our
daughters’ churches, but don't feel called to the
Catholic faith, although we do find connection to much
of the deeply rooted tradition of that church. We
are researching the Episcopal Church and would appreciate
your insights into our situation.
I
urge you to consider both denomination and congregation.
In the end, to paraphrase a famous comment
about politics, “all religion is local.” That
is, the quality of your religious experience will be determined
largely by the pastor and people of a local congregation.
My
own journey led me to seminary and ordination in the Episcopal
Church. I have found that the Episcopal Church often serves
as a middle ground for people: Protestant
in its origins and theology, Catholic in its focus on liturgy, the sacraments
and the traditional orders of ministry. Thus, depending on the congregation
you choose, you will find strong preaching and Christian
education, with a focus
on Scripture, and a generally progressive attitude toward Biblical interpretation
and theology. You also will find the Eucharist at the center of worship, with
the traditional service music and familiar hymns. As in the Roman and Lutheran
traditions, clergy wear traditional vestments, and the service tends to have
a formal, but not usually stuffy, feel.
If
you live in an urban area, you probably have several Episcopal
parishes nearby. I urge you to visit
several. Larger Episcopal parishes tend to be more
formal
and to offer better education programs, whereas smaller ones tend to have
strong community life. It's all a matter of what you are
seeking.
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Holiness is a complex concept.
It refers to the essence of God's being, not so much a
single attribute
but perhaps the sum of all attributes. Holiness suggests
the power of God's presence (as when God appeared to Moses
on Sinai), the “glory” (Greek: doxa)
or aura of God's presence, the mystery of God when God is
encountered,
and the deep and hard-to-grasp nature of God as one who is
both merciful and impatient with humanity, as one who has
a special place in his heart for Israel and yet is God of
all creation, as one who walks among the people and yet also
awaits them on the mountain.
The holiness of God is both
the majesty of God incarnate and the wonder of God beyond
sight. Thus, one can walk into a “holy place,” like
a quiet church, and feel caught up in something much larger
than those walls and windows.
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I
know that I should be willing to do what God asks
before I know what it is that He wants me to do. And
I am. But how do I know if it
is God's will for me to do something or if it is
just me wanting to do it? I've always longed
to hear a big voice telling me, "This is what I
want you to do." How can I tell the difference?
Discerning
God's will is one of life's most difficult challenges.
We believe in one
whom we can't see. Holy Scripture
is an important starting point. The path that Jesus walked
is our model for the path we should walk. The question, “What
would Jesus do?” might be overused, but it has some
sound practical theology in it. If you read the parables
of Jesus and teachings like the Sermon on the Mount, you
will hear much of what you need to know. I also encourage
you to read the prophets. They informed Jesus' faith, and
they contain important teachings about justice and mercy.
Your
second tool is prayer. While God probably won't utter
a loud direction, the experience of prayer tends to humble
us and open our minds to the new things God is doing.
Discernment benefits also from conversation with others,
especially
people whose wisdom you respect.
In the end, you probably never can know for sure that
God wants this or that course. In my experience, seeking
God's will leads me always to confession, in which I ask
forgiveness for failing to grasp what God wants and pledge
to keep trying.
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I
was abandoned with three children almost 10 years ago
by my husband. I have not received any support since,
and he has moved on and has a new family. I have tried
to always put my faith in God, and every year I tell
myself it will get better...but every year is just as
hard financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I am alone, tired and sometimes scared. What do I have
to do to have my prayers answered? I don’t want
to be alone forever. Is God telling me “No, you
will just have to keep struggling all your life” or
am I just doing something wrong? I am starting to feel
like I am just not good enough to have good things in
my life.
First,
you have my sympathy. As I'm sure you know by now, this
sort of abandonment happens all too frequently. A marital
breakup usually has more than one cause and more than one
contributor. Even so, divorce needn't be destructive of
ongoing life.
Second,
God doesn't send us misfortune. God has other ways to teach
us. Misfortune happens, and sometimes it keeps on happening
long after we think it should end. In such an instance,
God is your friend, your “guardian, guide and stay,” as
the hymn puts it, not your tormentor. God isn't withholding
relief just to keep you in turmoil.
Third,
as I am sure you realize, your primary concern is for your
children. If you are providing them with love and attention,
and the personal security that can only come from a loving
parent, then the absence of “good things” probably
doesn't matter as much.
Finally,
I hope you have found your way to a healthy faith community.
Being alone, tired and scared can be much more tolerable
in the presence of good Christian friends.
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My
boyfriend and I have been dating for two years. He has
asked my parents for permission to propose to me, but we
are not yet engaged. Recently, a Godly couple that he knows
and looks up to told him that they had a vision that he
was not supposed to marry me but that he was supposed to
marry someone else. He and I have been praying about this,
but it just doesn't sit well with me. Will God use visions
through other people to reveal his will for our lives?
I
think marriage is a three-party deal: you, your partner,
and God. Other people touch your lives—from parents
to friends to strangers—but the couple form a bond
between them, and together they approach God for guidance,
strength and love.
Many
people have opinions about how a couple approaches marriage.
It starts early, during courtship and engagement, and continues
through the wedding and on to childbirth. (Wait until you
start getting unwanted advice on how to manage pregnancy,
birth, naming and infancy.) Some will express their opinions
in religious language. You are free to accept or to ignore
their opinions. If God has something to say to you, God
will use a means that you both can hear. I would trust
your pastor's advice.
If
your boyfriend is swayed by another couple's report of
a vision, you might explore whether he is able to make
up his own mind on things.
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What
is the purpose or meaning of eating fish on Fridays during
Lent?
One
form of fasting in Lent (or at other times) is to refrain
from eating meat. Hence the serving of fish as a non-meat
meal. The point is self-denial. Those who eat fish all
the time and rarely eat meat might want to undertake a
different fast.
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I
am an aide to a 12-year-old blind Palestinian Christian
boy who asked me what the ashes
on the forehead mean and what does Ash Wednesday mean.
He goes to church rarely at an Orthodox Christian Church
about
25 miles from where he lives. I have been a Christian in
a relationship with Jesus since 1989, but wasn't sure what
to tell him about Ash Wednesday. I have read the information
on this site, but could you help me explain it to the little
boy that I help? I would also
like to talk to him about salvation and hopefully lead
him in a prayer for his salvation. Could you
offer any advice on this?
Ashes
are an ancient part of repentance rituals, as mentioned
several times in the Old Testament
and practiced in other religions, as well. They were a sign
of humbling oneself before God. The ashes used in Christian
liturgies traditionally are made by burning palms saved from
the previous year's Palm Sunday liturgy. The officiant places
his or her thumb in the finely ground ashes, and then makes
the sign of the cross on the worshiper's forehead. The cross,
of course, refers to Jesus. The words used in imposing ashes
are, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall
return,” or some variant. Those words refer to the
creation story, when God made humanity out of earth.
This
ceremony has several layers of meaning. But the heart of
it is accepting one's humanity, acknowledging God as creator,
confessing one's sins, asking God
for forgiveness, and pledging to go forward in “newness of life.”
You
ask about salvation. That means different things to different people. In
my experience, salvation is something one “works out in fear and trembling,” as
Paul put it, over a long period of time, perhaps even a lifetime. Salvation
isn't a prize awarded for good behavior or for some act of conversion. It is
a state
of grace that develops over time as one accepts one's humanity, acknowledges
God as creator, confesses sins, seeks forgiveness and promises to do better,
with God's help.
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I
had a convert ask me...when did Ash Wednesday start?
References
to a “day of ashes” liturgy
as the start of Lent can be found as early as the 8th
Century.
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During
an Ash Wednesday service, the priest said that Ash
Wednesday is not the beginning of Lent, but it actually
begins on this Sunday. I thought Ash Wednesday was
officially the beginning of Lent and Sundays are excluded.
Also, is Ash Wednesday a holy day of obligation?
Lent traditionally begins on Ash Wednesday and extends
forty days, not including Sundays, when a certain easing
of the fast was allowed. Six weeks of six days plus the
four days starting with Ash Wednesday make up the forty
days.
Holy days of obligation aren't my purview. Please
consult your priest on that.
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Are
you not supposed to eat meat during Lent? Why do we have
a Lenten Season, and why does it last 40 days?
The
Christian season of Lent (from an Old English word meaning “spring”)
is the 40-day period before Easter. It covers six six-day
weeks (Sundays
technically aren't part of Lent), plus four days in the week
of Ash Wednesday.
Why
40 days? Forty is a standard Biblical number meaning a
long time, like the Hebrews' 40 years
in the wilderness
after the exodus, and Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness
after his baptism. Those examples suggest a time of preparation.
The wilderness wandering prepared the Hebrews to enter
the
promised land of Canaan. Jesus' time in the wilderness
prepared him for a ministry as Messiah. Lent, then, was
one of the
Church's two seasons of preparation for baptism. The other
was the season of Advent, which originally was 40 days
leading up to Epiphany.
Lent
traditionally ends with the sacrament of baptism on Easter
Eve or on Easter Morning.
The original aim was to
use the 40 days for intensive preparation of
candidates for baptism.
Nowadays,
baptisms happen throughout the year. Lent has become a
time for penitence and self-examination, study,
and spiritual discipline. Perhaps
the discipline
most commonly associated with Lent is fasting, which can take many forms,
such as giving up entire meals, or certain foods (like meat), or radically
changing
a diet, in order to be made mindful of one's humanity and of God's providence.
One tradition was to stop using leavening during Lent. Hence on the day
before Ash Wednesday, Christians observed “Fat Tuesday,” or
Shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, when the household would
enjoy its last use of leavening until
Easter Day.
Many
churches use Lent as a time for study, offering special
weekday programs. Some encourage fasting and other forms
of spiritual discipline, such as
confession and journaling. Most decorate their worship space somberly,
with the color
purple, perhaps excluding altar flowers and banners until Easter. Clergy
wear purple
stoles. The worship music tends to have a solemn tone. The word “Alleluia” typically
is dropped from the liturgy until the grand opening of the Easter Liturgy, “Alleluia!
Christ is risen!”
The
final week of Lent is known as “Holy
Week.” It begins with Palm
Sunday, remembering Jesus' entry into Jerusalem just before his Passion.
Maundy Thursday remembers the Last Supper at which Jesus fed his disciples
on the night
before he died and washed their feet. Good Friday remembers the day Jesus
was crucified to death. Holy Saturday remembers the time of waiting while
the body
of Jesus lay in the tomb. Lent ends either with the Great Easter Vigil
on Easter Eve, or with the Easter Day service, sometimes held at sunrise.
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Does
God have the right to judge us?
Yes,
God can do whatever God wants. Scripture is clear that
God cares about what we do and, for that reason,
judges us. The nature of that judgment is what matters. One
unfortunate image of God as judge sets God high on a courtroom
bench, looking sourly and harshly at humanity, and passing
out convictions with dire punishments or acquittals. Another
unfortunate image has God sweeping down like an avenging
angel to destroy those who offend and to reward those who
obey.
I
think God's judgment is more like the loving and firm discernment
of a parent. The Bible describes God as
merciful and compassionate, patient, and steadfast.
At the same time, God sees and knows us, and, like a wise parent, God isn't
fooled by our bluster and excuses. Nor is God manipulated
by our cleverness. God nudges
us toward goodness. Judgment, then, is that process by which God sees us as
we are and enables us to see ourselves, as well. Love and
goodness must be chosen,
not compelled.
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How
do we unify faith, religion, and spirituality?
Let's be clear, first, about what those terms
mean.
Faith refers to our human response to God, in which we accept
God's existence, trust in God's goodness and mercy,
ask for God's help, pledge to serve as best we can, and
all without actually seeing God.
Religion refers
to the institutionalization
of faith responses. Religion concerns practices, such
as worship and hymns; structures, such as ministries
and denominations;
and ways of managing organizational affairs, such as
protocols and rules. Finally, spirituality refers
to the various forms
that response to God typically takes, such as prayer,
song, worship, study, fasting, and other disciplines.
A
healthy faith community will keep all three elements lively
and in balance. People will believe; from their
belief they will serve within and on behalf of
the organization, and they will nourish their faith through spiritual
disciplines.
I
don't think the word “unify” applies
to these three distinct elements in the sense of making
them one, but it certainly does apply to each element
as essential to balance. For example, Jesus called believers to be one,
that is, to have each other's interests in mind. Faith
will draw people together,
as each seeks to know and serve God through love of neighbor. The institution
will have unity, in embracing the diversity represented by these believers
and in enabling them to be together in harmony. The spiritual
disciplines will have
unity in the sense of working together for the common good.
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How
can I explain being saved to my young girls? They
are 4 and 8 years old. We worship weekly, pray daily,
and they know God.
How can
I know they are saved before taking serious steps such
as communion and baptism?
“Being
saved” means different things in different traditions.
In some, salvation is a moment in time—a once-for-all
experience—that one seeks and can name. In some it is
a condition of grace that one reaches through certain steps
and then shows by the way one lives. In some, being saved
has to do with church identity—being part of a
certain Christian denomination, for example. And in some,
salvation is a lifelong process that begins in infancy
and continues on until death, with certain formal milestones,
like baptism and confirmation, and numerous serendipitous
formative experiences like an intense spiritual encounter,
a need for healing, a life-changing event like warfare.
I don't believe there is a right or wrong to this, but rather
a decision that a believer makes to follow a certain path
because it seems to make sense. For that reason, I encourage
you to raise this question with the pastor in your Christian
tradition. My advice would be to tell your children what
you know about God and ask them what they know, and then
to engage in disciplines of worship and service. Along the
way, their faith will deepen. To me, that is the point. Your
pastor might think differently. I encourage you to inquire.
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