April 2, 2009
Apr 24th, 2009 by ocfairview
Hi Fairview!
In just a few days we will celebrate Palm Sunday, beginning the final stretch of the Lenten Journey: Holy Week. I think our Lenten Film Series: Jesus in the Dark has made me more aware of the season of Lent. Meeting week after week each Saturday evening at the church to watch a movie about Jesus has focused my mind on Jesus’ life and death. Of course, the scholarly side of me (the one that is so in debt for the still unfinished PhD in the New Testament) laughs at how Hollywood portrays the character Jesus, when in reality we know so very little about him. But like a screen-writer, we are challenged to think of Jesus in different ways. I believe that when we push our concept of Jesus we make him all the more accessible to our own culture. I have loved the modern day interpretations such as Jesus of Montreal, and Godspell. I also love the creativity witnessed in The Last Temptation of Christ and even The Life of Brian –that we could explain as what the Jews would call midrash –stories that take the story deeper. What was Jesus tempted by, or what would have a contemporary of Jesus been like. I have never seen The Passion of Christ. Many in my circles tended to avoid that film when it was released a few years ago, however, I think it will be important to view it and consider the ways it challenges us. I have been told that it is very gory –so children might not want to attend this night. However, as we enter into Holy Week, we are reminded that we know what happens at the end of the week. We know we have to meet the cross –and we know that it was not pretty. So, I hope you’ll join me on Saturday night to watch The Passion of Christ, as we prepare to enter into Holy Week. Just a week from today we’ll gather for Maundy Thursday – my favorite service of the year. I do hope you’ll join us for this special service of remembrance. It is a powerful and truly humbling experience.
As we approach Palm Sunday my thoughts inevitably revolve around this parade of palms, happy people, and shouts of Hosannas. And then I imagine what it was really like. And I wonder where I would be along the parade route – who would I be with? What would I be doing? Waving palms? Shouting? Sneering? Laughing? Dancing? Walking along? I wonder if I would have been impressed by the crowds, or indifferent, or would I simply be inconvenienced by the traffic in town. I invite you to join me in this imaginative trip backwards in time this Sunday –as we look back so that we can look forward.
See you Sunday at 10am – palms in hand, ready to wave and shout, committed to finishing this journey strong.
