Do you remember where you were on August 24th, 2006? It was a Thursday if that helps. For me, I was waiting for Alisabeth’s birth, having just finished directing Vacation Bible School at Lehman Memorial United Methodist Church. I was sitting down, propping up my feet and checking out the news. This news came in the evening…
The International Astronomical Union was gathered in Prague for their annual meeting. They were determining the definition of planet, something that they had not officially done, until this point. The affirmed this definition: “a full-fledged planet is an object that orbits the sun and is large enough to have become round due to the force of its own gravity. In addition, a planet has to dominate the neighborhood around its orbit.1 ” This in of itself was not breaking news for me. I have not traditionally followed the proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. It was what came next that changed worldviews. After the affirmation of the definition of planets, there was the evaluation of current planets. After reviewing the celestial bodies, the IAU determined that Pluto was no longer classified as a planet!
Do you remember this news? Do you remember the moment in which you scratched your head and wondered how can this be true? I learned in school that there were nine planets. I learned diligently the pneumonic – My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizza and knew that it was the order of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. How could Pluto not be a planet now? It did not make sense how what I had been taught and come to expect was turned upside down so quickly! Something so fundamental seemed to change in an instant! In reality, the International Astronomical Union had been preparing us for this news for years, if only we had ears to hear it.
I wonder if this is how it was for the disciples. They had been earnestly learning from Jesus for 3 years. There had certainly been times when they got it wrong and times when they understood completely. But by and large, they continued learning as Jesus taught, helping others as people came to Jesus, offering healing, and living into the whole new world to which Jesus had led them. And it was catching on! As they went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, Jesus paraded into the city in contrast to the Roman parade. The Roman parade was presentation of Pilate at the Jewish Passover feast. He arrived with cavalry, foot soldiers, golden eagles, pomp and circumstance. The timing was no accident. As the Jewish people gathered to celebrate their independence from the Egyptians through the hand of God in the Passover, the Roman governor was present to remind them they were still under Roman rule and to make sure nothing got out of hand.
Contrast that image with the processional that we are more familiar with from that day. In contrast to the white stead, this peasant parade was led by Jesus on a donkey, never ridden. A donkey, unridden, meant untested and unpredictable. Anything could happen with an untrained animal. A king riding a donkey, instead of a white stead trained for war, would mean a king of peace. The people laid out coats and palm branches. The disciples moved among the crowds and offered traditional shouts of Hosanna and Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Any of the faithful gathered would recognize the words of the prophet Zechariah. Jesus was firmly in the line of the prophets. The people responded and it seemed like they were finally seeing Jesus as the King he was!2
His time in Jerusalem demonstrated how he would be a different king. He would teach and hold people to God’s ways. As he overturned tables in the Temple, taught about withering fig leaves, and even praised female disciples. It would truly be different with Jesus. I can imagine that emotions were running of adrenaline and excitement as they gathered for the Passover meal. They had been waiting for a leader who would overturn the oppression of the Roman system. They had been waiting for a Jewish Messiah. They had been waiting for Jesus to finally fulfill all of those hopes and dreams. Finally, it was coming to be. The Messiah they had prayed for was in their midst, leading them, and changing the world!
And then it began to change. There were Roman soldiers and Jewish religious officials. There were accusations and beatings, trial courts and condemnations. If he was the new power, overturning the oppression and the corruption of the Romans and Jewish religious establishment, why was he not revolting during the trials? Why was he calm with the beatings? Why was he being condemned to die? It was not at all what Jesus had said… or was it?
These are the prayers we pray when life changes too quickly for us to understand. This is the prayer that we offer when we have just been talking to a completely healthy person and in the next moments we are rushing them to the hospital. This is the prayer that we offer when we felt like our marriage was doing okay, not great, but okay and then all of the sudden we are discussing separate residences. This is the prayer that we offer when the bottom falls out and we cannot figure out where to go next. This is when life changes so quickly, our paradigm shifts at the speed of light and we suffer whiplash from trying to just figure out which direction our next footstep should lead.
If we are honest, for many this is the prayer that we do not offer. We do not have any answers to offer God, so we find ourselves feeling tongue-tied and confused. We are not sure exactly what to ask our friends to pray for, so we often make half-hearted and sarcastic jokes, say, I guess it’s a mess, and then hope they have some hope to offer. This is the moment that led me to need to offer this series on prayer. It was a conversation with an older gentleman at the end of his days. He had been quite successful in life and seemingly the model of faith. He was always giving of himself, serving others, and talking about how he was inspired to life such ways by Jesus. So, it was a surprise to me that when I went to visit him in his last days, he didn’t want prayer. I offered to pray with him and shared that the congregation lifted him up regularly in prayer. He deferred politely and informed me that he did not see a real reason to pray. There was nothing that would change, and it seemed a waste to get excited about it.
As we chatted further, it seemed that he had not experienced the incredible changing power of God. Prayer at its heart is a recognition that God can and does change events and us. God moves among us and the power of the Holy Spirit can move over chaos and bring forth order. From the very beginning, this is how God has been. When nothing existed, God swept over the chaos and brought forth life. This has happen before in cosmic ways and happens every day in individual ways. When you and I begin to believe in our confusion and overwhelm, in the sudden shifting of paradigms, in the loss of tradition and that held dear, God brings order out of our confusion, life out of our chaos.
In the midst of our WHATT?, we need God more than ever as we cannot even articulate the words of a prayer. We need the presence of God and the movement of the Holy Spirit alongside the sacrificial example of Christ.
Whether we are journeying through a liturgical Holy Week or our own personal holy week, we find ourselves wondering if this is how it must unfold? Is there not another way? Do we need to move from excitement and praise to betrayal and abandonment, pain and death in order to find resurrection? Here is where we turn to God in prayer, not because we understand it perfectly, but because we lean on the architect of eternity. As Jesus walks with us in the midst of our confusion and drastic life shifts, we walk with Jesus in this week of twists and turns, pain and suffering, knowing that the best is still waiting for us all.
This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, thanks be to God, Amen.
This is the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ, thanks be to God, Amen.
1 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060824-pluto-planet.html
2 Borg, Marcus and John Dominic Crossan, The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’s Final Days in Jerusalem. Harper, 2006:2-30.
Gospel Lesson: Luke 19:28-40
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
Gospel Lesson: Luke 22:14-24
When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.
A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
Meditations For Your Week
Sunday, March 20 ~ Saturday, March 26
Sunday: “When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.” Luke 19:29-31. As you sing your praises to God, where does God have need of you?
Monday: “Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John 12: 1-3 Prayerfully consider on Jesus’ last week there were those who cared for him. For whom are you called to care?
Tuesday: “Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” John 12: 20-21 Jesus turned away none. All who wished to see him, found him. All who wish to see him, find him.
Wednesday: “After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another; uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples–the one whom Jesus loved–was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” John 13: 21-25. Is it I, Lord? Prayerfully consider today, how have you betrayed Jesus?
Thursday: “Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” John 13:5-9. Jesus’ impact on our lives is never surface level. It impacts our lives in ways we only learn about later.
Friday: “When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30. Prayerfully contemplate the completeness of Jesus’ life.
Saturday: “And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” John 19:42. Prayer in expectation as you await the day of resurrection.