Palm Sunday

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. 

Our God is dead. And we have done it. 

You may be seated.

On Palm Sunday, the Sunday of the Passion, I never preached a sermon, because the liturgy was overwhelming, and once the Passion Gospel was read and heard, and then the hymn,

Glory be to Jesus, who in bitter pain

poured for me the lifeblood, from his sacred veins - -

in the stunned silence and numbing shame that followed, I was too broken to preach; it was all I could do to preside at the Table. 

This Bread means Jesus loves you, will you remember that?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was in the beginning with God: all things were made through the Word, and without the Word was not anything made that was made. In the Word was life, and that life was the light of the world. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. … The Word was in the world, and the world was made by the Word, and the world knew him not. The Word came unto his own, and his own received him not. 

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Yet we taunted him, tormented, crushed him, slaughtered him like a helpless Lamb, breaking the heart of his Father. “All Glory, Laud and Honor, to Thee, Redeemer King,” began the morning with triumphal celebration, now collapsed around us and heaven with it, as the sky darkens, and the earth shakes with the trembling rage of God the Father.

Grace and life eternal, in that blood I find

Blest be his compassion, infinitely kind.

This cup of wine is the Blood of Christ, because Jesus loves you: will you remember that?

I’m not sure what the “Christian” world believes anymore. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? Do you really? Or is it liturgical rote, words off a page? Examine yourself.

Faith is not what you claim to believe, Faith is obedience, what you do, how you live: Have you sought and served Christ in all persons, loving you neighbor as yourself? Have you really? Do you? How so? “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?" explain to God Within You how you are keeping your baptismal promise.  

Have you strived for justice and peace among all people, loving your neighbor as yourself? How? How have you strived? Examine yourself. 

Have you respected, do you respect, the dignity of every human being? Have you indeed! Or have you, do you, have contempt for those who are different from you? Red and Blue politics: do you contribute to the divisions within our nation? Do you hate those who differ from you politically? Do you toss off sneering, hate-charged, epithets like “The Libs”? If you do you have broken your covenant with God. This is the South: what’s your word for African-Americans? Do you have contempt for gay people, do you spout Bible verses to prooftext your ungodly prejudice? How about poor people, those at the bottom of the barrel, in poverty, who live on welfare? Have you ever been there? Do you have any idea how impossible it is in America, to escape from poverty? What do you think should be done in America (not to mention the rest of worldwide humanity) about poverty, or don’t you care? about children starving for lack of food? those who will have no food today, no supper tonight? have you ever been always-hungry? We are the richest country in human history: what about American children and families with no medical care? those who slept on a park bench last night? or in the woods? who stink and whose body and clothes are filthy? WWJD, what would Jesus do? do you do what Jesus would do? You are Jesus, you know - - because if you are not Jesus, then he really is dead.

Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you become Jesus, is that clear? Is it alarming? Because it’s true, Christian.

Not your liturgical rote, words on a page, but deep in your heart your answers to this examen are your True Answers to the baptismal questions Will you? Will you? Will you? Will you? Will you? Christ has died and today it’s too late to say “I will, with God’s help.” Christ has died, our God is dead, so not “Will you?” but Did you, Have you, Are you, Do you respect the dignity of every human being?   

I think you do, but I only know you here, and anyway, this is not between you and me, it’s between you and Jesus: before you come to the Altar this morning to eat the Bread and sip the Cup, examine yourself: “Christ has died,” but that’s not the end of the Gospel, Easter is coming; so today, how, HOW have you broken your baptismal covenant with God? After the prayers, you will have an opportunity to confess and clear all that away and start over with Absolution. I look at you and I see Jesus, but what does God see? More important, what do you see?  

Christ has died - - is why we are here today. But let me tell you the Gospel Secret: Christ will rise because God the Father so loves God the Son. Christ will rise and come again, because whatever you have done, whatever you have left undone, Jesus loves you - - Loves You Anyway. Regardless. Nevertheless and Notwithstanding the Cross. Jesus never gives up on you. Christ has died. But Christ will rise, Christ will come again: are you ready?

That hymn that still so haunts me:

Lift ye then your voices, swell the mighty flood;

Louder still and louder, praise the precious blood. 

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Sermon, passion homily, Palm Sunday, March 25, 2018. Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, Panama City, Florida. The Rev. Tom Weller. Posted never pridefully but keeping a promise. TW+

Pic from film The Passion of the Christ