|
HOMILY BY THE REV'D DAPHNE B. NOYES AT THE CHURCH OF THE ADVENT, From the Liturgy of the Palms - Matthew, chapter 21, verse 10: When he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” Translators have struggled with the words used to describe the city at Jesus’ entrance - it was in turmoil, stirred, stirred up, moved, it shook, it was in an uproar. And now, us. Parading with palms, hearing the Passion, how can we fail to be stirred, moved, stirred up, in an uproar, even in turmoil? Jesus enters into Jerusalem; we enter into Holy Week. The short, intense stretch of time from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday is a bright splash of red on the church calendar, the vibrant hue nearly leaping off the page. The unique, unduplicated row of seven brilliant red numbers, the red vestments of today’s ritual - all send an unmistakable message: Attention! And indeed God, through the church, through this annual entry into Passiontide, Holy Week, and Easter, is demanding our attention. Now we, like the ancient city, are in a turmoil. Who is this that the turmoil is all about? Is your understanding of Jesus as a prophet, a messenger of social justice and compassion for the downtrodden, the disenfranchised, and the destitute? Or do you experience Jesus as the great physician in your life, the one who brings healing and wholeness, whose robe you reach out to touch. Or you may treasure Jesus as a reconciler, the Prince of Peace whose steady gaze and gentle strength have the power to unite wolf and lamb. Or perhaps for you, Jesus is the living bread that came down from heaven, and you seek this living bread as your sustenance. Or he is the Good Shepherd, leading the souls of his flock on paths of righteousness. Or he is the Paschal Lamb, without blemish, sacrificed for the sins of the world. Or he is the Light of the World. Or the Word made flesh. Or the One who, when lifted up, draws the whole world to himself. “Who is this?” One thing is certain. Whenever the Son of the living God enters your life, it - you - will never again be the same. Out of turmoil comes transformation. These red days on the church calendar bring with them their own kind of turmoil - liturgy after liturgy in rapid succession, each with its own mood or moods; dramatic shifts from festive to somber to desolate to joyful; repeated transformations of our worship space, from bright to dark to bright again, from sparse and spare to lush and luxuriant; music that swells with rich harmony, then dwindles to muted minor tones, then silence. During Holy Week, it can seem the very earth is moving under our feet. But the goal of Holy Week is not to transform the church’s décor, or music, or lighting, or liturgical practice. The goal is to allow Jesus’ entry into our lives to transform us - to transform us again, and again, and yet again. May it be so. And let the church say: Amen. |