It Has Begun!

Often, in the course of crafting liturgy or planning different aspects of a worship service, pastors, musicians, and lay leaders will rack their brains trying to think of ways to make the experience of worship come alive.  So much of our worship in the western culture, and especially in the Presbyterian tradition, is oriented around words.  Auditory learners rejoice in this fact, because they learn best by listening to all that is being said.  However, with many in our pews who learn in different ways, we are always attempting to think of ways to enhance our worship in order to connect with a broader audience, or rather, so that a broader range of the congregation might connect more deeply with God.
This Sunday provides for us one of the most powerful and joyous occasions to engage in a “hands-on” worship experience.  It is Palm Sunday, and it is our tradition to begin our worship by recreating the scene from scripture that details how Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem on a colt, while crowds gather waving palm branches in celebration and shouting Hosanna!  Just as the crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, so will we welcome him on Sunday as we begin our celebration of Holy Week.
I hope you will join us Sunday, and in the many worship opportunities provided during this week.  Please remember that we will be adding a new service this year, a Sunrise Easter Service at 6:30am.  This will be a casual, outdoor service that will meet outside the sanctuary.  The service will be approximately 30 mins, and you are invited to bring a lawn chair if you wish to be seated.  We will close the service with a butterfly release.  It has been a joy to watch these tiny caterpillars grow and move into the chrysalis stage.  They are currently hanging in that stage and will emerge soon.  We will place the butterfly habitat out in the narthex this Sunday so that you all might see them.
As we wait with anticipation for these butterflies to emerge, let us also anticipate with joy the light of Easter morning that will reveal that our Savior has emerged from the tomb and has risen!
In Christ,
Charlie Lee