A brand new website!  Won't this be interesting to see if I can figure out how to actually publish this blog?  It's always a little scary to step out onto new ground, isn't it?  That is partly what the service about Sunday will be about.  Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith, and trust that we will find the path we need to walk.  This is Palm Sunday.  Ever since I began in ministry in 1995, I have told a modified version of the story of the last week in Jesus' life.  It is a story that never changes, and yet, somehow, it never grows "old" either.  It is a story that tends to grip both children and adults of all ages.  It is a story that is full of visuals and a roller coaster of emotion.  I always find myself very engaged in the telling of the story, and one of the places where I can often feel my breath catch a little bit is when Jesus and the disciples are in the garden.  I am generally surrounded by children on our quilt, and the worship helpers have created a garden for us around the quilt.  We listen to the CD that has the sound effect of crickets in the night as I get  the kids to lay down and pretend to be sleeping.  Jesus looks out at his friends and says, with a great deal of heart - "will none of you stay awake with me??"  It is such a lonely time - a question that speaks to our heart-felt yearning to know that we are not alone in the midst of our fear and anxiety.  One of the songs that we sing as a cornerstone to many of our worship services here is "don't be afraid - my love is stronger than your fear - and I have promised, promised to be always near."  Once we have heard the sound of the rock rolling into place to seal the tomb, I talk with the kids about the strength that comes with connecting ourselves to community.  That even in the those times that are scary and/or confusing, if we can reach out our hands to one another, somehow the journey doesn't feel quite so frightening.  Another of the songs that we often sing reminds that we need to draw the circle wide - let this be our song, standing side by side - no one stands alone.  Good words for us to lean into as we move our way through this journey towards Easter.

A brand new website!  Won't this be interesting to see if I can figure out how to actually publish this blog?  It's always a little scary to step out onto new ground, isn't it?  That is partly what the service about Sunday will be about.  Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith, and trust that we will find the path we need to walk.  This is Palm Sunday.  Ever since I began in ministry in 1995, I have told a modified version of the story of the last week in Jesus' life.  It is a story that never changes, and yet, somehow, it never grows "old" either.  It is a story that tends to grip both children and adults of all ages.  It is a story that is full of visuals and a roller coaster of emotion.  I always find myself very engaged in the telling of the story, and one of the places where I can often feel my breath catch a little bit is when Jesus and the disciples are in the garden.  I am generally surrounded by children on our quilt, and the worship helpers have created a garden for us around the quilt.  We listen to the CD that has the sound effect of crickets in the night as I get  the kids to lay down and pretend to be sleeping.  Jesus looks out at his friends and says, with a great deal of heart - "will none of you stay awake with me??"  It is such a lonely time - a question that speaks to our heart-felt yearning to know that we are not alone in the midst of our fear and anxiety.  One of the songs that we sing as a cornerstone to many of our worship services here is "don't be afraid - my love is stronger than your fear - and I have promised, promised to be always near."  Once we have heard the sound of the rock rolling into place to seal the tomb, I talk with the kids about the strength that comes with connecting ourselves to community.  That even in the those times that are scary and/or confusing, if we can reach out our hands to one another, somehow the journey doesn't feel quite so frightening.  Another of the songs that we often sing reminds that we need to draw the circle wide - let this be our song, standing side by side - no one stands alone.  Good words for us to lean into as we move our way through this journey towards Easter.