This Sunday was Palm Sunday, so we celebrated Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem with a joyful service with all 3 of the choirs participating (the Children’s choir, the Bell choir and of course the Choir).

When I read the passage about the Lord choosing the young donkey that had never been ridden as His mount, it brought tears to my eyes. Of course Jesus loved animals too! Jesus could take a colt who had never been ridden and ride it through the screaming crowds without ever having to “break” the colt. The colt would sense the calming love of his rider and know that he had nothing to fear though the crowd screamed ever louder. Normally even an experienced mount is tested to its limit in a raucous crowd of thousands. My wife and I lost our dog of 18 years and what a comfort it is to know that our Lord understands our grieving for our dog.

I recently led a course in our Wednesday evening studies on the parables of Jesus, so not surprisingly everything now reminds me of the parables. This Palm Sunday I thought about the parable of the Sower. Every seed that Jesus had sown in His short Earthly minister seemed to line the road to Jerusalem that day. The palms, like the newly sprouted seeds of the parable, turned the Earth to green. Jesus like every farmer or gardener knew that not all of the seedlings would flourish, indeed in the next week at times it looked like none would survive, but like every gardener the green sprouts are celebrated for the moment without thoughts of the weeding and watering that lies ahead. So we celebrate with pure joy of Spring with the green palm leaves this Sunday.

George B.