Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week which is the central week in the Christian year. 


It was on the first Palm Sunday that Jesus was welcomed to Jerusalem by the people - but just a few days later, those same people would be calling for his blood.


On Palm Sunday the people saw a Messianic figure and they welcomed him.  By Friday they took back the honour they'd given him, and called for his death.  Jesus knew what would happen.  On Palm Sunday he knew that the cross was ahead.  He came anyway, because, as he said, it was for this he came.  


Today we will receive a palm cross in Church to remind us of Palm Sunday.  But later each year we burn our palms to mark each others foreheads with ashes at the start of Lent.  Personally that reminds me that we often take back what we gave God, and can literally turn our lives into ashes compared to what God would have for us.  


But Jesus came to bring us to the cross. He came to lift us out of the ashes, to a freedom and forgiveness that is only possible in Jesus.  

Acceptance

Rev Jeff Bert from the Metropolitan Community Church
joins a vigil for same sex marriage.

Over the last few weeks I have heard religious authorities describe me as (among other things) immoral, intrinsically disordered and sinful.  I have heard my relationship with my partner described as wrong, of no value, and as something that can produce no good spiritual fruit.  We hear pro-marriage groups starting campaign groups with titles such as "...for marriage", as if I'm somehow against marriage!


When we hear prominent religious leaders saying these things, it's hard.  It's painful.  And it makes me angry.  


I know Jesus calls me to love these people, who are my brothers in Christ.  He asks me to accept them - even if they will not love and accept me.  That's a hard teaching.  My human instinct is to react, to fight back.  But God calls us to a higher standard.


I'm praying for marriage equality, and I am asking the Holy Spirit to give me the love to love these men.  

Image: http://www.chicagoreporter.com/news/2010/03/gay-marriage-numbers

It gets better

Masks

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

-2 John 1:3

Today is Halloween, when people dress up and put on masks and get to pretend to be someone they are not!  But this is not just something that people do at Halloween.  We do it every day.

How many times have you said "I'm fine" when someone asks - when really you are anything but fine!  

People have a habit of thinking about how they want others to see them, and we act this out.  We become so good at it, and we work hard to keep up the pretence   Just like someone wearing a mask, we present our carefully crafted image to friends and families.

There is a word for this - hypocrite.  The word refers to someone with multiple faces.  In ancient times actors wore masks with with different expressions, and the term is linked with that.

I believe Jesus calls us to live in radical honesty, authentic living, and to drop our masks.

Rev. Troy Perry, the founder of Metropolitan Community Churches once said, "my closet burned down a long time ago.  I set it on fire - Amen!"  We all have our closets.  They contain lots of secrets - sexual, alcohol, drugs, porn, anger, pain, abuse or anything else you can think of.  Jesus calls us to set our closets on fire!  It's not easy, but it is worth it!

Our closets trap us.  While we hide our real selves in our closets, we live a double life.  Burning down our closets liberates us.  No more secrets, no more pretending, no more lies, just authentic living in truth and love!  When someone has no secrets, what "dirt" could someone dig up on them?  When you are yourself, people can accept you as you are - just as God does. 

There's a great song by Casting Crowns called "Stained Glass Masquerade".  The lyrics include the following amazing words:

...I tuck it all away, like everything's okay.  

If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too.

So with a painted grin, I play the part again, 

so everyone will see me the way that I see them.

Is there anyone who's been there, are there any hands to raise?
Am I the only one who's traded in the altar for a stage?

The performance is convincing, and we know every line by heart.
Only when no one is watching can we really fall apart.

But would it set me free if I dared to let you see,
The truth behind the person that you imagine me to be?
Would your arms be open, or would you walk away?
Would the love of Jesus be enough to make you stay?

I think that says so much.

Image: Google Images

Truth

Pilate famously asked Jesus, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). That's a great question!

I think there is a twofold answer to that question. On the one hand, truth is anything that is true! Truth is truth by virtue of it being true! But there's another answer as well. Jesus said "I am ...the truth" (John 14:6).

Jesus also said, "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). I believe that we can take this in both senses of the word truth. Truth sets us free, and Jesus sets us free. We can know what the truth is, and we can know Jesus! I think that's awesome! So I guess I have one question for you. Are you free? Really free? If not, you could be.