“The Word of Triumph”

A Service of the Word for Palm Sunday
March 29, 2025: IN-PERSON and ONLINE at 10:30 a.m.
The Rev. Matthew Emery, lead minister, preaching
Matthew 21:1-11 and John 19:29-30

We enter into the majesty and mystery of Holy Week this Sunday with our worship for Palm Sunday. Palm branches in hand, we join a procession of children and their elders singing sweet hosannas. This procession, begun centuries ago in Jerusalem, encircles the earth with ceaseless praise and now winds around our church grounds and worship space. We are part of a long line of people in need of God’s saving grace who rejoice as Christ comes to open the gates of justice and bring heaven’s peace.

For those joining our service in-person, weather-permitting this Sunday's worship service will begin outside on the church grounds where worshippers will receive their palm branches in preparation for our procession as a whole worshipping assembly into the church. (Anyone with mobility concerns is welcome to being right in the sanctuary, where you should still be able to see and hear what is happening outside via the monitors.)

Moving through the worship service, the mood and message will shift toward Holy Week, and Pastor Matt will offer a reflection on “The Word of Triumph”, the penultimate in our series through the Seven Last Words of Christ from the cross that we’ve been making our way through for Lent this year. “It is finished,” Jesus says… but just what is “It”? And what does it mean to be “finished”?