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Writer's picturePastor Linda Settles

Hosanna!


03/26/21


The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!”

John 12:12-13


This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and if we have ever needed a Palm Sunday, it’s now. The people shouted “Hosanna!” which in the Hebrew language means to save, rescue, or savior. It is a shout of praise and acclamation made in acknowledgement of the Messiah, our Savior.


Palm Sunday moves us into Holy Week, the Passion (Suffering) of Jesus. In the week to come Jesus will experience anguish, setback, adversity, danger, and risk. Jesus would be tortured, rejected, and socially isolated from His closest followers and family. Sounds like some of the emotions that we are experiencing today.


As we go through this pandemic we shout – Hosanna! Mass shootings – Hosanna! Racial violence – Hosanna! Suffering – Hosanna! Save us, we pray! We cry out to the only One who can rescue us, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The One who knows a little something about suffering. That’s why He is able to help us in our time of need.


For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15


What happened on that day so long ago, was a paradigm shift. The people hailed Jesus as their king, a revolutionary act for sure, but they did it because they were ready for change. They did it because of what they had seen, heard, and had come to know. That Jesus is our Messiah! The One who has come to save us.


Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.

Isaiah 53:4-5


May we lift up our hands, as they did the palms, in praise and adoration, joining in the chorus crying out “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” If we ever needed a Palm Sunday, it’s now!


Worship with us in-person or online this Sunday, Palm Sunday, at 10:00am. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org. To register for our limited indoor worship, you can sign up at:

03/26/21


The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!”

John 12:12-13


This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and if we have ever needed a Palm Sunday, it’s now. The people shouted “Hosanna!” which in the Hebrew language means to save, rescue, or savior. It is a shout of praise and acclamation made in acknowledgement of the Messiah, our Savior.


Palm Sunday moves us into Holy Week, the Passion (Suffering) of Jesus. In the week to come Jesus will experience anguish, setback, adversity, danger, and risk. Jesus would be tortured, rejected, and socially isolated from His closest followers and family. Sounds like some of the emotions that we are experiencing today.


As we go through this pandemic we shout – Hosanna! Mass shootings – Hosanna! Racial violence – Hosanna! Suffering – Hosanna! Save us, we pray! We cry out to the only One who can rescue us, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The One who knows a little something about suffering. That’s why He is able to help us in our time of need.


For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15


What happened on that day so long ago, was a paradigm shift. The people hailed Jesus as their king, a revolutionary act for sure, but they did it because they were ready for change. They did it because of what they had seen, heard, and had come to know. That Jesus is our Messiah! The One who has come to save us.


Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.

Isaiah 53:4-5


May we lift up our hands, as they did the palms, in praise and adoration, joining in the chorus crying out “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” If we ever needed a Palm Sunday, it’s now!


Worship with us in-person or online this Sunday, Palm Sunday, at 10:00am. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org. To register for our limited indoor worship, you can sign up at: https://rsvp.church/r/gVufUAP4 .


We are making the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) available for overflow seating! That means that when you register, if the sanctuary seating is full you have the option to gather in the MPR room with others, socially distanced, and watch worship on the monitor. This simply gives more folks the opportunity to have some sort of fellowship in the church and see some familiar faces. All of the same CDC protocols apply to the MPR room (masking, distancing, and sanitization procedures).


We are excited to plan for outdoor worship on Easter! It will be BYOC (bring your own chair), and we will also have chairs available. In the event of inclement weather, we will be indoors, socially distanced, utilizing the MPR room for overflow as needed. Either way, I look forward to our first Easter together, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!


Blessings,

Pastor Linda .


We are making the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) available for overflow seating! That means that when you register, if the sanctuary seating is full you have the option to gather in the MPR room with others, socially distanced, and watch worship on the monitor. This simply gives more folks the opportunity to have some sort of fellowship in the church and see some familiar faces. All of the same CDC protocols apply to the MPR room (masking, distancing, and sanitization procedures).


We are excited to plan for outdoor worship on Easter! It will be BYOC (bring your own chair), and we will also have chairs available. In the event of inclement weather, we will be indoors, socially distanced, utilizing the MPR room for overflow as needed. Either way, I look forward to our first Easter together, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!


Blessings,

Pastor Linda

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2 Comments


Unknown member
Mar 30, 2021

Thank you for your Palm Sunday sermon, Pastor Linda. "Hold my mule" is now part of my vocabulary! I attend worship online and I appreciate your preaching from the Bible. As a life-long Methodist I know John Wesley would be proud of you! May God continue to bless you. 🙂

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drlinda
Apr 15, 2021
Replying to

So glad to have you worshipping with us, Bill! Thank you for the John Wesley shout out. 😆 What an honor! And may God richly bless you and your household. Amen!

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