Not All Who Wander Are Lost (5) Songs of Loudest Praise

Palm Sunday

 John 12:12-16

When the crowd of people saw Jesus coming towards Jerusalem, the people were exuberant, cheering him on joyfully as he approached the city. Enthusiasm is a powerful force which ignites our spirits and infuses our actions. How is Jesus on the move among us? Could exuberance be a sign of his presence? 

To give yourself a glimpse of an exuberant crowd, watch this video of Jon Batiste while he was student at Juilliard. His band Stay Human had just finished a two-hour concert at Webster Hall. He and his band left the concert hall and took their music to the streets, walking through the city with people following and dancing and singing with them. Such exuberance! 

Jon Batiste’s choice wasn’t just playful, it was subversive. He was choosing to take his music out of the exclusive concert halls and into the streets, giving it away to all for free. 

When the crowd of people saw Jesus coming towards Jerusalem, they pulled palms off of trees to lay before him. It was also subversive. Palm fronds were a symbol of victory that people used to welcome a triumphant king as he entered a city after a successful battle. The enthusiasm and joy made the Pharisees and the Roman soldiers nervous. Jesus was on the move, and the crowds were welcoming him with exuberance. 

The crowds were in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. On Thursday, Jesus would have his last Supper, a Passover Feast, with his Disciples, and there, he would give them the ritual we have come to know as communion.

On Sunday, we exuberantly welcomed Jesus into the sanctuary, and then we worked together to prepare ourselves for communion. Wendy, a guest potter came and taught us how to make pinch pot “chalices”. After she fires and glazes them, they will replace our paper communion cups. We also experimented with making homemade gluten-free communion wafers. And, we made more children’s activity bags, complete with palm prints of our littlest ones. Jesus is on the move in our little church, too. I sense his creativity, generosity, abundance, and our response of exuberance!

Amidst the jubilation of Palm Sunday lies the shadow of the cross. Jesus knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem — the suffering, the betrayal, and the ultimate sacrifice. He entered anyway, knowing that the path to resurrection for him led through his death. While Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is a foreshadowing of his death, it is also a foreshadowing of the exuberance of resurrection.

Deep peace and blessing,
Anne

Rev. Anne Baxter Smith
Pastor, Church at Southpoint

Lenten Sermon Series

Not All Who Wander Are Lost
(1) Jesus Sought Me link
(2) Praise the Mount link
(3) I’m Fixed Upon It link 
(4) Teach Me link 
(5) Songs of Loudest Praise link (Palm Sunday) link

Worship Calendar

Location & Zoom. We meet on Sundays at 15639 24 Avenue, Surrey. Zoom is offered if you cannot attend in person. Zoom link. Meeting ID: 831 1690 9977 password: 753319

Listen to Sermons
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Blogs
Catch up on Anne’s recent blogs under “News” on our website, southpoint.ca

Sun Apr 7
(2) Opening to Love
Rev Anne Baxter Smith
John 21:1-19

Sun Apr 14
(3) Receiving Clarity
Rev Anne Baxter Smith
Acts 3:12-19
 
Sun Apr 21
Rev Scott Swanson
Acts 4:5-12

New to Southpoint?

At Southpoint, it all begins with God’s love. Just as a plant grows, it receives sunshine, so we grow as we receive God’s love. At Southpoint, we are growing in our capacity to love God, ourselves, one another, and creation.

We seek to be a community of grace that is intentional yet organic, spacious yet authentic, grace-filled yet accountable. * We are fully welcoming. *

We encourage relationships rather than run programs, yet we recognize the importance of intentionality and structure as we nurture life together.

As a community, we seek to put our love in action. We value helping out on Sunday mornings, sharing food, and showing up in hard times. We keep our church life simple so folk have time to build relationships with family, friends, and neighbours. We encourage folk to serve in tangible ways within the wider community. We rent space rather than own a building, allowing us to do more with less, supporting missions at home and abroad.

Curious to know more?

These six slides express what motivates our ministry (best viewed on a monitor). Here’s the bio of our Pastor, Rev. Anne Baxter Smith.

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