The liturgical season of Easter is one of my favorite times of the Christian year.  It is a time when we read the gospel accounts of how the disciples encounter Jesus, encounter their risen Lord, or are encountered by him.  Their experiences of rediscovering the One whom they felt they had lost can guide us in our own experiences of our risen Lord, can guide us in the deepening of our relationship with Jesus. In our scripture lesson this morning, when Jesus meets the women who had come to the tomb two days following his crucifixion to prepare his body for burial, the very first thing he tells them is “Do not be afraid.”  I wonder why he said that. 

In our observance of Holy Week, we move from Palm Sunday, a day of triumph, to Easter Sunday, another day of triumph, without passing through the dark night of the soul that is a central part of Holy Week.  It is tempting to think we can have a resurrection without a crucifixion, without a sacrifice, without a death, either in Jesus’ life or in our lives.  This is why so few churches, and so few Christians, observe Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. 

Today is Palm Sunday, a day of celebration! Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem marks the beginning of Holy Week, one of the most profound and deeply symbolic weeks in human history.
Churches distribute palms to their communicants on this day, sometimes as palm branches, sometimes in other forms. This morning, We reflect on the symbolism of the palm cross that graces our altar--its meaning for Jesus and its meaning for us.

This morning, the fifth Sunday in Lent, we are continuing our reflections on the power of
prayer. I hope our reflections will lead us to a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of prayer, will lead us to believe more fully in the power of intercessory prayer, and will lead us to pray more constantly and more meaningfully in our daily life.

This morning, on communion Sunday, we are belatedly beginning our Lenten series of reflections on the power of prayer.  I hope our reflections over the next few weeks, and probably after Easter as well, will lead us to a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of prayer, will lead us to believe more fully in the power of intercessory prayer, and will lead us to pray more constantly and more meaningfully in our daily life.

 Last week we thought about solitude, a theme to which we will be returning during our reflections on prayer, and the importance of touch, of breaking down or setting aside, or reaching past the boundaries that separate us from each other.  This morning, let’s build on what we began last week by reflecting on community, on our community, and on the healing power of community, because this is an important, an essential part of what we are, of who we are as a church.

The scripture lesson that came to mind when I thought about this theme was the story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus as recorded in the Gospel according to Luke.  In this encounter, Jesus, not surprisingly, takes a counter-cultural stand; he claims his own authority in initiating a relationship with Zacchaeus.  Jesus is undoubtedly aware that “the crowd” views Zacchaeus as a pariah.  As a tax collector, a minion of the Roman occupying force that is bleeding the people of Israel dry through the taxes they impose, Zacchaeus is, not without cause, despised by his fellow Israelites.  No one would even think of sharing a meal with him!  They would rather break bread with a leper!  

I have read the story of Zacchaeus many times.  As I read it this past week, I knew what I wanted to say about this encounter.  The story tells us something about Jesus; it tells us something about Zacchaeus; and it tells us something about ourselves. 

For one more week, I would like us to remain with the theme that we began several weeks ago, the theme of healing as illustrated in the healing miracles that are described in the Bible.  In previous weeks, we have attempted to discern what these healing miracles have in common (if, indeed, they have anything in common).  We have attempted to identify the factors within us that enable us to open ourselves to Jesus’ healing power, that can make us receptive to the healing powers that God has placed not only within our body, but also within our psyche, within our soul.  And we hope that our reflections encourage us to realize that we have a healing power within us, that in many ways, we can be healers.