Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday. This week before Easter is known as Holy Week, and it begins on the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. At that time Jerusalem had a normal population of about 50,000, and it at least tripled in size because of the influx of pilgrims celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Agenda Today:
1. Journal queries
2. Add to my altar
3. Palm Sunday prayer

4. Recilience practice
5. Set up my egg tree
6. Make Figgy Pudding

1. Journal queries:
Marcus Borg says this:

“On... Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem from the east in a procession riding on a donkey cheered by his followers. At the same time, a Roman imperial procession of troops and cavalry entered the city from the west, headed by Pilate. Their purpose was to reinforce the Roman garrison stationed near the temple for the season of Passover, when tens (hundreds?) of thousands of Jewish pilgrims filled the city...

Jesus’ mode of entry was symbolic, signifying that the kingdom of which he spoke was a kingdom of peace. According to the prophet Zechariah, the king entering Jerusalem on a donkey was to banish the weapons of war from the land and speak peace to the nations. The kingdom of Rome on the other hand was based on violence and the threat of violence.” 

Marcus Borg sees Palm Sunday as Jesus’ intentional confrontation of the Roman domination. I too am called to speak truth to power and put my faith into action.

Where do I see domination systems today?
What are my intentions for facing them with peaceful actions?

2. Add to my altar: 

The imagery of death and rebirth is strong in the spring; I add a cross to my altar today to remind myself to die and be reborn every day, and also to remind myself to speak truth to power.

3. Palm Sunday Prayer: 

Spirit of Love, give me the courage to challenge those systems that oppress your people and this earth, with peace and a compassion that creates openings for transformation and change.

4. Resilience practice: 

I'm reading section three, on Optimism. Practice #55 is Let Go of Grasping, as when you fixate on one particular outcome. Instead, what if you opened to other possibilities, and just preferred one outcome over another?

1. Identify one thing you are grasping too tightly. (For me, it's usually how a family event or interaction will go.)
2. Clench your hands into tight fists, and pretend you are holding onto that outcome. Hold it for a while, and notice the tension and discomfort.
3. Take a deep breath and, as you exhale, release your fists. Shake your hands, and let them grow flexible - imagine yourself releasing the need to grasp a particular outcome, and opening to new possibilities and preferences. 
4. Spend a moment appreciating all that is now in your life, as it is.

5. Set up my egg tree: 

It's an old custom in parts of Europe to make an Easter tree, often on Palm Sunday. Folks find a bare branch from a tree, stick it into a pot or vase of dirt, and hang it with decorated eggs tied on with ribbons. In Switzerland, after the tree is decorated, the children walk around it and make secret wishes.

Each year I hang the pysanky eggs that my family has made over the years; I especially like the simplest eggs made by my children when they were young- over 20 years ago!

You need a proper pudding mold if you want to steam this pudding.

5. Make Figgy Pudding: 
This day is called Fig Sunday in parts of England; some people think it's because, shortly after the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus discovers a fig tree with no fruit on it and cursed the tree saying, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” (Matthew 21:18-22, and Mark 11:12-14). 

Scholars have lots of interesting explanations for this gospel, and no matter what the explanation, it seems an odd reason to eat figs today. Still, I get a kick out of the very thought of Figgy Pudding, so I gave it a try- and it turned out very tasty! The recipe is here.