Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
This day in history, commonly called "Palm Sunday", marks the week before Easter Sunday. How would you like to lead worship on this day? If you are scheduled to do so, what sort of mood do you want to put in during the time of worship? Rejoicing? Moodiness and pain because of what happened in the course of the week? Solemn-ness because our hearts are heavy as we recounted Jesus' journey to the cross?
Thanks to the MS worship coordinator, my name was down in the schedule for today. MY! If it was an English service, I think it would be quite a breeze planning for it ... BUT it's a MANDARIN service!! I was frantically searching for the translation of "Palm Sunday", "Holy week", etc. While it was a challenging task framing up sentences to prepare the congregation for worship, with God's help, I did it =) And this was what I said ...
"大家早上好。 在历使上今天称为棕枝主日, 就是英文的Palm Sunday， 是耶稣复活节的前一周。 在这一个圣周里发生了很多事情 。由人们向耶稣高喊 "和散那，奉主名来的以色列王是应当称颂的" 到耶苏被他的门徒犹大出卖，然后人们应耶稣的被扑而各撒东西，再到耶稣被丁在十字架上。 这一连串的事情让人们在情序上有很大的波动。有些人感到失望， 任为他们把希望错放在耶稣身上；有 些人为耶稣的枉死而悲哀；当然还有些人从高喊 "和散那" 变成 "除掉他"。
当我们今天来到主的面前， 我们又是以什么样的心态而来呢？ 我们失望吗？ 我们悲哀吗？不需要，应为耶稣虽被丁在十字架上，但是他已经复活了；把他丁在十字架上的不是铁丁，而是他对我们每一个人的爱。 他所作的一切并不是理所当然的，也不是我们应得的，而是因为他对我们有着怜悯的心。对于他给我们的爱，我们怎么能不以敬拜来高举他的名，以赞美来向他高歌呢？让我们以全心，全意，全人来给他最高的崇拜 。。。"
Well, I believe it can definitely be better, but I guess that's the best I can generate from a tired mind (can you beat it? I actually said to my friend who helped me buy coffee " 不要sugar，多糖"??? when I actually meant "不要sugar, 多多milk" - duh right? Haha) after a hectic and crazy week. Anyway, if you feel it is helpful and ministering for you or your congregation, go ahead and use it - no copyright. My ex-boss used to say, "Good things are to be shared; good messages should also be shared with others so that it can be preached to more people" =)
Back to the question - what mood is suitable for Palm Sunday worship? To me, I do believe in times of being solemn and perhaps feeling heavy-hearted as we remember what our sins had done to Jesus, but I subscribe more to the fact that the pain and heavy-hearted feelings should result in expressions of thanksgiving, conviction to live a life pleasing to God, and commitment to "put the hands to the plow and not look back". Worship is not a time to show papaya faces, it should be a time to remember what God has done, and in gratitude express the same to Him.
It's a real challenge leading worship in Mandarin - but nonetheless a marvelous learning experience. Opportunity to brush up your Mandarin too =)
This day in history, commonly called "Palm Sunday", marks the week before Easter Sunday. How would you like to lead worship on this day? If you are scheduled to do so, what sort of mood do you want to put in during the time of worship? Rejoicing? Moodiness and pain because of what happened in the course of the week? Solemn-ness because our hearts are heavy as we recounted Jesus' journey to the cross?
Thanks to the MS worship coordinator, my name was down in the schedule for today. MY! If it was an English service, I think it would be quite a breeze planning for it ... BUT it's a MANDARIN service!! I was frantically searching for the translation of "Palm Sunday", "Holy week", etc. While it was a challenging task framing up sentences to prepare the congregation for worship, with God's help, I did it =) And this was what I said ...
"大家早上好。 在历使上今天称为棕枝主日, 就是英文的Palm Sunday， 是耶稣复活节的前一周。 在这一个圣周里发生了很多事情 。由人们向耶稣高喊 "和散那，奉主名来的以色列王是应当称颂的" 到耶苏被他的门徒犹大出卖，然后人们应耶稣的被扑而各撒东西，再到耶稣被丁在十字架上。 这一连串的事情让人们在情序上有很大的波动。有些人感到失望， 任为他们把希望错放在耶稣身上；有 些人为耶稣的枉死而悲哀；当然还有些人从高喊 "和散那" 变成 "除掉他"。
当我们今天来到主的面前， 我们又是以什么样的心态而来呢？ 我们失望吗？ 我们悲哀吗？不需要，应为耶稣虽被丁在十字架上，但是他已经复活了；把他丁在十字架上的不是铁丁，而是他对我们每一个人的爱。 他所作的一切并不是理所当然的，也不是我们应得的，而是因为他对我们有着怜悯的心。对于他给我们的爱，我们怎么能不以敬拜来高举他的名，以赞美来向他高歌呢？让我们以全心，全意，全人来给他最高的崇拜 。。。"
Well, I believe it can definitely be better, but I guess that's the best I can generate from a tired mind (can you beat it? I actually said to my friend who helped me buy coffee " 不要sugar，多糖"??? when I actually meant "不要sugar, 多多milk" - duh right? Haha) after a hectic and crazy week. Anyway, if you feel it is helpful and ministering for you or your congregation, go ahead and use it - no copyright. My ex-boss used to say, "Good things are to be shared; good messages should also be shared with others so that it can be preached to more people" =)
Back to the question - what mood is suitable for Palm Sunday worship? To me, I do believe in times of being solemn and perhaps feeling heavy-hearted as we remember what our sins had done to Jesus, but I subscribe more to the fact that the pain and heavy-hearted feelings should result in expressions of thanksgiving, conviction to live a life pleasing to God, and commitment to "put the hands to the plow and not look back". Worship is not a time to show papaya faces, it should be a time to remember what God has done, and in gratitude express the same to Him.
It's a real challenge leading worship in Mandarin - but nonetheless a marvelous learning experience. Opportunity to brush up your Mandarin too =)
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