"Now to the gate of my Jerusalem,
The seething holy city of my heart,
The saviour comes. But will I welcome him?"
From "Palm Sunday" by Malcolm Guite

On Ash Wednesday, each of us was invited to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. Throughout this season, we have sought to draw nearer to God through our worship, formation programs, and personal spiritual disciplines.

The opening lines of Malcolm Guite's Palm Sunday sonnet remind us that, even as we have been seeking to draw closer to God, Jesus has been drawing nearer to us. On Sunday, we will recall the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem to cries of "Hosanna! Save us!" This weekend, we will gather outside the nave, hear a reading from Matthew's Gospel, then process into worship adding our own "Hosannas!" When you come to worship this weekend, you'll get a sense of what it might have been like to welcome Jesus into the City of David all those years ago.

Guite suggests that we consider another Jerusalem – the seething holy city of our hearts – to which Jesus is drawing near. After these five weeks of drawing closer to God, what still seethes in your heart? As Jesus approaches, will you welcome him? What does it mean to welcome Jesus into your heart this week, this month, this year?

While each of us will have a unique response to Guite's provocative question, we can all begin to respond with a commitment to be present here at Transfiguration with the Body of Christ, beginning this weekend for Palm Sunday. Make plans to participate in Eucharist at noon on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week, where we will hear Jesus teach in the Temple. Commit to come to Tenebrae on Wednesday evening, where we will pray psalms, hear readings, and respond in music that draw us into Christ's Passion. Then begins the Triduum – the great three days – including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. If you commit to nothing else, commit to participating in our services during these three days. You can learn more about these opportunities, including services for families with children and youth, on the Holy Week Page of our website.

For those who are interested, the full text of Guite's Palm Sunday sonnet is set forth below. Give it a good read.

I look forward to seeing you soon and often.

Mother Rebecca

Palm Sunday
Now to the gate of my Jerusalem,
The seething holy city of my heart,
The saviour comes. But will I welcome him?
Oh crowds of easy feelings make a start;
They raise their hands, get caught up in the singing,
And think the battle won. Too soon they'll find
The challenge, the reversal he is bringing
Changes their tune. I know what lies behind
The surface flourish that so quickly fades;
Self-interest, and fearful guardedness,
The hardness of the heart, its barricades,
And at the core, the dreadful emptiness
Of a perverted temple. Jesus come
Break my resistance and make me your home.
Malcolm Guite, from Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year (Canterbury Press, 2012).