Coronavirus Response

  • Home
  • A-Z List
  • About
    • About the NCC
    • Connectional Table
    • Staff
  • Calendar
    • Events
    • Google Calendar
    • Past Events
  • Churches
  • Contact
    • Find Us
  • Districts
    • District Office
    • Beacon
    • Capital
    • Corridor
    • Fairway
    • Gateway
    • Harbor
    • Heritage
    • Sound
  • Employment
  • Search

NC Conference

Healthy Congregations and Effective Leaders in Every Place Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

  • Discipleship
    Developing Disciples
    • Christian Formation
      • Children
      • Church & Society
      • College
      • Differently Abled Persons
      • Educational Ministries
      • Older Adults
      • Status & Role of Women
      • Young Adults
      • Youth
    • Church Revitalization
      • Coaching
      • Disciple Making Way
      • Evangelism
      • Grants
      • MissionInsite
      • Real Discipleship Survey
      • Shift
      • Spiritual Life
    • From the Bishop
      • Bishop’s Bookshelf
      • Bishop’s Sermons
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
      • Connections
      • Discipleship & Learning Plan
    • Multicultural
      • Asian
      • Hispanic/Latino
      • Native American
      • Strengthening the Black Church
    • Stewardship
      • Apportionments
      • District Remittances
      • Financial Discipleship
      • Grants
      • Insurance
      • Mission & Service
      • Pension
      • Treasurer Training
  • Leadership
    Strengthening Leaders
    • Bishop’s Office
      • Appointment Book
      • Bishop’s Sermons
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
      • Connections
      • Discipleship & Learning Plan
    • Ministerial Relations
      • Board of Ordained Ministry
      • Called to Ministry?
      • Extension Ministries
    • Board of Laity
      • Certified Lay Minister
      • Lay Servant Ministries
      • United Methodist Men
      • United Methodist Women
      • United Methodist Youth
    • New Faith Comm.
      • Called to Plant?
      • New Room Society
      • Our Communities
    • Conference Offices
      • Center for Leadership Excellence
      • Christian Formation
      • Communications
      • Conference Secretary
      • Connectional Ministries
      • Information Technology
      • Multicultural Ministries
      • Outreach Ministry
      • Treasurer’s Office
  • Service
    Ministering To The World
    • Local Outreach
      • Church Construction
      • Church Loans
      • Restorative Justice and Mercy
      • Disciple Bible Outreach
      • NCC UMVIM
      • Seed Funds
      • Mission Projects
        • Health Ministry
    • Global Outreach
      • Imagine No Malaria
      • Love for Liberia
      • Missionaries
      • Project AGAPE
      • Sierra Leone: Mission of Hope
      • ZOE
    • Disaster Ministries
      • Donate to Storm Response
      • Hurricane Florence
      • MERCI
      • Response Plan
      • Response Team
      • UMCOR Kits
    • Giving
      • Advance/Rainbow Covenant
      • Apportionments
      • Give to Storm Response
      • Mission & Service
      • The Gary Wayne Locklear Mission Endowment
      • New Room Society
      • Special Sundays
    • Ministry Partners
      • Camps & Retreats
      • Partners In Ministry
      • Robeson Co. Church & CC
      • UMF
  • Resources
    Supporting Ministry
    • Conferences
      • Annual Conference 2019
      • Annual Conference 2020
      • Charge Conference 2020
      • General Conference
      • Pilgrimage
      • SEJ Conference 2016
    • Media Center
      • Catalog
      • Labyrinth
      • Ministry Tools
      • Online Resources
      • Weekly Newsletter
    • Online Resources
      • Archives & History
      • Church Lookup
      • Online Data Collection
      • Online Learning
      • Pastor Lookup
      • Podcasts (NCCUMC.FM)
      • Ramus: Web Hosting
      • Video (Vimeo)
    • Publications
      • Advent 2020
      • Appointment Book
      • Bible Study
      • Conference Directory
      • Conference Journal
      • Every Day Grace
      • Lenten Reflections
      • Mission & Service
    • From UMC.org
      • Agencies
      • Communications
      • Discipleship
      • Finance & Administration
      • Global Ministries
      • Graphics Library
      • Relief
      • Status & Role of Women
  • Bishop’s Office
  • About Bishop Ward
    • Biography
    • Bookshelf
    • Calendar
  • Appointment Book
  • Events
    • 2020 Asia Mission Initiative Summit /Vietnam Consultation
  • Reports & Rulings
    • Episcopal Rulings
  • Sermons
  • More
    • Conflict Transformation
    • Discipleship Plan
    • Emmaus
    • Lenten Reflections

connections: Palm Sunday 2013

March 20, 2013 Leave a Comment

Bishop Ward discusses Palm Sunday and the week leading up to it in this Connections video. Read the transcript below and watch the video above.

“You want to borrow my donkey?” In my imagining, the child who owned the donkey was mystified. The disciples had been sent by Jesus to find the donkey and to borrow the donkey, the one that had never yet been ridden. I imagine the child loaning the donkey in trust.

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the back of this small humble animal. A victorious ruler would have chosen a great steed, a wonderful horse, would have had armor, and would have brandished swords and other weapons. But Jesus chooses this way to enter the city.

On a donkey’s back, he could be touched by little children and those along the way. People waved palm branches. They laid the palm branches in his path. They even took their own cloaks and coats off and put them in front of the donkey, so that Jesus had a path of cloaks and palm branches. The children waved the branches and sang “Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

As we wave palm branches on this Sunday and as we sing “Hosanna,” we greet the one who comes to save us, not with might of a great warrior, but with the power of one who knows humility opens the way to God. The one who comes to bring peace. The one who weeps over Jerusalem before this Holy Week is over. The one who is denied and betrayed by those who have been closest to him. The one who takes off the towel around his waist and washes the feet of the disciples. The one who eats at table with those closest to him and offers them the bread and the cup. The one who finally will be led to Calvary and crucified between two thieves for our salvation.

As we approach Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday very soon, may we give thanks for the one who comes to save us and may we remember again the way that Jesus saves and leads. And may we, like Jesus, choose the way of humble obedience, so that in time, we may, like Jesus, be raised to glory.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Filed Under: Connections Tagged With: Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, donkey, Easter, Jesus, Palm Sunday

connections

connections: There Can Be Change

connections: Generosity

Christmas Blessings

connections: Draw Near to the Light

connections: God’s Complete Gift

connections: The Call to Social Holiness

connections: Voices in the Wilderness

connections: Advent Season

connections: Celebrating Justice for Our Neighbors

connections: Pilgrimage 2020

NC Conference of The United Methodist Church · 700 Waterfield Ridge Place · Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.779.6115 · Toll-free: 800.849.4433 · Fax: 919.773.2308

Copyright © 2021 · Privacy Policy · Powered by WordPress · Site Admin