John 12:12-15;
Psalm 118:26; Psalm 24:7-9 - Sunday’s hymn of the day is All
Glory, Laud, and Honor (442 LSB). Today is the day in which we worship
Jesus as He rode into the streets of Jerusalem as Lord and King. In many
churches the youth are confirmed. If not, it is a wonderful opportunity to
reaffirm your confirmation vows. Some of the most moving and dramatic readings
and reflections happen on Palm Sunday; it is both a happy and somber mood.
Christ is hailed and at the same time rejected. He offers Himself only to be
refused. If Jesus were to come to your fair city, what sort of reception might
He receive?
This hymn text was written by St. Theodulph of Orleans in 820 while he was imprisoned in Angers, France, for conspiring against the King, with whom he had fallen out of favor. The text acts as a retelling of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The medieval church actually re-enacted this story on Palm Sunday using a standard liturgy that featured this hymn. The priests and inhabitants of a city would process from the fields to the gate of the city, following a living representation of Jesus seated on a donkey. When they reached the city gates, a choir of children would sing the hymn, then in Latin: Gloria, laus et honor, and the refrain was taken up by the crowd. At this point the gates were opened and the crowd made its way through the streets to the cathedral. Though we might not have any city gates to proceed through today, this hymn still acts as a royal hymn of praise and proclamation. Today we praise the “Redeemer, King” because we know just what kind of King He was and is – an everlasting King who reigns not just in Jerusalem, but over the entire earth. What more could we do but praise Him with glory, laud, and honor.[2]
A prayer before worship – O Lord, our
Creator, Redeemer, and Comforter, as we come to worship You in spirit and in
truth, we humbly pray that You may open our hearts to the preaching of Your
Word, so that we may repent of our sins, believe in Jesus Christ as our only
Savior, and grow in grace and holiness. Hear us for His same.
[1] Palm Sunday, Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
[3] Hosanna, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[4] Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
No comments:
Post a Comment