Gracious, eternal one,
we celebrate this morning in the tradition of Palm Sunday,
offering our Hosannas of praise and thanksgiving
for Jesus and the way he lived his life.
We offer praise
for the expressions of your covenant with us through him.
We gratefully acknowledge
our tradition that also proclaims this Passion Sunday
and are thankful that
Jesus was a person of deep compassion,
willing to accept the consequences of such love.
We embrace with gratitude
his willingness to ride a lowly donkey into the city,
realizing the limits of his power
to bring change to that city
and to change the actions of his followers.
Compassionate womb,
awaken in us a fresh awareness of the richness
the images of Holy Week offer.
Remind us that Jesus' actions throughout the week
were on behalf of the whole world.
Encourage our understanding of how
taking up our cross means
abandoning neutrality,
making the invisible visible,
sharing God's vision.
We offer prayers of intercession
as our compassionate response to your call
to join Jesus' Holy Week journey.
April 13, 1998