Palm Sunday will be here in two days, and churches celebrate in different ways. At one church, the people meet in a room beneath the sanctuary. When everyone is ready they emerge through a side door to process around the outside of the church. Joining in the procession are people waving palm leaves, others playing musical instruments, including the bagpipes; others shouting and singing, “Hosanna.” This year, our church’s choir and orchestra are presenting the Easter story through music and drama. However your church decides to celebrate it, Palm Sunday is a day of rejoicing, for the King is coming!

There’s a story about a pastor and seminary professor, Dr. Walter Bruggemann, that goes like this: he and the rest of the Palm Sunday procession were outside when a young man living in the apartment house across the street threw up the window and shouted, “What’s all that noise? You sound like the Salvation Army!” Dr. Bruggemann looked up at him and said, “Son, we ARE the salvation army!” What better way to sum up the events of the first Palm Sunday than to call it a salvation army parade? Jesus and His ragtag army parade outside the city gates. The time has come. The day of salvation is at hand.

Dear God, help us to trust in Your salvation in Jesus Christ. We want to be part of your ragtag army!