Sunday Stretch: Palm Sunday 2025
Start off (Holy) week with a grounded take on Bible, prayer, the world, and your life ...
Hi Readers,
I’m writing to you from a hotel lobby in Washington, D.C., after the final morning of the Summit for Religious Freedom, organized by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.
When I was first organizing book events for the release of Disciples of White Jesus, I knew that I wanted to do something in Washington, D.C. (For obvious reasons? ha). But despite my publisher contacting Washington’s leading bookstore, Politics & Prose, and my planning an event with some of this area’s top experts covering religion and politics - the bookstore didn’t respond for weeks, and then said that it was nothing personal - but they were full.
(I can’t help but notice, as I look at the bookstore’s offerings, that they’re a little light on the “politics” lately … especially when it comes to critiques of the current presidential administration. This isn’t me just concerned about my own work - but I’m concerned in general about publishing and media institutions obeying in advance lately, declining to make presidential endorsements, and treading lightly when it comes to speaking truth to power. Hopefully, I’m wrong).
That being said, though … I felt a little discouraged and figured it wasn’t going to work out. Then, I heard from my friend - and must-follow fellow Substacker,
’s , that he was heading to D.C. on April 5-7 for the AU Summit. (Brian serves on their board). In January, I had met AU’s CEO, Rachel Laser, as well as a few awesome staff members from the group, at Religious Freedom Day in Minnesota. (I wrote about that event for the Star Tribune here). I started looking into plans to attend the Summit, which I knew some other folks were attending from Minnesota as well.On sort of a long shot question, I asked Brian and Rachel if there was a way I might be involved at the event. Weeks later - I was shocked to hear that they had invited me to join a plenary panel on the main stage, with Rachel (who I deeply admire) and with
, whose work here I share often - and whose name is on the cover of my book with a meaningful endorsement.I don’t think I fully processed what this would mean, in the hustle and bustle of book release and travel, until I arrived here in D.C. and listened to Jemar’s keynote on Sunday morning (for me - it felt a lot like a sermon. In the best way. I was Amen-ing as loud as my white Lutheran bones would let me … Check out some highlights here).
Then, as I sat with Rachel and Jemar, I got the chance to share about my own work and research around boys and men, masculinity, Christian Nationalism, and radicalization. It meant so much to me to connect with my fellow panelists, and with the audience in the room. I’ve shared some clips on social media; I’ll share one below:
To be completely transparent, it’s hard for me to sometimes rewatch videos or listen to myself sharing in settings like these. Speaking on these topics for me is almost an out-of-body experience: I go completely into the place where I sense God is calling me to speak, and I forget about my own anxiety or nervousness. Thank goodness! But if I have to watch things back or see myself, the embodied sense of fragility and exposure comes right back, and I want to crawl into a deep, dark hole.
I think (I hope) though, that this might be one of the things that helps me to genuinely connect with people around these topics. It’s truly not about elevating myself or even my work. For me, it’s about helping to tell the truth about the ways that Jesus’ Gospel is being perverted, turned upside down, and used as an excuse for violence, anger, and oppression. Feeling heard and acknowledged when calling out these truths according to my ability is the best gift I could ever have. (Which is also why I’m so grateful for this Substack community).
Thanks for indulging my story. And a massive, massive thanks to AU, to Brian, to Rachel (and staff members Ashley and Alyssa at AU), for giving me the chance to share and connect with your work. It was not my usual Sunday morning experience, but - in my opinion - the Spirit was present nonetheless.
Now let’s get to the texts! Today is Palm Sunday, the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and the last Sunday before Easter. Today has always been an important day in the Church for me, where the Theology of Glory meets the Theology of the Cross. So I want to share some thoughts below that I’ve shared before on Palm Sunday, and then we’ll read together the Palm Sunday text from Luke.
Some thoughts on Palm Sunday …
True confession here. I consider myself a fairly easygoing person most of the time, especially when it comes to things like the liturgical calendar. I’m not necessarily picky about which candles to light on which days, which color to use on optional weeks, or specifically which Bible passages to preach on each Sunday.
I am not so easy going when it comes to the final Sunday before Easter.
I’ll just lay out my cards here: I’m a fan of Palm Sunday; not so much a fan of Passion Sunday.
Holy Week is a journey, my friends, the culmination of the journey of Lent. And if you think that journey is quite possibly a word that’s overused in the Church during this season of Lent - well, you too would also be correct.
Nonetheless, I think it’s an important point. Resurrection is impossible if death doesn’t come first. And I think so much of modern Christian culture in America is all about glory and resurrection and power (think Christian Nationalism and flashy Easter signs and even the church I read about who’s hiring jugglers and circus actors for their Easter Sunday children’s sermon) and not enough about the ways in which God works through pain, suffering, and the Cross — and about the truth that God dwells most deeply in solidarity with those who, like Jesus, are poor, oppressed, marginalized, and treated unjustly, even arrested, imprisoned, and killed for their truth-telling.
Aha! You might say. Why then do you prefer Palm Sunday to Passion Sunday? Passion Sunday is all about the Cross.
Well, OK, here’s where I get out the part of me that has always been a bit of traditionalist and a stickler for rote practice and procedure (I know, I surprise myself sometimes, too). Passion Sunday misses it. It feels like an unnecessary concession to a world that insists the Church (and Jesus himself) fits into boxes the world prescribes for us, without bleeding into uncomfortable parts of our lives where we think the Church or Jesus might not belong (like Thursday and Fridays). This is a Holy Week. Each part of it is critical, though admittedly I do typically skip the lengthy Easter Vigil. (Feel free to make your own choices about where you’re spiritually fed this Holy Week as well).
But still. There’s something about moving from the triumphant, yet humble, riding on a donkey (or maybe a colt) journey into Jerusalem - to the quietude and humility of the Last Supper bread, wine, and washing of feet - to the ignominy, injustice, and tyranny of the Cross and crowd on Good Friday - to the surprising delight of the resurrection on Easter morning.
After this drama-filled week, replete with betrayals and proclamations and rock-bottom grief, I’m so ready for Easter. I read about the disciples running toward the tomb after the witness of the women, and I feel like I want to run, too.
Jesus Christ is risen today! Alleluia!
I’m so ready.
But not yet. Not yet.
I wrote last week about the invitation God gives us each Lent, and I’m going to issue it again to you at the start of this Holy Week. You’re invited on the journey (there’s that word again). You’re invited to experience the story anew this year. Because Jesus always shows me something different, each and every single year.
There’s the Palm Sundays when my male pastoral colleagues indulged my children sermon idea to have my fellow Pastor pretend to be a donkey and have a young child ride on their back into the sanctuary.
There’s those memories from childhood, with dirty spring snow on the ground in Minnesota and the improbable palm branches in our hands, waving them frenetically, until parents whispered in the pew: “That’s enough!” And then you turn the palm fronds into swords and fight with your brother until it’s time to come up for Children’s Church.
There’s the Palm Sunday of 2020, during COVID, when one of my parishioners in rural Minnesota took it upon himself to actually ride his donkey, complete with First-Century Middle Eastern costume-approximation, with his wife videotaping and narrating, and the poor donkey doing its best impression of the grand entrance into Jerusalem.
I always preach against the theology of glory, for the ways it which it reinforces an idolatrous idea that we are meant to be God - and that God is only God insofar as God increases our own worldly power and esteem.
But each Palm Sunday, I sing anyway:
All glory laud and honor, to you redeemer king
To whom the lips of children made sweet Hosannas ring
You are the King of Israel and David’s royal son
now in the Lord’s name coming the King and Blessed One.
A recent movement has suggested we change references in the Church from Kingdom to Kin-dom, to move away from this Christian Nationalist and theology of glory sense that Jesus has come to create a monarchy of power for Christians here on earth, and to recognize that earthly kings have left nothing but bloodshed and suffering in their wake.
I generally agree with the sentiment of this movement.
Still here today, again, I sing these words. Maybe it’s the traditionalist in me. Or maybe it’s the hope of Holy Week, that God can transform even our basest instincts into something altogether different. That this Messiah, this (King) if you will, is going to change forever the hope and meaning of King of Israel. He comes to the holy city of Jerusalem on a lowly donkey. Those who cheer his coming are not generally the rich and powerful, or the religious leaders and government officials, but the ones who have to remove their cloaks to create a makeshift royal path, because they don’t just have spare cloth sitting around. On this morning, Jesus enters Jerusalem and begins to usher in an entirely new way of being human in the world.
The end is coming. Jesus knows its pain, and so do we, all too well. But the journey is just beginning. Happy Holy Week.
Love,
Angela
Because this is a special edition for Palm Sunday, I won’t do our usual in-depth study of each of the Lectionary Bible passages. Instead, I’m going to share below - in entirety - the text for Palm Sunday. Then, I’ll include our prayer and prayer requests. Thank you (all!) for being a part of this community, whether you subscribe, or you read occasionally, or you got this newsletter from a friend. I’m grateful to be on this journey (there’s that word again! Lent is almost over) with you.
Palm Sunday Gospel
Luke 19:28-40
Luke 19:28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Luke 19:29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,
“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
PRAYER
Dear God,
As you approach our city once again this Holy Week, I look around and see myself surrounded by so many living stones. I hear the shouts of those who have been ignored, mistreated. Those who have been called abnormal or disfigured or alien or weird or evil. You call us God to shout out in Your name, that Your name may no longer be taken in vain by those who would use it to violently seize power for themselves. So today, dear God, let us shout Hosanna - and then let us journey with you from the Cross to Resurrection Day.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
AMEN
An Invitation
A Community that prays for one another is transformed by the power of the Spirit. We’ve been praying for and with each other now for over two years! About once a quarter, I will re-start this space for prayer requests and praises. Please email with your own requests and I will share here with your permission!
Today is the last Sunday of Lent. We will re-start requests after Easter. Please do send your requests to add here to the list!
For all in local faith communities: ministers, music leaders, staff, volunteers, all who prepare to acknowledge Holy Week with worship and service, might you give them strength and rest and assurance this week, that they are doing the work you call them to do. Give them space as well to experience the holiness of this week.
On this last week of Lent, may all know the power of repentance, and the free gift of forgiveness that comes when we truly acknowledge our own role in sin and wrongdoing.
Help us to find holy moments and people with whom to dwell in them this week.
I pray especially as I prepare for this new book launch, that my words might be blessed by the Holy Spirit, and that as I communicate my research and work into boys and men, and a vision of masculinity grounded in Jesus’ love, I might be heard and accepted - and I might communicate openly and honestly and without reservation.
May we remember that sin is not only individual and personal but also collective and shared, and help us to find ways to confess all kinds of sin, even the kinds that seem invisible or disconnected from our individual lives.
For all those for whom the language of sin and guilt has been weaponized again by those in power, may they know freedom and liberation.
We pray for immigrants, migrants, and all those who are undocumented. May they be given sanctuary and support in America. May our churches find ways to resist the politics of demonization of immigrants.
For all who are seeking community in their neighborhoods and local environs: may we find grassroots ways to be together in person and know one another in love and support.
For American federal government employees: may they continue to do their work with dignity and honesty and without the threat of political retribution. Also for aid workers and organizations who have been threatened and who have lost their funding access: that they may be given pathways forward to continue their work.
For brave faith leaders who dare to speak out against powerful political leaders
As we continue into the New Year, we pray with deep sighs for the war and death and violence in the Holy Land. We continue to pray for an end to escalating violence in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and throughout the Middle East - as well as in Sudan and Yemen. May world leaders prioritize peace over power, and mercy over might. May those who cry out for justice and an end to war be protected and heard.
For all immigrants and migrants around the world, far from home, seeking a new and safe homeland. Might they be embraced where they go, offered assistance and solidarity and friendship.
Be with all American lawmakers in this time of political upheavals and corruption by business leaders and wealthy individuals. Give them courage to speak truth and govern with care for humanity and life.
For so many loved ones of mine who have recently been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing treatment. May they have caring and high-quality care, rest as needed, and loving support of family and friends.
We also pray for all those who are caring for loved ones who are going through myriad health challenges, including mental health and addiction. Grant them rest and relief in the midst of difficult and tiring times.
For those who continue to live and fight in Ukraine, that the world will not turn away its attention from the plight of Ukrainians and their stand against authoritarian Russia.
For all those who don’t have a safe place to live or enough food to eat, that they might be first and receive what they need.
For all around the world who face persecution for their religious beliefs, especially for religious minorities in places where governments sanction religion-based violence
For Christians to be emboldened to speak out courageously against anti-semitism and to acknowledge how we have been complicit in anti-semitic actions and speech against our Jewish siblings
For governments and leaders to prioritize climate change solutions and not be only ruled by profit or big business
For all those who don’t have a safe and warm place to sleep at night, that they might have shelter, and that people might work for more affordable housing
For journalists, who risk their lives and livelihood to write and report truth - even against the wishes of media ownership and administration
For all the concerns deep on our hearts, that you hear and know and acknowledge, we pray …
Lead me to the Cross, O God of truth and courage, and help me share your witness with confidence and humility in this Holy Week ahead.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
AMEN
P.S. …
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Wow, what a whirlwind in DC! That is so awesome that you were able to be there and to be a part of the panel. The preacher this morning at our church (not the regular pastor) chose the Passion narrative and it reminded me of the necessity that you mentioned, Angela. We mustn’t rush quickly from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. On Maundy Thursday Denise and I will be offering a service with hymns and the story will be read as a dialogue with a narrator and the voice of Jesus. It’s a pretty powerful way to walk from the table to the trial and crucifixion.
Blessings on your own Holy Week journey and thanks again for your witness and voice especially in these contentious times.