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The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!"  "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  "Blessed is the King of Israel!"  Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." -- John 12:12-15 NIV via BibleGateway.com

This evening our family debriefed Palm Sunday (John 12:12-19 & Matthew 21:1-11) and embraced the Holy Week journey through the lens of Christine Sine's Lenten Guide 2009.  The neighborhood Palm Sunday procession sounds like a good idea for next year, in anticipation we might try an extended family demo this year w/Eden's New Bike leading the procession. 

Expanding upon our Who do you trust today (tomorrow, for years to come) series,* we asked the question where do we find our primary identity?  As the Son of Man/Son of God, we too find our primary identity in our countercultural, new creation call from the God the Father and NOT from the fickle crowds/cultural norms by which we're surrounded.  Easier to say than to live.  Looking forward to Andy Crouch's culture making encouragement the first Sunday after Easter!

Although I wrestled with reading Christine's personal reflection upon being a premature infant who spent the first month of her life in hospital,** our children didn't find it difficult to listen to or consider.  Why?  The memory of our first child, Elise Faith is regularly mentioned in our household by Eden.  She loves to celebrate Elise Faith's birthday and share about how her baby sister, who died due to premature birth complications, now waits for us to join her in dancing on the streets that are golden. (Note: For some my reflections visit One more day & Addressing the skeptic).

God why did you abandon me
A tiny infant born before my time
Alone and afraid caught in a web of machines
Why this pain of isolation
Deprived of a mother's love,
Why did you leave me with no one to care

Yet I know you brought me out of the womb
Your love whispered in my mind
Soothing, comforting, embracing
You taught me to trust in you and held me in your arms
O Lord, you were never far off
My strength and my refuge, my salvation from my birth.

*See

1. Who do you trust today (tomorrow, for years to come), Part I
2. Who do you trust today (tomorrow, for years to come), Part II
3. Who do you trust today (tomorrow, for years to come), Part III

 **Related to the Jesus the Son of Man/Son of God's abandonment by God the Father on the cross.