There were two processions that entered Jerusalem on the day Christians call Palm Sunday. Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, entered the city from the west where he was residing at his coastal residence. Jesus entered the city from the east, from the Mount of Olives. Pilate entered triumphantly with thousands of soldiers. His entrance was intended to intimidate the masses and assert Roman domination. As many as 200,000 Jews from Judea and other surrounding areas were expected to enter the city for the festival of Passover — a celebration commemorating the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. If there would be any sort of uprising against Rome, Pilate knew that the Passover celebration would provide both a catalyst and opportunity. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. His entrance was a complete mockery of Imperial Rome’s dog and pony show. Did the people that lauded Jesus’ entrance see that Jesus was intimating that his way would be new and uncharted, that his entrance was a protest against imperialism and domination? While the people pleaded with Jesus to save them, the word Hosanna literally means save us, did they get what such salvation requires: sacrificing their desire for a piece of the imperial pie in order to feed the poor, heal the sick, welcome the outcast, care for the most vulnerable and least among us, and fight for justice for all? During this Holy Week that will be celebrated from Palm Sunday to Easter I invite you to seriously consider which parade you want to join. Your choice has grave ramifications. Do you choose to follow the Kingdom of Rome or the Kin-dom of God?

Dear Church family, our worship schedule during this Holy Week will not be all that different than last year’s schedule. Palm Sunday worship will be posted online at 9:00 am on Sunday, April 5. Also, There will be a Maundy Thursday service available online after 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 9 and a Good Friday Stations of the Cross service available after 7:00 pm on Friday, April 10. I will keep you posted on our Easter schedule. As many of you know, worship is available on Youtube and on our church Facebook page. To access the service on Youtube our account is under Loomis First United Methodist Church and on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/LoomisFUMC/.On Palm Sunday and on Maundy Thursday we will celebrate Holy Communion. In a letter from the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops, the Bishops from our jurisdiction wrote the following:

“The Sacrament of Holy Communion is a means of grace in our Wesleyan tradition. Through it we experience the mystery of God’s prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace. In this meal we experience Christ fully present to us as we come to the Table with penitent and grateful hearts to remember what God has done through Jesus Christ for our sake and the sake of the whole world. Through Holy Communion, we are brought into saving relationship with Christ and with one another as members of Christ’s body across time and space.

In these times when we cannot meet in person, we believe it is important to offer one another this vital means of grace. We are not prescribing that Holy Communion be celebrated in all of our congregations in this time of social distancing. However, we stand with our clergy who through reflection and prayer have come to the place of believing that their congregation would be strengthened in this hour through the sharing of Holy Communion. We trust the wisdom and the faithfulness of our Clergy to discern such pastoral matters in their own context. Especially in this time of physical separation from one another, Holy Communion can be a conduit of God’s healing power. We remain open to what God is teaching us in this moment.

We believe in the importance of being community, present together at the Table of our Lord, repentant of our sin and seeking to live in peace with one another. We support you our Clergy in your efforts to find ways to bring the means of grace to God’s people knowing that the Holy Spirit who alone can make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, is unfailingly with us. Remember that you have been entrusted with this sacred meal.”

So friends, on Sunday morning I invite you to set aside toast and juice, or whatever you happen to have available in your home, to celebrate Holy Communion together as a community of faith. I also invite you to join in the Palm Sunday procession by waving a flower, a branch, a palm frond, or perhaps even an item that gets in the way of your participation in the kin-dom of God. I will bear the traditional palms but I will be mindful that by bearing palms I bear the symbol not of victory, but what Harvard Professor Peter Gomes refers to as “the illusion of what passes for victory in this world.”

There is so much to ponder not just this week, but in the difficult weeks ahead. I urge you to both reflect on Jesus’ story and to re-examine your story in a world that seems to change by the minute. Remember that Jesus’ story is both a story of despair and a story of great hope and triumph. I encourage you to hold on to the conflicting moods of Holy Week, allow this tension to permeate your thoughts. Perhaps when all is said and done this time may be used for deepening our faith and re-prioritizing our lives. Perhaps we may even be freed for participation in the kin-dom of God.

In this time of social distancing, please know that I miss worshiping with you on Sundays and I miss the daily interactions in small groups and Bible Studies. I miss gathering for coffee and Taco Tuesdays. However, you are always present in my thoughts and prayers.

Finally, I understand that many of you are struggling financially, or are extremely worried about the future. These are very real fears for most of us. However, I am confident that we will pull through this together. I also firmly believe that we will emerge even stronger in our faith. One quality, among many, that has impressed me about FUMC Loomis is the desire to serve and the willingness to help each other in times of need. That being said, if you want to and are able to tithe, you can always mail your pledge to the church at 6414 Brace Rd., Loomis, CA 95650.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Alison