March 29, 2024
“As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, ‘What’s going on here? Who is this?’” ~ Matthew 21:10 The Message
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
I don’t know what was happening in your neck of the woods a week ago, but from the corner of Main and Spring streets in Woodstock, VA, the whole town was shaken. High winds tore through town, the electricity went off, and the sounds of sirens rushing past St. Paul’s was indication that something significant was happening. Becky and I both went to look out the windows of the parlor and could see ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars heading south. As is my practice when emergency vehicles pass by, I said a silent prayer, “Help those who are in trouble. Keep everyone safe.”
Becky braved the wind to step outside, came back in and said, “You need to come see this.” Looking south on Main St. we could see a huge pine tree had been blown over by the wind and was splayed across Main St. We could see that no cars were under it, but we couldn’t see what damage might have been done to the property across the street.
That was bad enough. To add to it, sirens continued to sound for the next several hours, as we tried to figure out what was going on. We heard reports of accidents on Interstate 81 as well other streets, electricity, phone service, and water cut off west of Main St. Central’s school complex was holding students until buses could get through. We got calls from the school and parents. I cancelled Sacred Seasons for safety reasons, since traffic was being diverted, and power lines were down across roads. Mary, our Jr. Choir director, wisely decided to cancel Jr. Choir Practice. Quiet Water St. became the major north south route for traffic diverted from 81 to 11 which was closed for several blocks. One radio announcer said, “It’s like the Indy 500 on Water Street. Reports of wildfires started coming in.
The whole town was shaken, people, me included. We were unnerved and wondering “What’s going on here.” It was the first day of Spring, the skies were clear and blue, the sun was shining, and yet something strange was happening. When I let the office around 3:00, the smell of smoke was already filling the air. And Water St. did indeed have traffic, including tractor trailers back up from Moose Road to Reservoir Rd.
Five days ago was Palm Sunday, a day that is both celebratory and frightening. Many people celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey as a sign that the Messiah was about to drive out the Romans, reform temple practices, and bring justice to the poor and needy. To the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman occupants, these were threats to their very way of life. Being in the middle of scary, strange, upsetting events feels threatening. Personal safety, protection of property, responding to the emergencies take priority. And all the while, the most consequential event in history was unfolding as the palm branches waved to the cries of “Hosanna – Please save us” filled the air.
Knowing the way the story ends from our perspective two millennia later can lead us to fast-forward from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. No one wants to go through the valley of the shadow of death. And yet, in the days leading up to the cross, Jesus’ teachings provide guidance that can help us in valley times.
Stick with the story, don’t skip to the happy ending quite yet. ~ Pastor Anne
Wayfinding 