Hosanna in the Highest

Every year at this time, the song from “Jesus Christ Superstar” comes to my mind—Hosanna, hey sanna, sanna sanna ho/ Sanna hey, sanna hosanna. The crowd sings, celebrating Jesus as he comes into town. Caiphas responds, imploring Jesus to quiet the crowd. Jesus asserts that if the crowds are quiet, the very stones will cry out.

This Sunday, we will sing our own Hosannas. While we don’t have a Caiphas imploring us to be silent, we do hear that admonishment from the world around us. Why should we praise God when school children are being gunned down in school? Why should we praise God when there’s a war in Ukraine? Why should we praise God when the mental health of our kids is at a crisis level in the nation? Why should we praise God when our earth is groaning from our misuse? Be quiet!

Yet, Hosanna isn’t simply a celebratory word. The word Hosanna literally means save us please. If there is a time to sing hosanna, this is the time. Save us from the violence around us. Save us from our desire to be right at all costs. Save us from our willingness to put our needs above others. Save us from our short-sightedness. Save us from believing we know better than God. Save us, Jesus.

I invite you to worship on Sunday as we sing Hosanna and then hear the story of Jesus who saves. We will hear songs and Scripture of the Palm Sunday story and the Passion story from Matthew. We will celebrate and turn our eyes to the cross.

I invite you to worship on Sunday and then to join the crowd as we gather around the table for a cookout. Some of our men will be grilling hot dogs for us, Sanctuary UMC will bring desserts, and we invite you to bring a side to share. We will have conversation around our tables, receive information about the potential merger with Sanctuary, and enjoy time together as people of faith.

Join us Sunday. We look to Christ to save us please as we sing our hosannas, as we have conversation around the table, and as we return to a world in need of salvation.

Join us Sunday.
See you soon,
Pastor Lynn

WORSHIP SCHEDULE

• 8:30 a.m. Traditional service in Sanctuary and child care in Rm 15
• 10 a.m. Traditional service in Sanctuary and child care in Rm 15
• 10 a.m. Youth and children’s Sunday School and child care (except fifth Sundays)
• 10 a.m. Livestream premieres on YouTube and Website

To access our livestream service:

• From the main menu on our website click “Worship.”  -OR-
• Go to YouTube and search for UMC St. Mark’s Oro Valley or use this link.