Palm Sunday is just days away, which means Easter is around the corner! I’m not yet ready for Easter to come because I have no idea how to transition back onto facebook. It has been a really nice break, and my days have been calmer yet fuller for all the hours I don’t lose to social media. Of course, I’m looking forward to Easter for so much more than breaking my facebook fast, but I am also doing my best to savour Lent rather than wish it away.
One thing I’ve enjoyed over Lent is having more time for music – I alternate playing piano at church with another woman from the congregation, and I’ve been practising quite a bit because it’s my turn to play on Palm Sunday. One of the hymns I chose to play is All Glory, Laud and Honor (recommended by eHow, which actually has an article for everything, including good hymns for Palm Sunday. It’s crazy.) and one of the verses has blown me away. Hymns get a bad rap sometimes because they have weird melodies and strange words, and they’re so much less palatable than new songs. For better or for worse, however, I’m glad our church has a blended service because so many hymns have nuggets of theological gold that we’d be foolish to simply toss. Hymns may not sweep me away with emotion, but getting backhanded with truth is sometimes just as effective for the state of my soul as a good cry during a light show.
What am I getting at? The third verse of this hymn goes,
To Thee, before Thy passion, They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted, Our melody we raise;
Thou didst accept their praises— Accept the praise we bring,
Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King!
The truth that stunned me into silence as I read over this hymn is that Jesus knew the crowds shouting Hosanna and throwing their coats into the road for him to ride over would call for his execution just days later. But he accepted their praise. And he accepts our praise. He accepts my praise.
What a loving God we serve who accepts our worship from our sincere hearts, even though He knows we will fail him before we leave the church parking lot. What an amazing Saviour who did not hold out for recognition, appreciation or validation but emptied himself for our sakes while we were still his enemies.
Wherever your find yourself on Palm Sunday, whether it’s a church service or a grocery store, I hope you know that God wants your heart, whatever state it’s in. If you love God, tell him so without fear that he’ll reject you for anything in your past, present or future. God is love, and he is worthy of our praise, whether we are worthy to praise him or not.