Traditionally, the last Sunday before Easter has been known as Palm Sunday. This Sunday at the end of Lent is a time for celebrating the final entry of Jesus into Jerusalem before his death. As Jesus and his disciples enter town others spread their cloaks and palm branches along the road to welcome them.
For the disciples, things go downhill pretty quickly from here. The story leads next into the Last Supper (Maundy Thursday), Jesus' arrest and crucifixion (Good Friday), and the tomb. Yes, Easter is on the other end of that. But they didn't know that as they walked into town. They didn't know that as they shared a meal. They didn't know that as armed men took Jesus away. They didn't know that as Jesus was questioned by the authorities. They didn't know that as their Messiah/teacher/friend suffered on the cross. They didn't know.
Now you may be asking, what does this have to do with Palm Sunday and didn't you mention the second best Star Wars movie. Well, as I noted above, the last Sunday in Lent has traditionally been Palm Sunday celebrating the entry into Jerusalem. All that other stuff with the last supper and Gethsemane and trials and torture and death all came later. But who goes to church on Thursday? And Friday? And then Sunday again? That's a lot of church. And you know how us Protestants can be; all that ritual is just so...Catholic. I'll just stick to Sunday, thanks.
But what happens when you show up on Palm Sunday, skip the Triduum, and then show back up on Easter? That's right. You skip The Empire Strikes Back (it's amazing how that fits. Hmmm...).
Imagine if you will watching the Star Wars trilogy (there is only one true trilogy). You get to the end of Star Wars. The Death Star explodes, the good guys win, Han and Luke get medals (because heaven forbid we honor someone other than the white guys), and scene. Now let's pop in Return of the Jedi.
Wait. Why is Han Solo on that wall? Why does Luke have a new lightsaber? And who taught him how to use it? What is going on?
That's what was happening to all those people just showing up on Sundays. They show up on Palm Sunday to celebrate Jesus entering Jerusalem. But when they come back on Easter, Jesus is raised from the dead. When did he die? What did we miss? What is going on?
To offset this problem a bit, many churches now celebrate the final Sunday of Lent as Palm/Passion Sunday. They start off with waving palms and shouts of hosanna and then read the next three days worth of readings - the Last Supper, Jesus in the garden, the trial, the torture, the cross. All of it. All in one day. Instead of a trilogy, they get some mashup of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.
But at least Return of the Jesus now makes a whole lot more sense.
Perhaps it would be ideal to continue to offer the story in the traditional manner. Want to now how we got from palms to the empty tomb? Well, I guess you better show up midweek next year. But if that is the only way we teach the story - on our terms how we want it shared - I'm afraid a whole lot of people are going to miss it.
Sometimes you want to sit down for a marathon and watch the whole Trilogy in one sitting. Other times you want to space it out a bit and take some time to savor each part of the story. There is no wrong way as long as the story is shared.
Just don't watch Episodes 1-3.