"When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, "The Lord needs them." And he will send them immediately. This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and He sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ When He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’ " --Matt. 21: 1-11 (fb)

Grace and Peace from our Lord, Savior, and God, Jesus Christ, In Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins is a Hobbit, a race known for their simple, gentle, kind, and home loving nature. They are not known as grand warriors or strong people who perform mighty acts of valor. Yet, it is to Frodo that J.R.R Tolkien portrays as the hero of the tale. Ironically, Frodo is not painted as a hero because he learns how to be strong or powerful. He is not painted as a hero who conquers or overcomes. He is not even a hero who commands respect by others. By all metrics, he is not the “typical” hero figure we often associate with heroes in our tales of fiction. Instead, he is painted as a hero because he is quiet, gentle, kind, forgiving, simple, and loving. He is painted as a hero because he endures a burden far greater than he can handle by himself. He is a hero because he is weak, meek, and humble. Moreover, as the story unfolds, we discover that it is only through these qualities that evil is ultimately thwarted and defeated. So much so that at the end of the trilogy, all bow before him (and other hobbits) in honor and respect. Even the King of Gondor does this! This story reflects something quite profound in the Narrative of Scripture. Although we probably would cast God in the role of some powerful, mighty, warrior, like Rambo, Scripture portrays God, especially Christ, far more like Frodo than Rambo. One such example is found when Christ enters into Jerusalem on a lowly donkey… You can prepare for the service by reading Zech. 9:9. Worship starts at 11am, but if you are unable to attend the service, you can watch it online here: https://www.youtube.com/@asburyunitedmethodistchu.../streams Also, a few other things you can do in order to prepare for service: 1. Pray the rest of the week. Pray for me that I preach well. Pray that the people receive the message well. Pray that all of us meet God this Sunday. 2. Worship this week. Do not wait till Sunday to worship. Start singing the hymns and songs now. Help your neighbor. Spend time in quiet solitude with God. Take time to worship today. 3. Get there early. 4. Invite people to come to the service. 5. Bring your Bible. 6. Take notes during service. 7. Do not treat Church like a Country club. 8. Focus on God. I hope to see you there if you can make it! With love, compassion, and prayer, Reverend Michael G. Whitcomb-Tavey (fb)