I had a neat experience on "Palm Saturday."
[Actually there is no official designation of "Palm Saturday," but I will use the term because it seems a lot less awkward than referring to the day as "the Saturday immediately before Palm Sunday."]
But whatever we want to call it, I had a neat experience that day.
The day began with a journey to Massena for the Sunrise Sub-district's annual Communion Breakfast. This year about one hundred of us from UMC churches in our area (including fifteen from Potsdam) gathered at Dar's restaurant for breakfast, communion and worship with Bishop Webb.
It was time well spent. Bishop Webb not only has deep faith, but he has a God given gift to speak gently and meaningfully to everyone. I continue to be amazed by this gift.
In addition, during the celebration of Holy Communion, I received the bread and juice from a high school student whom I had baptized seven years ago as one of my last acts as pastor of Grace UMC in Massena. Having her serve me brought moisture to my eyes.
Then in the early afternoon I took a shorter trip. This time I went to Hosmer Hall for Fen Wang's piano recital. Once again, it was time well spent.
You will remember Fen. She is the Crane graduate piano student from China who came to our rescue Christmas Eve.
Too, you will remember our situation: Debby was in Baltimore for her surgery. Paula had graduated and was home in Red Hook. Kevin, who was scheduled to start in mid January was with his family in Arkansas. Katie likewise was with her family. Ralph had committed himself to playing at another church. Michelle Rae Martin Atwood was in Canada.
But Michelle arranged for Fen (to whom she was teaching organ) to play for us. Fen did not have a church music background, but threw herself into learning. She rehearsed as hard as anyone I have seen. And she did a marvelous job of enriching our Christmas Eve service. Fen had e-mailed me on (Palm?) Friday and invited me to her recital. Now, I had worked on my taxes during that week . Then I had driven to Massena to be with the Bishop and others that morning. And I was not finished with the first draft of my sermon. In addition, I knew that in the next eight days, I had five services to lead. Very frankly, it wasn't the best day for me to go to a piano recital.
I could have begged off because I had too much on my plate.
But instead, I went.
I went because I remained (and will continue to remain) truly grateful for the help Fen gave us in our time of need. If she could support us when we needed her, it only seemed appropriate for me to support her when she had something special going on.
Still, my decision to go was made more compelling by a line in her e-mail invitation. She said, "I don't have many friends here." Without that line, I would not have given thought to what it must be like to be thousands of miles from family and friends who simply could not attend. As for me, I was just down the street. I was moved that Fen thought enough of her contact with us to invite me to be there. Could I really have made any other decision? Could I, really and in good conscience, have said that I was too busy?
She gave an amazing performance. I enjoyed every minute of it. She is a gifted and talented young woman.
Part of the way through the recital I found myself thinking about the Bishop's morning message. He talked about the woman who anointed Christ with expensive perfume. He approach to the story was interesting, creative, and meaningful. In the course of things, he pointed out that virtually everyone who went to Jesus asked him for something.
This woman (who was criticized for her "wasting" perfume that could have been sold to raise money to help the poor) was the only one in any of the four gospels who went to him to simply say, "I love you." Bishop Webb concluded his message by urging us to follow the example of this woman and tell Jesus that we love him.
And then it hit me. My being at the recital was not in anyway motivated by asking for anything. I was there simply to tell Fen that we love her and that we continue to appreciate what she did for us.
In saying that to one of God's children, I was also doing exactly what the Bishop had urged us to do. I was telling Jesus that I love Him and that I continue to appreciate what He has done for me and for us.
Without Bishop Webb's remarks that same "Palm Saturday" morning, I would never have fully grasped what I was doing.
And I would never have been able to share with you just how easy it is to do so - even for a flawed human being like me.
Jim