Script for Palm Sunday
( Lisa walks to to the front of the altar. As she nears the altar, we hear four voices from the congregation, in quick succession)
MARK
Hosanna!
STACY
Hosanna!
STEVE
Hosanna!
ELISE
Hosanna!
Then 2-3 seconds of complete silence, at the end of which Lisa speaks.
LISA
On the outskirts of Jerusalem
the donkey waited.
Not especially brave or filled with understanding,
he stood and waited.
Tied to a tree as usual, he waited.
Then he let himself be led away.
Then he let the stranger mount.
Never had he seen such crowds!
And I wonder if he at all imagined what was to happen.
Still, he was what he had always been: small, dark, obedient.
I hope, finally, he felt brave.
I hope, finally, he loved the man who rode so lightly upon him,
as he lifted one dusty hoof and stepped, as he had to, forward.
AP (from the back of the sanctuary)
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals one on his right and one on his left.
LISA
Yes. There is no question that is the place toward which this day points us. On this day, if we commit ourselves fully to Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, we follow his footsteps all the way to the cross. We are invited to do more than observe this story. We enter into it, become part of it.
(During the following speech, people respond with “It is I” spoken softly as indicated by name)
Are we the soldier who drives the nails – just doing his job? (Steve) Or Mary the mother of Jesus, holding our losses in our arms?
(Ashley) Or Pilate, sick of the whole thing and wanting to wash our hands of the affair? (Jane) Are we Judas, angry with our teachers and wanting to find some way to benefit from our disappointment? (Mark) Or the beloved disciple who stood beneath the cross? (Mike)
Sometimes, might we be Jesus — willing to risk and lose everything to love without conditions? (Kip) Or an unnamed person in the human swarm of that day? (all)
Whatever may be our place in the story, we are called to be on the journey with Jesus. Because he was, is, and always will be with us on our journeys.
GERI
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.
LISA
Those are words of the Prophet Isaiah. But Jesus gave those words life when he said, “Come to me, you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” He not only hears our cries, he invites them.
ASHLEY
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;
STACY
For my life is wasted with grief
my strength fails me because of affliction,
And my bones are consumed
MARK
I have become a reproach to my enemies and even to my neighbors.
I am forgotten like one who is dead.
ELISE
Fear is all around.
STEVE
But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord.
I have said, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand.
JANE
When the time for the Passover meal came, Jesus took his place at the table and the apostles with him. He said,
KIP
I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
ASHLEY
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble.
ELISE
My times are in your hand.
AP
Then Jesus took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying
KIP
This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
GERI
And he did the same with the cup, saying:
KIP
This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
MIKE — strong!
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
STACY
Who, though he was in the form of God
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited
but emptied himself
MARK
…. emptied himself
STEVE
…. emptied himself
GERI
…. taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness
ALL VOICES
…. Human likeness!!
ASHLEY
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death —
KIP
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backward.
MIKE
Even death on a cross.
KIP
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble
JANE
He went to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.
He said to them
KIP
Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.
STACY
Then he withdrew from them, knelt down, and prayed
KIP
Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.
GERI
The Lord God helps me.
It is the Lord God who helps me.
AP
Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling on the ground.
ELISE
When he got up from prayer he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief.
SEVERAL VOICES, repeating:
For my life is wasted with grief ….
KIP
Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.
LISA
Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.
Jesus said, wait with me. And maybe the stars did, maybe
the wind wound itself into a silver tree and didn’t move,
maybe
the lake far away, where once he walked as on a
blue pavement,
lay still and waited, wild awake.
Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not
keep that vigil, how they must have wept,
so utterly human, knowing this too
must be part of the story.
MIKE
Suddenly a crowd came and the one called Judas
ALL VOICES
Judas!
MIKE
Was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said
KIP
Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?
ELISE
Then he said to the authorities,
JESUS
This is your hour and the power of darkness.
MARK
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble.
STEVE
They seized him and led him away to the high priest’s house.
But Peter was following
AP
at a distance.
ASHLEY
A servant girl stared at Peter and said, “This man was with him!”
AP
Woman, I do not know him!
GERI
A little later someone else said, “You also are one of them.”
AP
Man, I am not!
STACY
Later, another kept insisting, “Surely this man also was with him!”
ALL VOICES, sequentially
I do not know what you are talking about!!
MIKE
Jesus turned and looked at Peter, who remembered Jesus’ words:
KIP
Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.
ELISE
And Peter wept bitterly.
AP
My life is wasted with grief
I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors.
ASHLEY
When day came, the chief priests and scribes brought him to their council.
STEVE
If you are the Messiah, tell us!
KIP
If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.
MIKE
Are you the Son of God?
KIP
You say that I am.
MARK
What further testimony to we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!
ELISE
Then they brought Jesus before Pilate.
MIKE
We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah …
STACY
… a King!
JANE
Are you the king of the Jews?
KIP
You say so.
JANE
I find no basis for an accusation against this man.
GERI
He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.
KIP
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.
(derisive sounds from many voices)
MARK
When Pilate learned Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod.
STEVE
Herod hoped to see Jesus perform some sign, and questioned him at length, but Jesus gave him no answer.
ASHLEY
Herod mocked him, put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate, who called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people.
KIP
I gave my back to those who struck me;
I did not hide myself from insult and spitting.
JANE
You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people, and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. He has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore I will have him flogged and release him.
(uproar from many voices, with one voice topping them all)
MIKE
NO!! Away with this man! Release Barabbas for us!
JANE
Why? What evil has he done?
VOICES, repeatedly, howling viciously
Crucify him! Crucify! Crucify him!
(all action freezes)
LISA
Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, who had been put in prison for murder and insurrection, and he handed Jesus over as they had wished.
AP
Two criminals were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
KIP
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
STACY
He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God,
his chosen one.
(the following three speeches from Isaiah are spoken mockingly, accompanied by derisive laughter)
MARK
The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced
ELISE
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me!
STEVE
It is the Lord God who helps me;
Who will declare me guilty?
ASHLEY
If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.
MIKE
One of the criminals derided him.
AP
Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!
STACY
But the other said,
GERI
Do you not fear God? We have been condemned justly and are getting what we deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
KIP
Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
MARK
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. The sun’s light failed, and the curtain of the temple was torn on two.
KIP
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!
(loud cry from Jesus, joined by all, and then a stoppage of breath followed by an audible exhalation)
LISA
When the centurion saw what had taken place, he said
STEVE
Certainly, this man was innocent.
(several voices echo “innocent” very softly)
ASHLEY
And when the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.
AP
But his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him stood at a distance, watching these things.
(as Lisa speaks the following poem, people peel off, slowly, one at a time, from the chancel area, and return to the congregation, remaining standing throughout the following poem)
LISA
Six hours outstretched in the sun, yes,
hot wood, the nails, blood trickling
into the eyes, yes —
but the thieves on their neighbor crosses
survived till after the soldiers
had come to fracture their legs, or longer.
Why single out this agony?
Torture then, torture now,
the pain’s the same.
Hasn’t a child
dazed in the hospital ward they reserve
for the most abused, known worse?
The air we’re breathing, we share
with women and men who’ve held out
days and weeks on the rack.
But Julian of Norwich leapt
to the difference:
why among all the tortured
One only is “King of Grief.”
the oneing
with the Godhead opened him utterly
to the pain of all minds, all bodies
from first beginning
to last day. The great wonder is
that the human cells of his flesh and bone
didn’t explode.
Unique in agony, infinite strength
empowered him to endure
inside of history,
through those hours when he took to himself
the sum total of anguish:
seeing it
seeing it whole. Every sorrow and desolation He saw,
VOICE
My God …
VOICE
My God …
VOICE
Why have you forsaken me.
(singly, all readers repeat “me”)
LISA
Every sorrow and desolation of the world he saw,
Every sorrow and desolation of ours he saw,
and sorrowed in kinship.
The scripture readings for Palm Sunday can be found here, but were not be read in the 9:00 & 11:00 am services because the presentation of the Passion Gospel includes selections compiled from all the appointed passages. Also included are excerpts from three poems: “The Poet Thinks About the Donkey” and Gethsemane” by Mary Oliver and “On a Theme From Julian’s Chapter XX” by Denise Levertov.
