It's Eastertime, and it really gets started this Sunday |
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This Sunday is Palm Sunday Come, join together in a happy celebration of the Lord's dramatic entrance into Jerusalem
known traditionally as Palm Sunday. This story, with its various levels of meaning, signals a new stage of his ministry. Jesus is nearing the completion of his 33 year project in the world. Little did people realize that this grand procession INTO the city would be followed just days later by a dramatic EXIT from everyone's sight - into a tomb. But every step in the Lord's short life had purpose, and behind it all was his abiding love for the spiritual well
being of the whole human race, including you and me.
So Let's Celebrate! With palms!
------------------------------------- Looking ahead...
Next Friday, April 14 is Good Friday - 7 pm You are invited to "dine with the Lord." We will honor Jesus' "last supper" with a quiet, reflective, prayer-filled service, including a special offering of the Holy Supper. The chapel will be candlelit, a "dining room" table will be set to represent the
gathering of the Lord with his disciples. Everyone is invited.
Next Sunday, April 16 is Easter! 7 am early service - outdoors 11 am Family festival worship service in the Chapel 12 noon Egg Hunt for the kidos 12:15 pm Potluck Luncheon for everyone - Bring something to add to the smorgasbord!
With love and respect, Nathan
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UPCOMING CHURCH ACTIVITIES: SUNDAY
4/9/2017 HAPPY PALM SUNDAY!
10:00 am Music
rehearsal 11 am Worship Service 12:00 pm Luncheon
MONDAY 4/10/2017
11 am Tai Chi for
Health 12:15 pm "Go for it" Meeting TUESDAY 4/11/2017 6:30 pm Spiritual Growth Group #4 with Frank Rose in the Children's Chapel
WEDNESDAY 4/12/2017 9:30 am Sermon Writing Team 6:30 pm Spiritual Growth Group #3 with Nathan Gladish at the Ada Peirce McCormick Bldg on the U of A campus
THURSDAY 4/13/2017
11 am Tai Chi - Yang Style
7 pm Women's Group. Contact Elise G, Betsy G, or Kelly W for location
FRIDAY 4/14/2017 7 pm
Good Friday Worship Service HAPPY EASTER! 7 am Outdoor Easter Service
11 am Easter Sunday Family Festival Service 12:00 pm Egg Hunt
Potluck Luncheon - Everyone Welcome!
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Still glowing after such a Glorious Event!How does one adequately thank everyone for such a great, successful event?
Thank You - to each and every one of you many people for all the planning and love and effort that went into making this weekend a delightful success!
I know that many people feel a real sense of satisfaction in pulling off this event - especially since for some people it seemed a lot bigger than originally imagined. There were really many parts and many players. It was a huge team
effort.
And there were some who did a lot more than others. I won't give names in this public forum, but you are the folks who did so much behind-the-scenes for months ahead of time. You are the folks who came forward with vision, ideas, and energy, and who volunteered to meet and collaborate with each team.
You took initiative and ran with the ball, and we accomplished much more together than we could have without you! You showed your love for Sunrise Chapel - its history as well as its present state - and your hope for its future. It is gratifying to work with you all - not only on this anniversary celebration, but on the ongoing project - to further the development of the Lord's New Church in this local part of the world. May the Lord continue to bless Sunrise Chapel! With love and respect, Nathan |
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Matthew 21:1-11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring
them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very
large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in
Galilee.”
The Symbolism of Palm Branches in the Word Revelation
Unveiled 367 (Swedenborg)
In the Bible, holding palm branches in the hands symbolizes confessions springing from Divine truths because palm branches symbolize Divine truths. For every tree symbolizes some element of the church, and palm branches symbolize Divine truth in outmost expressions, which is the Divine truth in the literal sense of the Word.
That palm trees symbolize Divine truths in the Word, and palm branches in the hands confessions springing from them, can be
seen from the fact that the Israelites were commanded to take, at the feast of Tabernacles, "the fruits of honorable trees and branches of palms, and rejoice before Jehovah." (Leviticus 23:39, 40)
It can be seen also from the fact that when Jesus came to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, the people "took palm branches and went to meet Him, crying, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" (John 12:12, 13)
These symbolize a confession of the Lord springing from Divine
truths.
A palm tree symbolizes Divine truth also in the book of Psalms:
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall grow...planted in the house of Jehovah; he shall sprout in the courts of our God. (Psalm 92:12, 13)
So, too, elsewhere.
Because Jericho was a city near the Jordan, and the Jordan river symbolized that which is first in the church, namely Divine truth such as it is in the literal sense of the Word, therefore the city was called the city of palms (Deuteronomy
34:3, Judges 1:16, 3:13). For the Jordan was the first boundary of or point of entrance into the land of Canaan, and the land of Canaan symbolizes the church. |
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Helping people experience heavenly joy through spiritual growth
www.sunrisechapel.org
nathan@sunrisechapel.org Office 520-298-1245
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