Personal Moments from Holy Week

My original plan for Holy Week this year was to be in the Dominican Republic serving the community of Batey Nueve (#9) through a medical clinic and a couple days of kids ministry, but that plan fell through due to some unforeseeable circumstances. It appears my trip will be rescheduled for early July, and while I’m anxious to get out of “The States” I trust that July will be a better time to go than this week would have been.  This week has been full of pleasant twists and turns, and I’m excited to share some of them with you.

Part One: Palm Sunday

Saturday Night before Palm Sunday, I was planning on having friends over to discuss current events, but nobody showed up for the usual 7-7:30 start time. I took it as a prime opportunity to chill at home, until a friend called at 9PM to tell me, “I’ve decided to come.”  I was on the verge of telling him that nobody else had showed up and he didn’t need to bother driving over, when he continued to say, “I’m right out front of your house.”

I invited my friend in, served him dinner, and we talked for a while.  About an hour talking and exchanging life stories, the conversation grew heavy and tiring. Then, I remembered the conversation I had with my pastor earlier that afternoon — there were no palm leaves for Palm Sunday!

My friend and I hopped in my car and prowled around the neighborhood looking for unsuspeting palm trees. We found a few in front of a local government non-profit building, but I couldn’t cut their branches with the scissors I had brought. Thwarted by the ineffectiveness of my tools, it began to settle in how guilty I felt for taking the branches without permission.

Truly unable to sever the leaves from their stalk, we drove home to retrieve my cutlery set and got back in the car to pursue a different course of action.  We drove to the nearest 24 hour business with palm trees, which turned out to be a 24 Hour Fitness center.  We walked up to the front desk and asked the clerk if we could cut a couple branches from their trees upfront, but he said we’d have to wait an hour to ask the manager — talk about waiting till the 11th hour…

Not wanting to wait around, we drove down the road a little further to a gas station.  We stepped into the convenience center and I found a package each of Reese’s Piece and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. While we were checking out, I asked the cashiers whether we could have a couple branches from the palm trees out front for our church.  The gentlemen looked dumbfounded and said, “You’re church is supposed to give you those.” I assured them I was part of my church’s creative ministries team, and they insisted my church should provide them. They spoke amongst themselves about how if they were the manager, they would say no, but when I asked again they reluctantly told me to go ahead and take them.

I felt much better taking the branches with permission — or at least a neutral acknowledgment and acceptance from the responsible parties. I honestly admit it was quite odd to walk around the front of a gas station (beacon of florescent lights and symbol of American consumerism) with a large steak knife in my hand.  In the midst of those short Las Vegas palms, I felt I was in the jungle, almost as if I was in a scene from Lord of the Flies. I quickly found the prime branches, cut them down, and threw them in the back seat before a cop drove by. With that, my friend and I went home to feast on Reese’s and ice cream.

~ by sexyreligion on March 22, 2008.