A Poem for Palm Sunday

The following poem was written for the Palm Sunday service at the church I attend. I was so grateful to be asked to write a poem or a prayer for the service, I combined the two. I post it here in honor of Holy Week. (I cannot seem to control the line spacing on this thing no matter what I do, so I am giving it to you anyway. Please, imagine it single spaced, with double spaces between stanzas.)

Palm Sunday Prayer

I come to You with the joy

Of recognition,

You are my Savior, My God,

Lord Jesus.

I gladly wave my palm

And lay down my red coat for you to walk upon

Just as the Palm Sunday crowds have ever done.

We are all the same people.

A little thought more

And I am humbled, Lord,

For we are all the same people.

The same people who sang, “Hosanna!”

With such joy,

Cried, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

With disappointment, with anger, with confusion, with fear.

We are all the same people.

When You have not met my expectations,

I, too, have doubted, have turned on You,

And failed You, Lord.

We are all the same people.

A few pages on

I see myself in Peter

Boldly promising to follow You

Even into danger and death

If that be necessary

So great is my love for you.

But we are all the same people, Lord,

And I know I have failed You.

Time and time again,

I have denied You,

When peer pressure, and fearful troubles, and danger crowded in.

We are all the same people, Lord.

Still, You are my Savior and my God, Lord Jesus,

For You know we are all the same people.

From the cross, You prayed,

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Through the Word, You counsel,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart

And lean not on your own understanding.”

After Your resurrection,

In Peter’s dark days of shame

You included him in Your invitation

To meet with You in Galilee.

You called him there by name---

“Tell Peter to come,” You said.

We hear it all in gratitude

For we are all the same

Needing to grow in faith and fortitude

To follow You.

If we fail,

When we fail,

Forgive our faltering ways

And change us, Lord.

Enable us to fail less and follow more.

Call us by name again, Lord.

Call us again and again.