Sunday Musings - April 2, 2023
Psalm Sunday - The next right thing
In the Christian religious tradition, the Sunday prior to Easter is celebrated as Psalm Sunday so named in honor of the biblical account of Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. People gathered and spread cloaks, cut branches and leaves before him as a symbol of welcome and worship. The importance of the story, as it is recounted, is that Jesus entered knowing he would be tried and crucified. Prior to the cross, Jesus is reported to have prayed in the garden three times, “My father, if it is possible, may this cup pass from me.” “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26)
All of us have wanted to avoid tough situations by running away, hiding under the covers, or pretending as if we did not receive that phone call or letter. None of us wants to face the reality of ourselves or someone else dying in a dangerous situation such a fire or combat. None of us want to imagine sitting with a beloved while they are living their last day or facing possible dire test results.
All of us have those tasks at home or work which we would rather avoid; a difficult conversation with our boss or family members; having to face the judge in a court of law for a deed we cannot undo; facing a partner or a child after having said something very unkind knowing we may not be forgiven or treated with mercy.
One may often hear the advice to do the next right thing. One may have used alcohol, other drugs, excessive food, sex, accumulation of material wealth or other means of running from uncomfortable situations. When deciding to stop running it is with the full knowledge one must put on one’s big boy or big girl pants and face emotions or an action one would rather avoid. Just this week I had a text from a friend who said she is not motivated to do some physically and emotionally tough tasks. Yet, knowing this woman she will soon do what needs to be done. Another friend recently spent some days sitting with her husband while he breathed his last breaths. Now she is home and facing the reality that her beloved husband is not returning.
Several people with/for whom I am working as a counselor are learning that they are strong enough to face their anxiety, panic or other tough obstacles which may have kept them imprisoned for a long time. It is uncomfortable but they are determined to step by step reclaim their lives.
Perhaps this is the reminder of Psalm Sunday no matter our religious background. We can do the next right thing. We may not have to face the judge and the extremely painful reality of crucifixion on a wooden cross, but we all have our own crosses to face or to decide we will forever hide in a cave which is momentarily physically safe but devoid of connection or purpose; a cave in which our spirits wither and die.
We cannot wait for the donkey or the spreading of cloaks and leaves. There may be no one to cheer us on or weep when we face the pain and loneliness of our personal metaphorical crucifixion. Yet, as we resolve to do the next right thing, we will regain something more valuable than a few more days on this brief life journey - our integrity and self-respect. It is fine if we find ourselves praying, “God is there not another, easier, softer, less painful way.” In the end, however we need to add, “Not as I will but as you will.” We may be reminded of the children’s story of the train and its resolve to show the big engine that it could pull the long line of cars to the top. There are many versions of the story with the earliest published in a Swedish journal in 1906. Later a version was published in 1910 by Mary C Jacobs entitled The Pony Engine. Still later the same story was published as The Little Engine That Could. In all the various versions, the little engine does what the bigger engines were convinced they could not. Going up the hill the little engine says “I think I can. I think I can.” Going down the other side of the hill it can be heard saying, “I thought I could. I thought I could.”
We can imagine Jesus saying some form of “With Gods help I can endure this terrible pain.” And later saying, “I knew I could. I knew I could.”
Faith in ourselves and faith in the God of our understanding will allow us to have the strength to face difficult or painful tasks. We can move forward. We can do the next right thing.
Written April 2, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Psalm Sunday - The next right thing
In the Christian religious tradition, the Sunday prior to Easter is celebrated as Psalm Sunday so named in honor of the biblical account of Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. People gathered and spread cloaks, cut branches and leaves before him as a symbol of welcome and worship. The importance of the story, as it is recounted, is that Jesus entered knowing he would be tried and crucified. Prior to the cross, Jesus is reported to have prayed in the garden three times, “My father, if it is possible, may this cup pass from me.” “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26)
All of us have wanted to avoid tough situations by running away, hiding under the covers, or pretending as if we did not receive that phone call or letter. None of us wants to face the reality of ourselves or someone else dying in a dangerous situation such a fire or combat. None of us want to imagine sitting with a beloved while they are living their last day or facing possible dire test results.
All of us have those tasks at home or work which we would rather avoid; a difficult conversation with our boss or family members; having to face the judge in a court of law for a deed we cannot undo; facing a partner or a child after having said something very unkind knowing we may not be forgiven or treated with mercy.
One may often hear the advice to do the next right thing. One may have used alcohol, other drugs, excessive food, sex, accumulation of material wealth or other means of running from uncomfortable situations. When deciding to stop running it is with the full knowledge one must put on one’s big boy or big girl pants and face emotions or an action one would rather avoid. Just this week I had a text from a friend who said she is not motivated to do some physically and emotionally tough tasks. Yet, knowing this woman she will soon do what needs to be done. Another friend recently spent some days sitting with her husband while he breathed his last breaths. Now she is home and facing the reality that her beloved husband is not returning.
Several people with/for whom I am working as a counselor are learning that they are strong enough to face their anxiety, panic or other tough obstacles which may have kept them imprisoned for a long time. It is uncomfortable but they are determined to step by step reclaim their lives.
Perhaps this is the reminder of Psalm Sunday no matter our religious background. We can do the next right thing. We may not have to face the judge and the extremely painful reality of crucifixion on a wooden cross, but we all have our own crosses to face or to decide we will forever hide in a cave which is momentarily physically safe but devoid of connection or purpose; a cave in which our spirits wither and die.
We cannot wait for the donkey or the spreading of cloaks and leaves. There may be no one to cheer us on or weep when we face the pain and loneliness of our personal metaphorical crucifixion. Yet, as we resolve to do the next right thing, we will regain something more valuable than a few more days on this brief life journey - our integrity and self-respect. It is fine if we find ourselves praying, “God is there not another, easier, softer, less painful way.” In the end, however we need to add, “Not as I will but as you will.” We may be reminded of the children’s story of the train and its resolve to show the big engine that it could pull the long line of cars to the top. There are many versions of the story with the earliest published in a Swedish journal in 1906. Later a version was published in 1910 by Mary C Jacobs entitled The Pony Engine. Still later the same story was published as The Little Engine That Could. In all the various versions, the little engine does what the bigger engines were convinced they could not. Going up the hill the little engine says “I think I can. I think I can.” Going down the other side of the hill it can be heard saying, “I thought I could. I thought I could.”
We can imagine Jesus saying some form of “With Gods help I can endure this terrible pain.” And later saying, “I knew I could. I knew I could.”
Faith in ourselves and faith in the God of our understanding will allow us to have the strength to face difficult or painful tasks. We can move forward. We can do the next right thing.
Written April 2, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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