Praise

Luke 19:28-40 (The Message)

28-31 After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem.

When he got near Bethphage and Bethany at the mountain called Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions:

"Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you'll find a colt tethered, one that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says anything, asks, 'What are you doing?' say, 'His Master needs him.'"

32-33 The two left and found it just as he said. As they were untying the colt, its owners said, "What are you doing untying the colt?"

34 They said, "His Master needs him."

35-36They brought the colt to Jesus. Then, throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. As he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street.

37-38 Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed:

Blessed is he who comes,
the king in God's name!
All's well in heaven!
Glory in the high places!

39 Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, "Teacher, get your disciples under control!"

40 But he said, "If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise."

Yesterday was a day of incredible significance in the history of our country.

My grandfathers grew up in a society where segregation was never even questioned. It was simply the way of life that everyone knew, and everyone knew their place. Everyone believed that nothing about that way of life could really ever change.

A black President was simply unimaginable. At that time, it even seemed that no one from the South could ever be elected, and no one could even think of the possibility of a person of color coming to the office.

My Father's generation witnessed change, but it wasn't easy.

He has memories of "white" bathrooms and water fountains. His grandmother once slapped him back when he almost drank from the "wrong" one.

He lived through the integration of schools and came of age during the turbulence of the 60's and early 70's.

My first teachers in elementary school were black women. My classrooms were evenly divided between white and black. My teammates were of all colors. But my churches were not.

As a child of the 80's coming of age in the early 90's, much racial progress had been made, but some things still seemed impossible. There were taboos that were not to be crossed.

Last week, I ate lunch with my 3rd grader, in his elementary school cafeteria. I saw a sea of black and white children eating together, completely enmeshed together at their tables. I didn't see pockets of color where like ate or talked with like. I heard laughter. I saw smiles.

There were no obvious social or economic differences. My son just happens to be pale with freckles and many of his friends happen to have darker skin.

I couldn't help hearing the voice of Dr. King somewhere deep in the back of my mind.

As we sat in the "red hills of Georgia," it struck me deeply that I was watching, "the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners...able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

When my sons first saw Obama on television, I asked them...what do you think about him? They said, "he's tall, and he seems really smart."

That's what they noticed. Tall, not black.

Last summer, after an afternoon at the pool, our then four year old asked why different people have different color skin. We explained that God makes us that way, that people have different color eyes, hair, skin. We asked him what color he was.

He looked at his arm...

"Pink," he said. There's a lot we can learn from children.

We've definitely come a long way in four generations.

What does all of this have to do with today's scripture from Luke? I'm glad you asked.

Last night, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Grant Park to celebrate and hail the new President-elect.

I don't think I've ever witnessed anything quite like that in my lifetime. People, as far as the eye could see, wildly celebrating a newly elected leader.

As we read this passage of scripture, it's hard not to draw comparisons. Jesus entered Jerusalem to throngs of shouting people...waving palm fronds...heralding him as a King.

In Jesus' time, not everyone celebrated his arrival. Certainly, the same was true last night. Wonderful, Chrisitan people voted for both candidates. Both candidates couldn't win. One had to lose.

Throughout the campaign, some have derisively referred to Obama as "messiah." There's no doubt, he has created a kind of "messianic" excitement in some of his supporters.

But it's important to remember, no matter who you supported for president, that no human being can be the messiah.

No matter who we voted for last night...all Christians have one and the same King.

No matter who we voted for...we can celebrate the significance of the moment, and acknowledge the positive changes that have come through the blood of previous generations.

No matter who we voted for...we can remember that we are all redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

And whether we were celebrating with the masses last night or not, we should all be committed to praising Jesus each and every day. If we didn't, "the stones would do it for us."

God is always, always good, and His steadfast love endures forever, for us all.

Prayer: God our Father, we lift to you today our current President George W. Bush. We pray that you would give him the gifts of wisdom and leadership in his remaining days in office.

We pray for John McCain and all who have given their time, energy and votes in support of his candidacy.

We pray for Barack Obama. May you bless him and his family and may your Holy Spirit rest upon him. May you make him equal to the tasks ahead, and may you help us all to be united as one country, and united in faith as followers of Jesus Christ.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.