Introduction
In John Koenig’s quirky little book, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, he invents words to describe hyper specific feelings or emotions that we all have, but often lack the vocabulary to describe. One of of them is “Sonder” which he describes as “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.” I love this definition but also see it as an invitation, an opportunity to consider life from perspectives and experiences other than my own. This Palm Sunday we’re going to do just that. Using the Apostle John’s description of events, we’re going to look at the story from the various perspectives of the different characters in the telling. What we learn just might surprise you.
Grace and peace, y’all,
John Ray and the teaching team
Text:
Lord’s Prayer
Christ, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
