April Fool's Day

Doubtless, many preachers will make the obvious connection between Palm Sunday and April Fool's Day. It's a connection the Apostle Paul first made in writing,

I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas." So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe. God's way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true. And it is foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God. This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength. Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. (I Corinthians 1:18-27 in the New Living Translation)

and

Stop fooling yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you will have to become a fool so you can become wise by God's standards. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. (I Corinthians 3:18-19 NLT)

At St. Thomas' Church Upper Ferntree Gully on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, they got an early start on this by making "Fools for Christ" their theme for Lent. You can read the Rev. Susanne Chambers' Palm Sunday sermon for St. Thomas online here: Fool for Christ.

In the archives is the sermon Holy Foolishness.

What would our lives look life if we were unafraid to be fools for Christ? What would happen if you decided it was better to please God than to be concerned about what other people think of you?

Note:
For those interested in tying palm branches into crosses, King of Peace offers a clear set of illustrated directions here: How to Tie Palm Crosses.

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor