Father God,
Lord Jesus,
Holy Spirit,
we walked through security,
boarded our planes,
flew while seated
and masked,
picked up our luggage,
and here we sit
in this room
at this place
at this time
on this day.

i ask You to now be
our security
as we fly toward new
ideas and words and stories,
help us pick up
needed luggage
and leave behind
what might be
holding us back,
and guide our minds
to see creatively,
and our hearts
to love deeply.

peace rather than
pressure or performance.

grace rather than
grading or ranking.

community rather than
competition or division.

help us receive Your love
and reflect that love.
for those who are grieving,
grieve with us.
for those who are afraid,
give us assurance.

with Your Word
guide our words.

on this Palm Sunday,
hold us in the palm
of Your hand.
as our minds think
and our hands type,
hold us.
carry us
and our words
as the Word,
riding our donkeys
of effort and energy
into towns
nearby and far away,
declaring again and again,
Hosanna!
blessed is He who comes
in the name of the Lord.
even through words
from our weak, shaky palms,
even through dizziness
entering on our own donkeys, 
help us shout
while sitting
in this room
at this place
at this time
on this day:
Hosanna!
blessed is He who comes
in the name of the Lord.

[12] The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. [13] They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” [14] Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: [15] “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” [16] At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. (John 12:12-16, NIV)