The triumphal joy of Palm Sunday is in sharp contrast to the despair at Good Friday. Is this celebration by Jesus’ disciples inappropriate for the seriousness of Holy Week; or is it a kind of whistling in the dark? How do we reconcile these two observances, Palm Sunday and Good Friday? Perhaps the joy of Palm Sunday is in anticipation of the glory of Easter even though the disciples were right about Jesus' final triumph even if they did not anticipate the troubled week ahead. So we now sing Sunday hymns about the coming glory of heaven even when we do not plan on leaving on the following Monday. We live in anticipation of that final exaltation when it arrives. The truth of the matter is that we need both joyous celebration and solemn contemplation. One without the other leaves us seriously out of balance. In our relationship with each other, scripture enjoins us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. So whether you literally wave your palm branches on Sunday or metaphorically wave them in your mind, go ahead and rejoice. You deserve it and we enjoy celebrating with it. I imagine even the Heavenly Father smiles as we celebrate God’s triumph through God’s son, Jesus Christ. Ride on King Jesus. We will spread our coats before your path and wave our branches in your honor. You are our king and it is a joy to celebrate arrival.