#OccupyPalmSunday 2017

This Sunday, April 9th the Christian church throughout the world will celebrate Palm Sunday — the commemoration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem during the Jewish Passover festival. As the story goes, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, a bit of street theater parodying imperial power. Shortly thereafter he entered the Temple and disrupted business as usual to help the people see how their religious practices had been corrupted, disadvantaging the poor and the foreigners among them.For the last six years the Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance (LSEA) has come together for worship and public action to name the ways that state power and religious communities must continue to be challenged and reformed for the sake of the most vulnerable among us. We call this annual action #OccupyPalmSunday.This year’s action will begin with a joint worship service at Humboldt Park United Methodist Church (2120 N. Mozart St.) beginning at 10:30am and ending by noon. Following a light lunch for those marching, there will be a street parade — a procession with palm branches and signs — ending on the east side of Palmer Square.Once there, we will hear personal testimonies from people in our neighborhood directly affected by the federal government’s agenda of detentions and deportations of undocumented people, along with those who have been working to reduce police violence and increase civilian oversight of the Chicago Police Department. Finally, we will hear from elected officials who stand with us in demanding that Chicago be a place of sanctuary for all people — regardless of race or citizenship.The crowds that followed Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on horseback did so knowing that they might provoke the powers that be into violent retaliation, because they could no longer accept the status quo, because they weren’t willing to live in a state of constant fear, because their faith had created in them a renewed hope that God was still leading them into liberation and freedom.Aren’t we, too, sick of the status quo? Aren’t we, too, tired of living in fear of the next breaking news story? Aren’t we, too, convinced that God’s plan for us and for the world is freedom, reconciliation, and fullness of life?Come. Join the parade. Let’s march into history together!

Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance / #OccupyPalmSunday 2017

Sunday, April 9, 2017

10:30am - Worship at Humboldt Park UMC (2120 N Mozart)12:30pm - March to Palmer Square1:00pm - Public Rally to #ExpandSanctuary and #OccupyPalmSunday1:30pm - Blessing and Sending

RSVP here to let us know you’re coming. Invite others to join you!