342. Palm Sunday Procession (Series A)

The LSB 3-year lectionary changes the Sunday one week before Easter, historically known as Palmarum or Palm Sunday, to Sunday of the Passion and, for the Gospel lesson, each year of the cycle calls for the reading of the entire Passion history according to Matthew (Year A), Mark (Year B), Luke (Year C) or John (an alternate option all three years). Funnily enough, I already wrote a Passion According to ___ Hymn for all four evangelists; are they not posted here, here, here and here? As I've repeated over and over, I don't feature repeating myself. So I'm going to jump through a loophole: the LSB lectionary also includes a Gospel lesson (only) for "Palm Sunday Procession," I guess as a concession to the mob that would have lynched the lectionary committee if they had completely abolished children marching up the aisle with palm branches. So I'm going to focus on that bonus reading, in this case from John 12:12-19. I may run into trouble when I get round to this point in Years B and C, since the lesson is the same all three times; I may have to do an Old Testament- or Epistle-centered hymn for those.

Hosanna! Blest is Christ the Lord,
Even the King of Israel,
Astride a donkey and her colt
As Zechariah saw so well!

Oh, that He might ride over us,
That we His rough way might make plain!
Think what it cost to cover us,
To bear our sin in blood and pain!

Though He came in with hopeful cheers,
Some, watching, tasted bitter gall;
They hoped, with jealousy and fear,
That One indeed would die for all.

Oh, that they knew their prophecy
Was what the Savior had in mind;
And that, through their injustice, He
Would die to justify mankind!

Come, even now, our priestly King,
Crowned not with thorns but victory.
We will Your strong salvation sing,
That Your right hand does valiantly.

Oh, that the builders knew the Stone
That they rejected, now the Key!
Oh, that committed to atone,
He might our full devotion see!

But surely, Christ, who knows all things,
Had all our days and praise in view,
And knew each who Hosanna sings,
And rode on toward what He must do.

Oh, that not only cloaks and palms,
But hearts and lives and all we have,
Might line that road, might act as balms,
Might soothe His suffering to save!

But thanks to God, to Christ we owe
That He did not withhold that cup,
And shrank not from one drop of woe,
The purpose for His going up.

Hosanna to the King of Kings,
To David's Son and David's Lord:
From Her safe sanctuary sings
One joyful, thankful, holy horde.

The tune I chose is the Welsh traditional LLEDROD, which Lutheran Worship and Lutheran Book of Worship both paired with "Forth in the peace of Christ we go." I think it has a bit of that "triumphal" something-or-other that a hymn like this calls for, while also being different and catchy. Sorry, there's no artwork showng the music at this time; I'm afraid I have to write an original accompaniment for the tune, because the arrangement in LW and LBW is no doubt copyrighted.