When our kids were little, before I was a pastor, a man in our church named Pete bought himself a Porsche Boxster.  I remember thinking, “Wow, I have never seen a Porsche in the parking lot of a Methodist church!”  I also remember wondering, is it ethical for a Christian to own such an expensive car?  Maybe some of that money should have been given to the poor???  Sounds like today’s scripture lesson!  Not that I ever said anything to him about it.  It was none of my business what he did with his money.  Plus I knew that Pete gave all the credit for his financial success to God.  He was a very faithful, generous and responsible person. But it didn’t take long to find out that Pete was also a reckless person.  At first I thought it was just a rumor.  Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part.  You see, word got around church that Pete had offered to loan his fancy new Porsche Boxster coupe to a twelfth-grade boy to use on prom night.  Can you imagine?  Who would do such a crazy thing—letting an 18 year old borrow their brand new Porsche for the prom?  Then I heard he offered it to another boy from church who went to a neighboring high school to use on his prom night.  Turned out, the rumors were true, and Pete’s generosity wasn’t limited to those two boys.  For several years, he offered his Porsche to any twelfth-grade boy in the church who wanted to borrow it for his prom.I tell this story partly out of jealousy, a lot out of admiration, and mostly to illustrate a universal truth:  every act of generosity can also be viewed as an act of irresponsibility.  Was it extravagantly generous of Pete to loan his Porsche out on prom night?  Or was it reckless?  The same questions apply to our scripture lesson today.  Was it extravagantly generous of the woman to anoint Jesus with ointment worth a year’s wages?  Or was that misguided?  I guess it depends on who you ask.  But one thing is for sure:  generous gestures create priceless memories.  Pete passed away recently, and I know I am not the only one remembering his Great Porsche Prom Loaner Program.  I have no doubt he gave generously in conventional and substantial ways to his church and other important causes.  But what I remember most is him loaning his car to 12th grade boys so they could impress their prom dates and have an extra special evening. If you want to make a lasting impact, a gift that threads the needle between reckless and generous might just be the way to go.  Look at the woman in our gospel lesson today.  Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  She did what she could to honor Jesus, sacrificing a very expensive jar of perfume, not to mention her reputation, to create a priceless memory.  She knew her offering was unconventional.  She knew the other men in the room would criticize her.  But she was also far more aware than anyone else that Jesus’ time was drawing to a close.  She knew the wind had changed direction, and she was not going to miss this moment, this opportunity to show Jesus how much she loved him. And why did she love him?  It seems she knew Jesus was about to give a generous-slash-reckless-slash memorable gift of his own, that soon he would lay down his life for us.  He was the Messiah, the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.  She loved Jesus because he first loved her. Today is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, a week Christians set aside to wrestle with the mystery of how things can change so quickly.  On Palm Sunday, Jesus was lauded by the crowds as they waived their palm branches and sang, “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Hosanna is a Greek word that is a combination of two Hebrew words:  yasha, to save or deliver; and anna, please, we beseech you.  When the crowds cheered Hosanna, they were saying “Save us, please!”  They were calling on Jesus to be their savior, but their understanding of Savior did not line up with Jesus’ job description.  By the end of the week, the people were so disappointed in Jesus, they went from calling on him to be their savior to calling on Pilate to crucify him.So we can imagine the tension Jesus was laboring under during Holy Week.  The Israelites wanted a savior to kick out the Romans and restore Israel’s sovereignty and power; Jesus had in mind a salvation that went beyond the kingdoms of this world and established the kingdom of heaven right here on earth.  This kingdom would come only through Jesus’ sacrifice.  Like the woman with the jar of perfume, Jesus’ offering would be unconventional.  It would not meet the expectations of the crowd.  But Jesus was not going to miss his moment, his opportunity to show the world how much God loves them.And so on this last Sunday of Lent, I want to be sure I do not miss the opportunity God has given us, to be reminded of how deeply we are loved.  We might not know anybody who is generous enough to let us borrow their Porsche, but we do God who is generous enough to give us how own Son! Remember, though, our universal truth:  every act of generosity can also be viewed as an act of irresponsibility. Recently I was informed that, a few years ago, some parents got upset because I told their children that Jesus died on a cross.  I was trying to explain Easter, and I promise you, I focused on the resurrection and God keeping God’s promises and the hope and joy and new life.  But it’s hard to talk about all that and not mention the dying on the cross part.  These parents thought that was a terrible thing to tell a child.  These last few weeks, I have tried to look at it from their point of view, and indeed, the cross is a barbaric reality.  The cross is a weapon, a method of execution.  We couldn’t imagine displaying an electric chair in the front of our sanctuaries, or having a gallows on our signs. But we display our crosses because out of the barbaric realities of life, God creates new life.  God takes what others meant for evil and uses it for good.  God’s will for abundant life is so strong, so pure, not even death can overcome it.  Was Jesus dying on the cross just a rash, heedless act?  Or was it extravagantly loving and generous?  If you don’t know the whole story, I can see how it would be upsetting.  As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” Today is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, a week set aside to wrestle with the mystery of how things can change so quickly.  One day people are putting their coats down on the ground for a donkey to walk over, that’s how crazy good they feel about Jesus.  A few days later, they are crazy with rage and demand his crucifixion.  One day a woman anoints Jesus with a bottle of expensive perfume and she is held in contempt.  Days later, all those who witnessed the resurrection would look at her in a whole new way.  One day we are sinners with no hope of connecting to God by our own means.  Then the good news of Jesus’ reckless slash generous slash priceless sacrifice comes into our hearts, and we are born anew.  The whole world can change in an instant.Of course, I don’t have to tell you that.  A little over a year ago we were going about our lives, business as usual.  Then with one press conference from Governor Wolf, and everything shut down.  But you want to hear something amazing?  This past Monday we had Church Council, and we heard reports from every committee in the church about good things that are happening or are in the works at Lima.  I mean, every committee!  We had to call a Time Out during the council meeting and give God the glory.  A year ago, the members of Church Council were very nervous.  What would happen to a church that no one can attend?  How would we weather a storm that would last for no one knew how long? But here we are one year later, on solid footing financially and spiritually.  Here we are, one year later, talking about exciting opportunities for mission and ministry.  Here we are one year later, resurrection people, witnessing to the power of God’s love.  A few days ago I heard a pastor say this year has been the best year of his career, and at first I was shocked to hear that.  There have been so many losses this year, so much sadness.  But as I thought about it more, I decided, I have to agree.  In some ways, this has been the best year of my ministry. And you know why?  Because the people of Lima are a lot like the woman in our story today.  They give what they can.  They do what they can.  I’m sure some of you have had family members or friends criticize or question you, wondering why would you give to a church that isn’t “open” right now?  Wondering why you would make a special trip every week to swing by the church so you could put in donations to the Media Food Pantry.  Wondering why you would write old fashioned letters and cards to people, just to keep in touch.  Wondering why you watch church on television, or come in person, even though we can’t sing, we can’t hug, and you have to serve yourself communion!  I’m sure you’ve had people wonder why you don’t just walk away while no one is looking?Every act of generosity can also be viewed as an act of irresponsibility.  What is generous to one person is crazy to another.  But at the crossroads of generosity and recklessness is a sweet spot where priceless memories are made.  And I want to tell you, you have made a priceless memory for me this past year.  I hope you have made a priceless memory for yourselves!  You have been creative, resilient, collaborative, patient, and generous.  True, nobody swung by and offered to let me borrow their Porsche.  But you have gone out on a limb in so many ways, because that is where the fruit is!  You have made a difference that will be remembered the rest of our lives.Shortly after I started serving my first appointment, a very wise older church member named Joanne pulled me aside and said she wanted to tell me a story about one of their long ago pastors.  He had a reputation for not pulling any punches, and one Sunday he preached the exact same sermon as he had the week before.  People were a little afraid of him, so no one mentioned it.  But the next week, he preached the exact same sermon again!  Three times in a row, well that time the church members had to say something.  So they asked him, what’s going on, why did you preach the same sermon three times in a row?  He told them, because you obviously didn’t hear it the first time!  Or the second time!  You’re still not getting the message!Joanne said to me, “I wanted you to know that if there’s a message you don’t think we’re getting, don’t be afraid to preach the same sermon twice in a row, or even three times!  We can be a little hard-headed around here!”  In fifteen years of ministry, I’ve never felt I needed to preach the same sermon twice in a row.  But I am aware that the message today might sound a lot like the message from last week.  When you give from the heart, when you do your best, when you help others, when you enjoy what you can in life, when you take time to be with God and to savor your blessings—even when you live at the crossroads of generosity and recklessness–everything sings of the glory of God!  Whether that is loaning your Porsche out for the prom, anointing Jesus with expensive perfume, or simply sending in your offering envelopes on a regular basis, every gift sings to the glory of God when it comes from a loving heart.  Even the cross, a brutal method of execution, becomes a sign of God’s glory. Like the widow’s offering we talked about last week, the woman anointing Jesus with perfume is more than just an inspirational example for us.  It is an embodiment of God’s grace.  Grace is not just forgiveness for our sins.  It’s the dignifying of our humanity that values our earnest hearts above everything else.  Thank you for the priceless memories you have created for the sake of Christ, this year and always.  I hope you will hear God’s voice of love speaking over you today.  Amen.