Palm Sunday Readings: Luke 19v28-40; Psalm 118v1-2&19-end; Isaiah 50v4-9a; Psalm 31v9-16; Philippians 2v5-11; Luke 22v14 – end of 23. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: Psalm 118 tells us that: the Lord is good and ever merciful; the one who has promised to send us a saviour; the saviour sent in the name of the Lord to give us the light we need to be saved; the one who we are called to give thanks to and praise forever. In Isaiah we hear a prophetic word about the Lord’s servant, the one who listens to and obeys God, the one who knows that terrible things are going to happen, the one who will face horrors still to come, the one who puts his trust in the Lord God who will help him. In Psalm 31, we hear another prophetic word in which the Lord’s servant is suffering because pf the schemes being plotted against him, because of the persecution he is facing, and the way he is going to die. Yet in spite of the Lord’s servant’s torment, he completely trusts in the Lord’s plans and purposes. In the 1st reading from Luke, we hear that Jesus made preparations for his final journey into Jerusalem. For it had been foretold long ago that the promised Messiah would arrive riding on the colt of a donkey. So it is no surprise that as Jesus rode into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, that people who saw him cheered him because they were convinced that this was the Messiah. However, we also heard that not everyone in the crowd was as convinced because they told Jesus to order the crowd to stop calling him the King who comes in the name of the Lord. In Philippians we hear that Paul, the former persecutor of the Christians, who met with the risen Lord on the Road to Damascus, believes that Jesus is the not only the Messiah but also God. God who was born and lived a human life. God who became humble and obedient like a slave. God who allowed humankind to murder him so that we could see how much he cares for us. God who is highly exalted in heaven and to whom everyone will one day bend the knee. This is the Jesus we heard about in the 2nd reading from Luke who faced all the terrible things that happened to him so that we can be saved. Let us Pray: Almighty and everlasting God, who loves the human race so much that you sent your son Jesus as a servant into our world to save us. Prompt us to proclaim Jesus as Lord and King and give us minds to follow his example of obedience, patience and humility. We pray that we will be resurrected to the place where Jesus is alive and reigning with you. Amen Thanks for joining us today.
Opening Prayer Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. A Thought for today Today we recall Jesus’ final ride into Jerusalem which was full of visitors and pilgrims getting ready to celebrate the Passover. The people of God who knew their scriptures would have known that the prophecies foretold that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem through a particular gate riding on a donkey. It is therefore of no surprise that when Jesus did exactly this – that the people recognised the meaning and reacted with joy. For God had fulfilled his promise and sent them their long awaited Messiah – the promised one of God, the anointed one and their King. Today we remember that the final week of Jesus’ life began with joy, a sense of expectation and the waving of palm branches – but also recall that this joy evaporated even more quickly than our way of life has changed during this pandemic. For in less than a week, Jesus would be put to death and die for our sins, so we might live forever in heaven.Let us Pray Lord, be with us today and everyday. Pour out your holy spirit that we may see your plans and purposes for our generation. Lord help us this week to recall the last week of your life. AmenPalm Sunday Collect Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, AMENPrayer of blessing - May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and evermore. Amen.Closing Note This message is sent to you with love and prayers. Thank you for joining us.
Passion Sunday Readings: Isaiah 43v16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3v4b-14; John 12v1-8. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: In our readings today we hear about the way we fall short of what God expects of us. In Isaiah we hear about the time when God rescued his people from the Land of Egypt, at the time known as the Exodus. It recalls that after God opened the sea to let his people through that he permitted it to close again over the Egyptians who were pursuing his people, even though they had said they would let them leave. In John we hear that Judas has fallen away from his trust in Jesus because he was stealing, complaining about the anointing with precious oils and his readiness to betray Jesus. This is in the last week of Jesus’ life when Jesus was being fed and anointed by his friends in readiness for his death. In Philippians, we hear Paul sharing his background that even though he was a learned Israelite, he was also a persecutor of the Church. I believe that these readings remind us that we are a fallen people, a people so limited and weak and frail that we sin all too easily. However, this is not all that we hear for in Isaiah we hear about all the new things that God is doing as he cares for his chosen people in the wilderness of their lives. In the psalm, we hear a prayer that is asking for God to restore the fortunes of his people, just as he did in earlier times, a time that made them so glad that they rejoiced. In Philippians, Paul explains that because of Jesus he has gained so much because he is now counted as righteous by God. For Paul, this is a journey, the journey God is calling him onwards to, to join him in heaven because through the suffering he experiences for his faith, Paul feels as though he is sharing in the suffering of Christ. I believe that these readings are words of encouragement that none of us is lost to God, if we turn back to him. Let us Pray: Loving God, you are like a mother to us, helping to grow in the goodness and grace. We thank you that Jesus your son grew up in a human home before dying on the cross to draw all people to you. We ask you to be with us in times of happiness and to fortify us in times of despair. We ask you to give us the ability to sense your presence in good and bad times and to shower us with the power that repairs and rebuilds us. Amen Thanks for joining us today.
What's on and whenPalm Sunday - We shall begin Holy Week with our Palm Sunday holy communion service at 10am on Sunday 13th April.Maundy Thursday - There will be no morning service this day because we shall gather in the evening for our service of remembering the origins of the Passover meal and our Lord's last supper, with a celebration meal together, hand/foot washing and holy communion at 6pm on Thursday 17th April.Good Friday - we shall gather for a quiet service of reflection at 10am on Friday 18th April. If the weather is kind we shall go for a walk of witness, if not we shall remain in Church.Holy Saturday - we shall gather for the Service of Light at which we light our new pascal candle, remember that Christ rose from the dead and celebrate with light refreshments, at 6pm on Saturday 19th April.Easter Day - we shall give thanks for our salvation and renew our Baptismal promises at our holy communion service at 10am on Sunday 20th April.
