Sunday Worship - Palm Sunday
Everyone is most welcome to join us for our worship on Palm Sunday. The services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas'.
If you're not able to be with us in person, you'll find some worship resources below.
Our first hymn this morning is "Ride On, Ride On In Majesty"
Today's Gospel
Luke 19:28-40 The Triumphal Entry
After telling a parable to the crowd at Jericho, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'" So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."
Reflection
I’ve no doubt that you will noticed that we have resumed singing certain parts of the service again following the relaxation of Covid restrictions. Even without the benefit of the organ, there is something special about praising the Lord together in song – some might argue it feels even more so when unaccompanied, but that perhaps depends on how confident we feel about singing.
During the Eucharist, we are all invited to sing the Sanctus & Benedictus which contains the lines from the above passage – “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” So every week we re-enact part of the glorious scene above when Jesus enters Jerusalem in majesty on a colt as foretold in Zachariah 9:9.
But as we are aware, many of those same people who had high expectations and were jubilant will be the same people who will be shouting for his crucifixion a few days later. Perhaps they expected too much and thought that Jesus was going to magically overthrow the Romans and usher in wealth and prosperity for everyone and were then shocked to see Jesus vulnerable and suffering at the hands of the soldiers. Maybe they were even frightened to see Jesus fall from the pinnacle they had put him on and perhaps concerned for their own lives and well-being or maybe they were just following the voice of the crowd.
Whatever, the reasons for the fickle behaviour of human beings dithering between adulation and worship to mockery and resentment. we know that Jesus was aware of what was to happen and even when he was warned by the Pharisees to ‘tone things down’ he was undeterred because he had his destiny to fulfil on the cross – a destiny to save us all in a different way - His way. We can give thanks and praise that even in the midst of tragedy and times of despair in our own lives Jesus is with us and loves us deeply. Paul
This week's Lent Reflection is by the Very Revd Rogers Govender, Dean of Manchester Cathedral
Our Prayers
