Worship this week

Palm-Passion Sunday is one of the most interesting Sundays of the year. We remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem in the Palm part. Traditionally this is done with our use of palm branches and a processional hymn into the church. Weather permitting, we will do this on Sunday morning. All the gospels record this event, and we will use Mark 11.1-11, which includes a quote of Psalm 118, the often quoted: Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord...

The Passion part of the Sunday recognized the rest of the week, which ends with the Crucifixion of Jesus. It is appropriate to remember all of this together in one worship service lest we simply go from the glory of Palm Sunday alone to the greater glory of Easter Sunday. We need to recall and, in our own way to relive, the Passion of Jesus' Last Supper, betrayal, rejection, trial, humiliation and Crucifixion for it is in these events as well that our salvation comes. To focus on all of this our worship will also include the reading of Jesus' Anointing in Mark 14.1-11.

Of course we will have other opportunities for worship this week: Holy Thursday service remembering the institution of the Lord's Supper and a Good Friday service with a dramatized reading of the Passion Story plus Tenebrae. Both of these services are at 6.30 pm. In addition we welcome the Ballet Gloria to a short performance on Wednesday, also at 6.30.