Palms - Hands, Branches and Donkeys

Dear All Saints and St Marys

Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. (or so some say) This week Palm Sunday arguably marks all three. It is an ending of Lent. A beginning of Holy Week. And it marks an interjection in the midst between the two. A day of remembering, retelling, taking part in the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. A day which marks the beginning but also draws us to the ending . A week which sees processions, fickle crowds, rowdy temples, unjust trials, eating, sleeping, praying, dying and rising. It is the story which for Christians holds profound truth about who God is and how God acts. May we all be invited into this Holiest of weeks together.

This Sunday our worship allows us to open the palms of our own hands to receive God with the palm branches as we re discover again this life giving story.

Palm Sunday - Sunday 13th April

8.00am - Holy Communion - All Saints
10.00am - Sung Palm Sunday Holy Communion Service - St Marys
10.30am - Palm Procession Service - All Saints
7.15pm - Generations Youth Group - All Saints

The week ahead

Tuesday 11.00am Pat Jones Funeral - All Saints
Tuesday 6.30pm Holy Communion - All Saints
Wednesday 9.00am Celtic Morning Prayer - All Saints
Wednesday 6.30pm Taizé - All Saints
Thursday 10.30am Chrism Mass - Bristol Cathedral
Thursday 6.30pm Agape - All Saints
Thursday 7.30pm Maundy Thursday Holy Communion - St Marys
Friday. 10.30am Good Friday Children's Activities - All Saints
Friday 1.30pm Liturgy of Good Friday - St Marys
Friday 2.00pm Last Hour - All Saints
Saturday 12noon to 1.30pm - Saturday Lunches
Saturday 7.30pm Easter Eve Holy Fire, Vigil and First Communion of Easter - St Marys

Easter Sunday 20th April 

10.00am Easter Sunday Holy Communion - St Marys
10.30am Easter Sunday Holy Communion - All Saints
6.30pm Easter Choral Evensong - St Marys.

Oh....and a interesting poem I discovered this week to ponder about a Donkey by GK Chesterton ( because...why not on Palm Sunday)

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born.

With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.

God Bless

Revd Lizzie

Vicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, Fishponds
Interim Co Area Dean Bristol City Deanery