Palm Sunday (Elizabeth Lavers, Entry into Jerusalem)We made our slow way up from Jericho, a steep, rocky climb,Dusty and long. We were fearful of what lay ahead,But we would all follow the Master wherever he went -‘Let us go with him, to die with him’, as Thomas said.At Bethany, set in its green, smiling, well-tended fields,We were made welcome, as always, and stayed there to rest.Many men crowded in, on the way to the Passover feast,To see Lazarus, back from the grave, and the Master, his guest.Then word went ahead to Jerusalem: Jesus was near,And would arrive before long; people kept a look out.As he came into view on the road from Mount OlivetFrom across the valley of Kedron we heard a great shout.‘Hosanna!’ They hailed him, ‘Hosanna to David’s great Son!’A carpet was spread by the pilgrims for him as he passed,And the donkey he rode picked its way over cloaks and green palms,Down the hill, up the rise, to the gates of the city at last.As the Messiah rode in with his message of peaceWhich, if they heard and believed it, would set them all free,Richly dressed Pharisees, squawking like peacocks, enraged,Tried vainly to silence the crowds roaring like a great sea ‘Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David!’Revd Rosemary
Daily ScriptureLet mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13 1-2)Daily ReflectionHospitality is one of the sectors that has suffered the most during this pandemic. Hospitality was a highly valued act in the time of Jesus and after, especially among the newly formed Christians. Welcoming the stranger is how we show what it means to love. Welcoming the stranger means giving them a place to sleep & providing food. Christian communities continue this hospitality today; monasteries, convents, communities, even churches are open to welcoming the stranger through offering sanctuary to pilgrims - showing them that Christ means love. What a wonderful feeling it will be when we feel safe and able to fling open our doors and welcome people into our homes and offer hospitality again, not only to our nearest and dearest but to those unknown to us - because you never know who you might be entertaining.Lyn Hayes, ALM
Daily ScriptureVery truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)Daily ReflectionWhat a very simple farming image to understand: the grain of wheat needs to be planted in order to produce more grain. (If it’s left in a sack, it stays as just one grain.) Metaphorically, the seed of grain dies; it is then transformed, grows, and produces much more than one grain of wheat. Easy to understand.Jesus used these words as he was speaking to his disciples, trying to get them to understand why he must die. Suddenly this moves from a farming story to thinking about life and death…..and life once more! This is the kernel (if you’ll forgive the pun!) of what we are thinking about in Lent; of what we are preparing ourselves for in Holy Week, before celebrating the joy or the resurrection on Easter Sunday. Will Jesus’ death bear much fruit in you? Revd David
