Armadale Uniting Church
5th April 2020
The Way of Blessing Shall Become Our Own Way
© Jan Richardson
`Majestic meekness` Palm/Passion Sunday
(read out loud or sing, if you know the tune)
`Make way! Make way!
For Christ the king in splendour arrives.
Fling wide the gate and welcome Him into your lives.`
Graham Kendrick
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Hosanna
The rocks cry out
The earth gives way
The clouds will part
For One who saves
So gather round
As the branches sway
The crowd shouts out
Hosanna's name
Hosanna blessed be the name blessed be Your name
In the highest
Lift up your heads
Lift up the gates
And the ancient doors
For the One who saves
For the King He comes
He comes today
Hear the crowd cry out
Hosanna's name
Hosanna, blessed be the name, blessed be Your name
In the highest!
Hosanna
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Readings
Isaiah 50: 4-9a
Matthew 21: 1-11
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Reflection
If only we`d known – we`d have - lived differently,
stayed inside, bought more toilet rolls?
It is not given to us to know the future.
More than ever, as Christians, we are called
to live simply in the present, with respectful reference to the past, to ensure that, in the future, God`s mercy, love and grace may flourish freely for all.
Palm Sunday is a day of loud acclamation and adulation.
A crowd welcomes Jesus as the long hoped for saviour.
Within the week, a crowd will cry out for Him to be crucified,
a common criminal.
Jesus is King but He is a very different sort of King.
We will find out what sort of King as the week unfolds.
He rides on into the maelstrom of Jerusalem and so ensures that God`s mercy, love and grace will indeed flourish freely - for the sake of us all, for the sake of all creation.
He shows us how to live – and die – and why. Love.
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A Blessing for Palm Sunday
Blessed is the One
Who comes to us
By the way of love
Poured out with abandon
Blessed is the One
Who walks towards us
By the way of grace
That holds us fast.
Blessed is the One
who calls us to follow
In the way of blessing,
in the path of joy - no matter what lies ahead.
Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons.
Jan L. Richardson
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Greetings from Armadale UCA.
Due to the spread of Corona virus, we continue to meet as a `virtual` or `digital` community.
All of the material will be available on the website.
(Go to: armadale.ucavictas.org.au)
We welcome constructive feedback so if you wish to talk about this or any other matters of concern ring Rev Fiona Winn on - 0403 66 27 86