Palm Sunday

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. “ Zechariah 9:9

Palm Sunday marks the beginnning of Holy Week, when we remember and celebrate the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem as Saviour and King. As Jesus rode a donkey into the town of Jerusalem a large crowd gathered and laid their cloaks and palm branches along the road, giving Jesus royal treatment. Yet Jesus already knew this was the beginning of his journey to the cross. This was reflected in our morning service, which we began with two joyous anthems fitting the mood of celebration, and with the children waving palm branches. However, as the service progressed the mood began to change, until the end, while Tom was playing the postlude on cello, the altar was stripped of its purple Lenten altar cloth, the flowers and candles, the small cross on the altar table was covered and the purple cloth draped over the wooden cross, was replaced with a black one. We were asked to leave in meditative silence, in preparation for the darkness of Good Friday.
After so many dull gloomy days, it was a treat to wake up to clear blue sky and sunshine this morning, so after a bit of lunch we went for a walk round Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, which is such a picture in the Spring. (Photo in extras) In the evening we enjoyed a roast chicken dinner and desssert to round off the day.