PALM SUNDAY

I felt well enough to go to Church this morning - which I was glad about - and lots of people asked how I was, which was lovely.  However, I didn’t sing in the Worship Group - so it was good to be sitting next to Mr. HCB and to enjoy the service from the congregation.

As usual I went for a wander around before the service and you may be surprised at some of the things I saw!  The beautiful tulips were in the kitchen, ready to go out for customers at the Community Fridge tomorrow - which is really good, because often people love flowers and like to buy them for loved ones, but when they don’t have enough money for food, usually they can’t afford to buy flowers - so these will be a blessing to many - and often the men pick take them.  

We still have offering bags in our Church, although many people give through their bank accounts, as we do, or use the card machine, which was recently installed.  I guess since Covid, not that many people carry cash, so it’s good to have alternative means of giving.

You are probably wondering what garlic has to do with a church service - and the answer, dear friends, is absolutely nothing!  However, David and Val, some friends, who go to France, sometimes just for the weekend, always bring me back a garlic bulb and today David slipped this one into my hand!  It is a pinky colour and has a delicious flavour - so we will enjoy it - possibly mashed up with some butter and spread on a French stick, and put in the oven for 10-15 minutes - well may as well have everything French - so thanks Dave and Val. Would it be too cheeky to ask for a genuine French baguette when you next go?

Three re-elected Deacons and one new Deacon together with the remaining seven Deacons were commissioned this morning and you can see them all on the platform, with others praying for them.  We are so blessed to have such a varied Diaconate - as the whole group is called - all dedicated and Godly men and women, and as well as praying for them, we prayed for their families too, as the work they do takes a lot of their time and energy.  

On the far left of that shot, you can see Rev’d Maureen Hider, who is a regular preacher at our Church.  Her sister, Jackie, attends Gorse Hill Baptist Church and in fact, Jackie’s husband, John, used to be our Minister and their son, Mark is the Church Secretary.  

Maureen preached a great sermon for Palm Sunday, from the version in Luke’s Gospel.  She reminded us that we need to keep so close to God that we don’t miss the details of what He wants us to do - in fact, she said we should be constantly asking God what He wants of us.  She also said us that we should not look to Jesus to work in a way that is easier for us - for myself I know it is easier to pray answers instead of prayers, so a timely reminder for me!

I love hearing Alison playing her French Horn - and today was no exception - she makes it look so easy - so with Mark on his guitar and also singing, Debs playing the grand piano and Abi singing, it was a great service at the start of Holy Week.

Those who follow me regularly will know we have some great banners in our Church and the one for today, at the front of the Church was just right for Palm Sunday, which commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four Gospels. Its name originates from the palm branches waved by the crowd to greet and honour Jesus as he entered the Jerusalem.

You may also remember that our children bring their offerings and put them into “Bob the Cow” and over the months they collect the money for various things.  They have collected  for goats, school uniforms and equipment for disadvantaged children in Costa Rica, through Educación Plus, which this poster mentions.  Now they are collecting to buy chickens for Operation Agri - and so far are up to five!  It is so good that they can be involved and see the results of their giving and also find out how much they are helping others less fortunate than themselves.

Last but not least in my collage is a jug of water - one of the jobs that the stewards do before the service is to fill the water jugs and get out the glasses, ready for those who need a drink during the service - there is nothing worse than coughing during the service and not being able to get a drink!

So a “whistle stop” tour round the Church today - and of course, afterwards, we headed into the main hall for coffee, biscuits and chat - always a good time to catch up with friends.  

Apologies for the length of this entry - but I didn’t want to miss anything out - it’s a good job I can still type very fast!

Hope you all have a great week - a special week in the life of Christian Churches all over the world - when we remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us - bless you all.  M xx