Dear Friends,
It seems incredible that we have already reached that time in the Christian year when we are invited to walk the way of the cross with Jesus. Today is Palm Sunday, the day when we remember his rapturous welcome into the city of Jerusalem. We remember the waving palm branches and the joy of the people as they welcomed their king. But we also remember how that joy quickly turned to hatred as they realised that he was not the sort of king that they had expected, and how they then cried out for his crucifixion.
This week in St Andrews we will remember all these things and on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday there will be services in our churches to remember the events of this week. On Wednesday we will meet in Dunino, at 7:00pm for a short service, on Thursday we will celebrate Holy Communion in Holy Trinity at 7:00pm, and on Friday we will meditate on the Passion of Christ in words and music at 7:00pm in Holy Trinity. Also, on Good Friday there will be an ecumenical pilgrimage around the town, starting at 4:00pm from St Mary’s Quad. You are invited to join any or all these events.
In his wonderful book ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ John Bunyan says this.
‘Now I saw in my dream that the highway up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. Up this way therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without difficulty because of the load on his back.
He ran thus until he came to a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, an a little below in the bottom, a sepulchre. So, I saw in my dream that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble and so continued to do until it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in and I saw it no more. Thus was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, ‘He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death’.
As we walk the way of the cross with Jesus this week, let us never forget that Jesus has offered to all who will accept it ‘rest by his sorrow, and life by his death’.
With love and blessings,
Marion
Categories: Minister's Blog