palm leaves in the dust

Palm Sunday 

Mark 11:1–11 

we shout Hope! 

we shout Joy! 

we shout Love! 

we shout Peace! 

all the things you promised

all that we have longed for  

riding into town

on a colt we dress in our imaginations

as a war horse

have you wielding a sword

and shielding us from indignity

injustice and oppression ... 

[pause] 

it is a donkey 

his hands are open

we stumble

fatal hesitation

leaving hope and joy

and love and peace fallen

with the palm leaves

in the dust 

The people's cry / Jesus' prayer

Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29

God is good and we give thanks;
God's steadfast love endures forever.
God's steadfast love endures forever.

Open to me the gates of justice:
Oh may I enter this way and give thanks!

This is the gate of Holy One,
the just may enter this way.

God is good and we give thanks;
God's steadfast love endures forever.
God's steadfast love endures forever.

Thank you for hearing my cry, oh God,
for your answer, your rescue, your hope.

Rejected by the world, but you –
you bring your peace through me!

God is good and we give thanks;
God's steadfast love endures forever.
God's steadfast love endures forever.

This day, this marvellous day,
your people cry for salvation.

Yes, my people, rejoice today –
hold on to hope for tomorrow.

God is good and we give thanks;
God's steadfast love endures forever.
God's steadfast love endures forever.

Branches they bring, bind, and wave,
this procession from songs we sing together –

but why do I feel like a lamb being carried
to the alter for their sacrifice?

God is good and we give thanks;
God's steadfast love endures forever.
God's steadfast love endures forever.

A Palm Sunday Lament

Luke 19:28–40


the stones shout out,
sing praise to God,
but we have fallen silent.

where, o God, are our hosannas,
where our blessing of your Name?

lost, o God, in self obsession,
lost in the chase for success;
lost, o God, in greedy negligence,
lost in the systems of injustice.

forgive us our silence,
Holy One,
restore our voices to praise.
the stones shout out, and so
must we – shout blessing,
shout honour, shout praise
for the God of Mercy and Peace.

Wisdom calls from time to the Eternal

Luke 22:14–23:56 and Psalm 31:9–16. 

Passion Sunday


it comes to this.
slow and steady we walked
the path before us,
till now, suddenly,
here we are – the moment
we cannot avoid,
though inside I feel I am
running – running –
outside, paralysed
of my own will, this thing
will carry me now,
so it seems

forgive me.
this distress wastes my eyes
with grieving, wastes my body,
wastes my soul of all strength.
this life is all sorrow;
my years all sighing.
I, like the psalmist, am scorned
by adversaries; am horror, am
dread for my friends –
their flights begin, and I
abandoned, broken, become.

the whispers, the plots,
the schemes against my life!
I am dead already, or so
it seems.

forgive me.
I do trust You, trust Us,
this call we cry again
through this body, this life:
but it is heavy, I feel alone.
remind me I am
not
let our lovingkindness be
what carries me,
what will deliver me,
into and from the hands
of these oppressors.
shine on through me,
shine bright for me,
when all is lost, or
so it seems.

Not a royal entry

Mark 11:1–11 

Our cloaks did not
camouflage the donkey,
nor transform it to
a stately horse.

Their branches did not
camouflage the dusty road,
nor transform it to
a path of gold.

The hosannahs did not
camouflage the crowd,
nor transform them into
honoured dignitaries.

The hosannahs did not
camouflage the rabbi,
nor transform him into
a king.

The crowd testify

John 12:12–19 

We will follow,
we will sing,
we will tell the story
of this different kind of 'king'.

We will hurry,
we will shout,
we will tell the story with
one voice, this mostly crowd.

We will praise him,
we will thank him,
we will tell his story
full of wonder, gratitude.

We will follow,
we will welcome,
we will tell the story with
everything we have, we are.

We will love him,
we will keep him,
through his story,
in our hearts.

We will follow,
we will praise,
we will tell the wondrous story
of Jesus, all our days.

A Passion Sunday Liturgy

Mark 14:1–15:47

Gather 

Read 14:1–2 

The story begins,

the story of the end. 

As we enter the story again,

we enter the Presence of God,

Holy One, Holy Three,

whose peace is with us all. 

[sing] 

Praise / thanksgiving 

Read 14:3–25 

Anointed, you were blessed,

met in kindness, honoured;

we meet you here with our thanks,

for all that you are and do,

Jesus, God Immanuel. 

Jesus, God with us and for us, 

we thank you again and again,

for your body,

the covenant you made,

the love that flows

from you to all creation.

Amen. 

[sing] 

Confession & assurance of grace 

Read 14:26–72 

In the silence,

we give you our broken hearts,

our weary bodies,

our faltering concentration,

our denials, betrayals, abandonment of you. 

silence 

Jesus breaks his body for us,

makes with his blood a new

covenant to restore us: 

you are forgiven. Be at peace. 

[sing / music] 

Intercession 

Read 15:1–41 

For leaders of faith communities,

human, full of fear and tempted by power,

we pray. 

pause 

For leaders of our communities,

states, and nations, 

human, full of fear and tempted by power,

we pray. 

pause 

For soldiers and police, humans, and the systems

of war and law enforcement, full of fear and temptations of power,

we pray. 

pause 

For prophets and peace makers, 

meeting fear with love, and power with non violent resistance,

we pray. 

pause 

For victims of, and bystanders to, oppression,

overcome by fear, and feeling disempowered,

we pray. 

pause 

For the faithful of every time and place,

seeking to follow God's Way of Love,

and for ourselves, 

we pray. 

pause 

Amen. 

[sing]

Commissioning 

Read 15:42–47 

We see that you have died,

Jesus our teacher and guide. 

We see that you are buried,

your body laid to rest in a cave. 

And now we enter the silence,

the space and time of waiting. 

We know how this story ends: 

may we not rush to the finish. 

Be with us through this Holy Week,

in the waiting, in your story. 

leave in silence