8.30am

Always cue for a song!

What’s the buzz? Tell me what’s a happening! What’s the buzz? Tell me what’s a happening!

When do we ride into Jerusalem? When do we ride into Jerusalem?

TODAY!

With a late night last night, the clocks going forward and breakfast with the Bible starting at 7.30, my salted caramel latte has begun to work and I’m walking round church singing. Time for the 8.45 service!

10.24am

After washing my hands before the last service, I caught my finger which started bleeding. When I noticed, I put a plaster on it but since unrobing for the 10.45 service, I’ve noticed a red streak on my bright white surplice. Not exactly what I needed before the many services going on this week!

Never mind, off to lead the all age service now. I think football banners of praise will be involved!

1.06pm

Phew! Sanctuary in our local, The Grapes. Fish and chips ordered, diet coke in hand and all seems well. For me, at least. Nathan has another service at half 2, and Evensong at 6.30! I however, will be working on cleaning my surplice, finishing the PowerPoint for Gospelling the Gospel, trying to work out how on earth I’m going to learn a 5 minute solo called the Excultet (A song to a candle) by Saturday night and doing a bit of house work to try and keep things somewhere above squalor for the busy week to come. Oh, and ordering an Asda shop so we can eat.

4.51pm

So I’ve tried to nap to catch up on sleep from last night but the phone kept ringing. It turns out it was Nathan calling to ask if I’d left my gloves at his church. Time to get on… once I can get out of the mermaid blanket Nathan bought me especially for Sunday afternoon naps!

19.56pm

So the presentation is finished and I’ve slowly begun to make sense of two out of three pages of the song. Hurrah!

22.03

In PJs with a load of ironing done and a pile of clean washing in the tumble dryer.

So what has today been all about? It’s Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Today, the crowds line the streets, they give each other piggybacks to get a good look at this Jesus bloke. They chant and cheer and sing. In today’s world, there would be trending hashtags and videos on Facebook would get millions of views. But in just a few short days, it’s going to turn very dark.

I have never been able to throw myself into Palm Sunday fully. It feels like that point in a film when the underdog gains a new skill, and snapshots of gradual improvement are shown with upbeat music over the top. It’s great, things are looking up- but it won’t last and we know it. There’s got to be a twist.

When Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey, it would be like seeing Theresa May driving to Number 10 in a Nissan Micra. It doesn’t fit, it makes no sense. Yet Zachariah told us to expect a king on a donkey. A king who flips all we know and understand on its head. A king who is humble. A king who serves.

And when thinking about people who serve, a special part of today was giving thanks for the phenomenal reader ministry we have in Holy Trinity. We celebrated three people who have given 30, 25 and 20 years of service as readers, as well as the others whose anniversaries aren’t as significant this year. I can do nothing but admire this team who pray, preach, lead, support and give so much of their time.

Holy Trinity and St Michael’s and All Angels readers, you rock!

Happy Palm Sunday! Over and out.