Pray : Lord, help us to imagine what it would have been like to be in Jerusalem when Jesus came on the donkey. People shouting and cheering, waving branches and throwing them down in front of Jesus – with us joining in, excited and happy, welcoming not just a king, but your Son, our Saviour. Had we been there it would have stuck with us for the rest of our lives; we would have shared the experience and told people all about it. That day must have been a day to remember - great to have been there, to be part of the celebration, to know that all the promises that you had made to send the Christ had come true. We can’t be there, but we still have something to shout about - because Jesus is still here with us today. Not on a donkey, but with us in Spirit. We know that things turned sour, the leaders turned the people against Jesus and that he went to the cross and died for us. The King of kings suffered and died that we might be forgiven. What a wonderful outcome, though at such a cost. As we remember the welcome Jesus got on the way into Jerusalem help us to welcome him into our hearts, today and every day. As we remember him on the cross dying in our place help us to be grateful and to respond with our love. And as we remember how easy it was for the disciples to run away when things got tough for them, help us to draw strength from you so that we might stand up for Jesus even when things are tough for us. Heavenly Father, may we hold together the sorrow of Jesus dying for us and the joy and celebration of his victory as King of kings and Saviour of the World. Be near to us today and this Easter as we give you thanks for Jesus and share in all that he did for us. Hear us as together we pray Our Father

Thought- The film My Fair Lady in which a cockney flower girl Eliza is taught to speak “properly” and passed off as a duchess at the Ascot Races is hilarious, but it also says a lot about Professor Higgins’ lack of sensitivity to Eliza as a person and about the social divisions at the time. There is a key scene where Higgins and the Captain exclaim “She’s got it” – Eliza is beginning to speak as they hope she will. For all that the disciples had had the benefit of Jesus’ teaching, public and private, they didn’t really “get it”. They saw him as Messiah and Son of God but didn’t appreciate that he had come to suffer and die. The fabulous welcome akin to a coronation procession was to change dramatically in a matter of days and his throne was to be Calvary’s cross. Just as we need to listen carefully to others – not just for their words, but for their meaning, nuances, and intentions so we need to listen carefully to Jesus – grasp his purposes rather than jump to conclusions and impose our conclusions on him. The fact is that just as Jesus turned the crowd’s expectations (that he had come to overthrow the Romans) on their head his plans centre on love and self-giving rather than our tendency to focus on power and self-interest. Can we be more open to Jesus’ teaching and priorities and try to “get it” from his perspective rather than our own?

Pray: God of grace, at this time when so many in the world face unrest, injustice even danger be present to support those who are suffering, to give wisdom to those with influence and to give us all deep love and compassion that issues in generosity and action.  Change the hearts of each of us so that hard, uncaring, selfish attitudes may be dispelled and replaced with hearts that can receive love and offer it to others. We pray not just for a reduction in tensions among the nations but for a sea change of thinking, of relating, of being – that puts others to the fore, especially the vulnerable and puts your purposes of love first and foremost. We give you thanks for our lives, for our homes and families, for food on our tables and a roof over our heads. We pray for our brothers and sisters here in Scotland or further afield who are less fortunate than us, those who have no access to clean water or to a permanent home. We pray for our brothers and sisters around the globe who for whatever reason are in need of your help today. We pray especially today for all families mourning the loss of a loved one, those worried about a relative or friend who is sick - loving God hold them in your arms and carry them through this time. We remember the needs of your people in this place and in our prayer walk street Whinfield Road – the mission of your church here and the opportunities to live out and share the gospel, particularly in this Holy Week. SILENCE.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers – silent and spoken out. Amen.

Blessing - May the Lord bless you. Amen.