Palm Sunday 2

Palm Sunday at Morwell also contained our Missionary Altar Service, where we bring our gifts to support the Lord’s work being done by our neighbours. Our challenge has been one week’s salary on missionary service.

So we bring our Gold and Silver.



Philippians 4:15-16 (NIV)Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday at Morwell was with a little twist in the approach. Rather than palm branches, or a platform strewn with clothing as we did last year. We had a symbolic Throne on the platform, and a Bedouin Scene displayed on the Multimedia. My opening remarks draw attention to how the congregation thought the donkey was tied as they had read the scriptures, and then focused on the possible contrast to with the scene displayed, before focusing in on Zechariah 9:9.



Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The Gentle King!

Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Temple

Matthew 21:12-17 (NIV)
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'" The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Where were you?

Where were you, on …..at …..o’clock? Questions are like this are often asked of suspects in the crime shows on TV. I guess that these are a fair reflection of the actual questions that are asked by investigators in real life situations, as evidence is being sought and gathered. Rather than just speculation, hard, substantial, evidence is required.

It is worthy to note that a person’s signature is a valuable identification mark of where you were. This is hard evidence, unique to yourself, and when linked to a time frame this will put you at a certain place in time.

Personally, I often wonder how I could every answer where I was at set point in time? Especially when I am always thinking of the ‘here after.’ Almost every time I enter a room I wonder, ‘what am I here after?’

Not relying on your memory, but using hard evidence is indeed a valuable asset.





Exodus 28:36 (NIV)
Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.


Ezekiel 36:27 (NIV)
And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Humour

It has been quite a while since I have managed to regularly blog. The last week has been a time of being revived, physically. I was not aware of how drained that I really was, however that is nothing compared to those whose lives have been changed forever because of the Fires. Bodies are still being held, and families are unable to have funerals. Areas are still crime scenes, as searching through the ashes and rubble continues.

Amidst the devastation there has been wonderful humour. I recall one man who told me of his first trip back to his property. On arrival, he turned into the driveway and stopped, got out of his 4wd, and went to open his gate. Only to discover that there was no fence to hold a gate, let along a gate to open. He had the biggest grin I have ever seen as he told his tale.
A lady went to the clothesline to hang out her washing, thought that she should clean the ash of the line. After returning to the line with a damp cloth, she reached up to wipe the line clean, only to have it disintegrate in her hands.
A father and son were looking at the ashes that was once their home, when the son said, ‘Dad! My rooms clean!’



Proverbs 18:14 (NIV)
A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

Devoid of visible Life!

In the light of recent events, such as the fires in Victoria, there is a reminder of the fragility life and the environment, which is able to disintegrate in just a few moments. The whole landscape has been changed, and is devoid of visible life.



2 Peter 3:11 (Msg.)
Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life?

Churchill Fire

On Saturday I was pleased that our grade of cricket was called off because of the high temperature. That all change about 1.30pm when I looked out our front door and saw a huge ploom of billowing smoke to the south. My heart sank, and my stomach churned. The telephone rang about 5.30pm, and now it's Friday at 6.30am. I guess that I should sit down at some stage and work through that time and what has eventuated.



Psalms 63:1 (NIV)
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.