One : And Caiphas the high priest said Tell this rubble to be quiet we anticipate a riot the common crowd is much too loud. Tell the mob who sing your song that they are fools and they are wrong they are curse and should disperse.  But the crowd sang 

 All: and they cried Hosanna, load Hosanna 

One: But Jesus smiled, his smile, his knowing smile and simply said.  Why waste your breath moaning at the crowd? Nothing can be done to stop the shouting. If every tongue was still the noise would still continue The rocks and stones themselves would start to sing. 

All: and they cried Hosanna, load Hosanna 

One Still despite the wonderful welcome, Jesus found himself troubled knowing what was to come.  He said  If you knew all that I knew , my poor Jerusalem 

What is this? Who is this?  Is he someone important?  Ripples the crowd on the path. 

The promised one, the liberator. From the Romans? Who else? 

 Gravel crunches on the path 

Did they know, did they understand. Even at times his closest followers did really completely understand the path 

Along the path, the Smell of spring in the air, workers lovingly tending to the spring pruning of the olive trees, piles of wood at the side of the road 

He came riding on a donkey.  He came riding with the dawn 

Perhaps people stopped work and looked and were swept up in the excitement, 

 The path finding its way to the City. 

There before them the beautiful city touched by the morning sun, Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem a tear glistens in his eye, For the city? For what he knows will happen to the temple? To his people? For himself?

This is his path 

Just a week before Passover, a week before the celebration of God’s people’s freedom from bondage to Egypt. The road thickens with pilgrimage crowd  and the excitement grows. 

So many on their Path 

 A cross the great arched bridge over the Kidrone valley the colts little hooves tapping out a staccato beat on the cobbles of the bridge soon to be muffled by coats flung on the road,  A for shadow on how the high priests hope to muffle a man. 

Then,  cries …shouts…praise….Hos and hosa and hosanna and a ho and a ha and a hosanna. Sings the crowd.  As the merry band the parade, the liberator comes to the great Golden gates to the city, It seems like prophecy is being fulfilled in every step, 

Path becomes crowded 

He came riding on a donkey he came riding into town, slow and easy kind of lowly he came riding with the dawn 

 Well it felt like the whole city was there,  however Jacob and his dried fish stall by the fish gate on the west of the city, well he didn’t stop business, nor anyone around him. 

They have their Path 

The temple sellers of sacrifice and money changing? Like they would close for anything. 

All on their own Path 

Herod, having tea with one of his advisors who he did not trust. 

Pilot, relaxing watching a saucy little play at the amp theatre surrounded by well to do city folk 

All only looking to their own Path 

But at the golden gates Hos and hosa and hosanna and a ho and a ha and a hosanna. 

The priestly officials.  Tell this rabble to be quiet, we anticipate a riot this common crowd is to loud. They should disperse 

And Jesus says Why waste your breath moaning at the crowd, nothing can be done to stop the shouting. If every tongue was stilled the noise would still continue the rocks and stones themselves would start to sing. 

The very cobbles of the street would sing. 

Into the city, He rode he came riding on a donkey he came riding into town, slow and easy kind of lowly he came riding with the dawn 

 History’s Path has turned the page   

 We are all our own Path and if we are blessed we find fellow pilgrims to walk the path with us. All paths do come to an end, and it is always our choice  if we stop or continue.  Sometimes the path ahead looks overwhelming and one will choose to just stay where they are. There they will sit and eventually wither and die.  You cannot build a road until you walk it taking that first step on a new path.  Change is the only way anything meaningful can happen. 

The biblical stories especially during this season are familiar and it can be easy to miss the deeper import of what they hold. 

As Churches we are challenged to continuously ask who are we, how do people see us. What is our mission.  To ask these questions honestly knowing that the paths we are on may be just beginning or they may be ending.  As we look at a new path before us in the renewal of Easter  may the Spirit help to illuminate our pathway giving us courage to make these first steps. 

Tomorrow, Monday will come the dawn , and we will start our week, we will stop and think on Tuesday who’s coming for dinner what to serve

Wednesday a fools morning and the middle of the week.   

Thursday comes. Is there not something special about today?  

Friday, God’s Friday. To depressing can’t deal with that. 

Saturday shop for the feast on Sunday, family coming chocolate to buy flowers to get 

Each year the same   Perhaps just maybe this year could be different. 

The moment comes near, not just another manic Monday, not just another TGIF (thank God its Friday)  no it is holy week, Maundy Thursday, God’s Friday, holy Saturday Easter. They are our days. Days that do not follow the beat, days to remember for they are the Days to remember when God so loved the world that he gave wholly of himself 

Today, the Gate Jesus, rode through the Golden gate lays under a gate build by Hadrian, both sealed now until the trumpet shall sound. The great bridge, a line on a wall, the olive trees a quiet silent sentinel to what was.  The road from the mount trodden by eager tourist modern day pilgrims and indifferent citizens. 

And the beat goes on. 

Stop this week, stop each day, stop and ponder what is about to happen. 

Hold what is holy to us, come weep with me a while, survey the wondrous cross, 

For the rhythm of faith is about to begin again, God drumming in your heart, as the beat goes on, rhythmically saying you are not alone.  I am with you always.  Thanks be to God 

One: For justice, for freedom, for mercy hear our prayer 

All: In sorrow, in grief: be near hear our prayer, O God 

One: For wisdom, for courage, for comfort: hear our prayer. 

In weakness in fear: be near, hear our prayer, O God 

All For healing, for wholeness, for new life hear our prayer. In sickness, in death be near, hear our prayer, O God.

One: Lord, save us take pity, here in our darkness. 

We name those whom we are called to journey with

We call you, we wait: be near hear our prayer, O God.

Lord’s Prayer 

 One. A kiss, a betrayal, a denial and a trail. Questions…are you a king? What is truth? And Pilate asked the crowd…What do you mean? You’d crucify your king? And they replied 

All We have no king but Caesar!

One he’s done no wrong no not the slightest thing 

All we have no king but Caesar Crucify him 

One I see no reason I find no evil This man is harmless so why does he upset you?

All Crucify him 

One I will flog him 30 lashes I will release another. 

All Pilate! Crucify Him! Remember Caesar you have a duty. To keep the peace so crucify him Remember Caesar you have duty Crucify him.  Crucify him.. Crucify him.   

 One: Now is the hour and there is darkness over the whole of the earth. And He cried to heaven Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing. It is finished Father into your hands I commend my Spirit. 

Christ Candle extinguished 



One: And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he raised his eyes to heaven and said. 

All: Certainly this man was innocent. 

One: So there it is, the ugly shape of beautiful wood, rough hewn by human hands 

All Lord Where are you Now?

One: And there it is a tight-shut tomb, a borrowed grave, sealed with stone and silence. 

All Lord Where are you Now?

One: And there it is, your broken body, shrouded in linen, clothed in darkness.

All Lord Where are you Now?

One: And somewhere stand your people, crying though tired of crying, their eyes sore and bloodshot. They will not sleep tonight 

All Lord Where are you Now?

One And out in the streets the children have stopped their playing, the sound of music has gone sour, even the unlikely people fidget and wonder

All Lord Where are you Now?

One And here are we, saying “if only” murmuring “surely not” counting the cost for once of our carelessness and our loveless ness and our sin. Trying so vainly to gain all, we’ve bartered you away in the transaction.  We have lost the one who found us. 

All Lord Where are you Now?

One With all the Saints of all time we wait, for only you can tell whether we are worth rising for. 

Silent prayers

One: Lord have mercy 

All Christ have mercy 

One Lord have mercy 

All Amen 

One: We who have been baptized into Christ now die with him this day we have been buried with him. As Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.   

Sending Forth and Blessing.

  One: Where Christ walks

All we will follow 

One Where Christ stumbles 

All We will stop 

One Where Christ cries 

All We will listen 

One Where Christ suffers 

All we will hurt 

One When Christ dies 

All We will bow our heads in sorrow 

One When Christ rises again in glory 

All We will share his endless joy 

One There is no other way 

All Christ is the only way. 

One: Now may the blessing of God travel with you, May the teachings of Christ Illuminate you path and may the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit lead you forward. All Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, it is now, and ever shall be world without end, Amen.

amen amen amen