On the fifth Sunday in Lent, known as Passion Sunday, our preacher last Sunday was Mr Robert Williams who was welcomed by our steward Bunty Hodgkins. Bunty read a short passage which told of Pontius Pilate having Jesus whipped before the final stage of his journey to the Cross, and she hooked the leather whip to the wooden Cross. As his call to worship Robert shared with us Psalm 100.
To the music of Neil and Jill Barnett on the organ and keyboard, we sang our opening him “Crown him with many crowns, The Lamb upon his throne”. The theme of Robert’s service was “The journey of our Lord to Jerusalem” and he had chosen two bible readings. The first read by Norma Buckley was taken from Isaiah, chapter 42 in which the prophet speaks of the Lord’s Servant. The second read by Neil Barnett was from John, chapter 12. Here Jesus speaks about his own death.
Robert spoke of the final stage of Christ’s journey to Jerusalem. Then as now Israel was a troubled place. It was occupied by the Romans under the control of Pontius Pilate. Jesus had the support of his disciples who were with him on his journey to the Cross, sad, but this was the fulfilment of God’s purpose who gave his only son to die for us. Like Jesus we too are on a journey, not a journey to the Cross, but a journey in faith. The route we should take is mapped out in the bible, but sometimes we take the wrong turning then we have to go in obedience and trust. Jesus is the good news for our age. We must not be discouraged by all that is around us as his glory is poured out amongst all of us. We honour him and his sacrifice in the manner of how we live our lives in his service.
Robert led our prayers of praise and thanksgiving and prayers for others in a world beset by many things which are contrary to the will and purpose of God, as our Father. We concluded as we sang the great hymn, “Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim”.