Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey... but why? What does it say about him? What does it mean for him, his disciples and for us? Michael Topple explores this Palm Sunday story.

Memories are sparked by many things, but so often the catalyst is a smell. When Mary pours a pound of perfume over Jesus’ feet she is not only anointing him for burial but also leaving a scent that will trigger memories of this moment throughout the years. So, gather round… and let’s do some remembering.

The prodigal son… a story about forgiveness, grace and even resurrection… isn’t it?  Well, maybe… but perhaps it’s about something more immediate?  Perhaps it’s about the people who are right in front of us that we have lost but we just don’t know it yet.

Anne Thompson explore Luke 13:1-9 and wonders why bad things happen to good people and what should our response be?

When threatened, Jesus talks about himself as a mother hen protecting her chicks from a fox. I wonder how we would describe ourselves? What is our identity?

When Jesus is led out into the wilderness he faces temptations. But why? What is the tempter trying to prove? And how does Jesus pass the tests?

There on the mountain top Jesus is revealed in all his glory. He is seen for who he really is, God’s son. This is a moment where the whole story comes together. A turning point. This is the moment where everything changes.

Turn the other cheek.  Love your enemies.  Pray for those who treat you badly.

You can imagine the people listening.  What?  What did he say?  Doesn’t he know that not how the world works?

Yes.  Yes he knows exactly how much that’s not the way the world works and that’s why he wants to change it… but perhaps not in the way you think!

What should we make of a list of people we’d rather not be on being blessed and the list of people we all strive to be being warned that they should be very, very careful? It’s a question I don’t think we spend nearly enough time thinking about because it seems like we have settled for an answer that is far from what Jesus spells out for us. That’s what we’re tackling in our time together today.

I wonder if you know the story of how Jesus calls his first disciples? My memory of the story is Jesus walking along the shore and he sees Simon and Andrew mending their nets and he says to them, ‘follow me’. And they do. And a little further along they meet James and John and he says the same to them. And they leave their nets and their father, Zebedee, in the boat.

But that’s not quite what happens in Luke’s version. There’s more to it than that. But isn’t there always?

So, let’s dive in and see what we can discover together!