Dean’s Blog – 20th March, 2016
St Christopher’s School assembly: Palm Sunday 20th March 2016
At the assembly I told the story of Holy Week and Easter in the light of God’s freeing of the people of Israel from Egypt using a little Palm Tree Press booklet and throwing the illustrations up on the screen. In the front of the booklet it had 1987, so Alex must have received it as a Sunday Club prize when we were in Hong Kong. I highlighted that this was another celebration of Passover, that the people this time were under the oppressive power of the Romans and there was an expectation that God might send another leader like Moses; but Jesus is revealed as a very different King: by his actions in riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, in washing his disciples’ feet at the Thursday night meal, in not resisting his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane and in dying on the cross…. But today there are many followers, who declare that Jesus rose from the dead and who today acknowledge him as King.
Booking flights to Dubai: Saturday 19th March
On Thursday evening I was trying to book a flight to Dubai for the Licensing of Jon Lavelle as Chaplain to Ras Al
Khaimah and Fujairah but the Fly Dubai sight would not accept my billing address as a valid address, so I shortened it and then the banks wouldn’t accept it, so the only other possibility was booking through the Fly Dubai Office, which I had to do within 24 hours or lose the booking. So I went in on Friday afternoon to find the office closed, and then walked into town on Saturday morning at 8am to be there when the Office opened. As the staff turned their computers on, they were receiving the dreadful news of the Fly Dubai flight crash with total loss of life in Rostov-on-Don. So no booking was made, but I reassured the staff who were very apologetic to me that my problems were nothing compared with the unfolding tragedy for those on the flight and their families.
The Story of the Passion: Palm Friday, 18th March 2016
The re-telling of the Passion story with the children and young people miming it out has become a tradition for the Friday nearest to Palm Sunday. Angel
Afolabi was the narrator this year and she has a wonderfully rich voice that held everyone’s attention and the children caught the poignancy and solemnity of Jesus’ last 24 hours. Brigida Martino’s script, written in the present tense, draws everyone present into the unfolding drama. It was a moving beginning to Holy Week for all who attended. Jack did very well as Jesus, but all the children contributed in small ways to the powerful impact of the presentation.
Water will gush forth and streams in the desert: 16th March 2016
Another morning to wake to overnight rain. It has seemed a particularly wet ‘winter’ this year, not coming in great storms, but much milder temperate showers. It certainly freshens up the garden and washes down some of the dusty rooves. Perhaps the desert will be blossoming in the coming days. One of my childhood memories is seeing a speeded up film of the flowering of the Australian Lake Eyre, following the rains, which I gather has flooded again this year.