It must have been an amazing moment for the disciples.  They had spent several years waiting for it.  Their Teacher was entering the city of Jerusalem to the acclaim of the masses – surely this was the time when the Jewish nation would be restored and the Roman occupation ended.

At the euphoria, Jesus’ prediction of his suffering death must have faded briefly away.  However, as we know, the cheers of the masses soon disappeared through Holy Week.  What the crowd saw as the way to restore the Jewish Nation was not God’s plan.

In many ways, being surprised by God has been the story of my life.  I was happy in the police with a career mapped out to retirement and then I came to faith.  The plan I had sketched out for myself was gone, God had rather different, exciting and challenging plans.  Indeed, when I started Theological College I had a clear vision of the type of Church I would serve my curacy in. Again God had different ideas – Liz, the girls and I found us called to the wonderful Parish of Worth.

Likewise, I have no doubt that the new members and existing members of our PCC never expected to be members and for some Church and Deputy Church Wardens.

So, as they enter their terms of office I would like to thank them for stepping out in faith and ask them and all of us to be continually open that God’s plans might not always be our plans.

Steve