Palm Sunday’s show of faith

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Each year, Wesley Mission takes the momentous events of Easter Week into the streets to share with the community the meaning and glorious promise of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Jesus himself deliberately created the spectacle of his entry into Jerusalem in what would come to be known as Palm Sunday. It would never be forgotten. He wanted it that way.

It is why, each Palm Sunday, Wesley Mission recreates Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem right in the public eye among the crowds at Circular Quay.

“Sit here, sit here!” the beaming manager of one popular Circular Quay restaurant called out to lunchers walking past his tables overlooking the Sydney Harbour, the Bridge and the Opera House. “You’ll have good food, you have the best view in Sydney and … you’ll see the Palm Sunday procession!”

Scores of happy snappers clicked shutters as 21-year-old Wesley Institute student Matt Johnson, playing Jesus, rode a donkey led the procession which included Wesley Mission Superintendent, Keith Garner and his wife, Carol, dancers and singers from Wesley Institute , and members of the Wesley congregations.

Twenty-six-year-old blonde Palm Sunday veteran, Snowmiss the donkey, freshly shampooed for the occasion, stoically carried her lanky load, giving little indication of strain but equally little indication that she could, in fact, carry a few hundred kilos more.

The Wesley Institute singers, conducted by David Johnston, sang beautifully at the service that followed. The service opened with John Newton’s anthem Amazing Grace and continued with moving renditions of How Great is Our God and Worthy is the Lamb.

Keith and Barry Chant both spoke at the service, focusing on this year’s Easter theme of “New Beginnings”.

Sean, a young Christian from Singapore who had just attended service at his church in Bondi, was glad to walk along in the procession. “It’s good to show happiness right now,” he said, smiling at the crowds smiling back at him. There had been a somber mood at his church – many in that congregation were facing unemployment because of the recession.

He asked for details of the church services at Wesley Mission and walked on – just one person touched by Easter’s message of joy and redemption and the open avowal of faith inherent in Wesley’s Palm Sunday procession.

- Dinoo Kelleghan, Public Affairs

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The Palm Sunday procession around Circular Quay	Palm Sunday donkey eating a palm leaf from Keith Garner
Palm Sunday Jesus and the procession	Rev Garner preaching at the Palm Sunday open Air Service
Barry Chant preaching at the Palm Sunday Open Air Service	Wesley Institute dancers at the Palm Sunday Open Air Service