Above: Members of Wesley Mission Church in Sydney – including William Lemalu dressed as Jesus – celebrate Palm Sunday in Circular Quay. Images: Wesley Mission / Facebook.
By: Clare Bruce
People wandering through Sydney’s Circular Quay couldn’t help but hear the message of Jesus on Sunday afternoon, as the people of Sydney’s Wesley Mission churches enacted Jesus Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem – in celebration of Palm Sunday.
Crowds gathered around to witness a parade along the harbour led by William Lemalu dressed as Jesus, followed by a multicultural open-air gospel service complete with songs, dancing, people sharing their testimonies of Christ’s work in their lives, and a message from Wesley Mission Superintendent Keith Garner.
Performers included Indonesian dancers, Korean drummers, Tongan and Samoan singers, and the service culminated in a multi-lingual version of How Great is our God. Celebrations continued long after onlookers dispersed.
Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, marks the start of Holy Week, the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, and is celebrated in the major Christian denominations including Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox.
Worshippers carry palm fronds in memory of the crowds in Jerusalem that did the same as Jesus arrived: “…the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” John 12:12-13
On Good Friday, Wesley Mission will gather in Martin Place for an outdoor service to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, with a moving drama re-enacting His arrest and trial, followed by a gospel message around the theme of ‘Nothing Less’. The service is on Friday, April 19 at 1:30pm. Find out more on the Wesley Mission website.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
About the Author: Clare is a digital journalist for the Broadcast Industry.