This is just a selection of the words and images that go together to make the worshipalternative	Changing Moods/ Changing Sides (Palm Sunday)
	Introduction (Chicane: Behind the Sun: Track 2 'Low Sun') Let me take you back Close your eyes And let the images of this time and place Drop away Become transparent And distant Feel the spirit pull you back Through time A passage in history A tunnel to another millennia To a sandy town on a hill bathed in sunlight Hear the still distant roar of crowds See the specks of people gathered in the meeting places And road sides And rooftops Of a city busy with celebration Louder now and bigger now Hear the voices of women calling children Arms in the air waving, pulling, signalling Men at busy tables Selling hot lamb heavy with spices Turmeric and Paprika flavour the air Charcoal strong in the clothing of people who crush past you People bargaining over cloth and vegetable and spice Women enveloped in shawls Children wrapped to their parents Some asleep Others bawling Pressed to their mothers backs Men in their skull caps Their damp sweaty body heat on your face Strong musk fills your nostrils Caught by a buzzing crowd swirling as a tide Noisy in a language you don't understand This is Jerusalem Passover week And among the disturbance A rolling cheer of 'Hosanna!' Rushes over the crowd Infecting Rising with the hype And turning in the crowd to the voices close by you You see eyes you recognise And you can identify each pair Susan, Shirley, Roddy, George, Each one here in the city With you Calling Yelling Shouting
	The Scriptures:   Zachariah the prophet proclaims: Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.   Placards stuck on walls:   Tommy Sherridan for First Minister   David Cowan for Session Clerk The prophet proclaims: He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.   Placards:   Make Love Not War   Ban The Bomb The prophet proclaims: As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.   Placards:   Drop The Debt   No GM Food Here The Prophet proclaims: Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away the judgements against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. Placards:   Ban Baby Milk Powder   Fair Trade For All The Prophet proclaims: The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.   Placards:   Right On With Human Rights   Down With Poverty In that high street in Jerusalem&ldots; in that crazy palm parade&ldots; we lose the politics&ldots; we lose the ambiguity&ldots; that got Jesus arrested&ldots; There is something wonderful and wild about Palm Sunday&ldots; as Jesus meets us where we need to be met&ldots; in all the ambiguities of our lives&ldots; Shall I&ldots; shan't I&ldots; support this or champion that&ldots; It could be seen as an inflammatory political demonstration using highly emotional national symbols&ldots; Actions and images that spoke to the very heart of the crowds ambitions&ldots; oppressed under the Romans&ldots; and fervent dreamers of freedom&ldots; It was a line crossing moment&ldots; Yes&ldots; the crowd wanted it&ldots; Deep down they wanted it all&ldots; That's what drama does to you&ldots; It stirs you into a frenzy no of your own&ldots; They saw the danger&ldots; and it excited them&ldots; they loved it&ldots; living on the edge&ldots; a huge crowd&ldots; single minded&ldots; And they liked what they saw&ldots; But for the very same reasons&ldots; five days later&ldots; the cry was for crucifixion&ldots; for death&ldots; the drama&ldots; the collective responsibility&ldots; easily denied in the end&ldots; It was entertainment&ldots; and good entertainment at that&ldots; The very best and the very worst of people&ldots; for all to see&ldots; and no one stood up to accept responsibility&ldots; for that crowd&ldots; Except one man&ldots; Except one man&ldots; Who crossed the line&ldots; And said&ldots; 'This is it!'&ldots; The future has been sealed&ldots; I have taken responsibility&ldots; The unfolding kingdom&ldots; The waiting promise of God&ldots; Has been called to show itself&ldots; The line is crossed&ldots; And there is no going back&ldots; This is the road to freedom&ldots;
	'Changing mood, changing sides'   'Into this crowd we come A crowd of fickle supporters A place of changing moods and changing sides '   Glory, glory, glory, glory Changing from one side to the other. The man's name was Malcolm X Malcolm X adopted the Black Muslim faith in prison, and on his release in 1952 became a Muslim minister and charismatic advocate of black separatism. Following a split in 1963 with Black Muslim leader Elijah Mohammed and a pilgrimage to Mecca, he converted to orthodox Islam and founded in the following year the Organisation of Afro-American Unity, which promoted black nationalism but admitted the possibility of interracial brotherhood. In 1965 he was assassinated in Harlem, N.Y.C., purportedly by Black Muslims.   Glory, glory, glory, glory Changing moods, changing sides The boy's name is Elian Gonzalea It is a saga of a little 6 year old boy whose mother drowned at sea trying to escape Cuba, and her little boy survived and was picked up near Miami. The crowd at first wanted Elian to be "adopted" (given citizenship) by America and free him from a life of oppression under Fidel Castro. Later, when people considered the little boy's well-being, they seemed to turn to the thought that family (his father) was more important than a political system. Still later, they seemed to adopt the notion that what would really be good for the boy and the father would be that BOTH come to America and live. The Justice Department has decreed that the boy will be turned over to his father.   Glory, glory, glory, glory Changing moods, changing sides The mans name is Oscar Romero. Oscar Romero was a South American Bishop martyred in the 70's, came from the upper class and had been part of the mainstream church hierarchy his whole career. He was appointed Bishop by Rome with the assumption that he would continue to support the status quo. Shortly after his appointment the mood changed and he caught the government and Rome by surprise when he began to support the poor and encouraged the continued development of liberation theology and was ultimately assassinated for his standing up for social justice. His flip was from bad to good (at least in the opinion of the poor, but not in the Vatican or governments)   Glory, glory, glory, glory Changing moods, changing sides The name is of a Radio Station on the Philippians The population of the Philippines is 94% Catholic. In 1986 a movement of military and 'people power' toppled President Marcos from power. Back in 1972 President Marcos' imposition of martial law in the Philippines was followed by a message of support from the catholic Bishop's Conference for maintaining 'peace and order amidst the threats of disorder brought about by the urgings of social transformation.' As the tide changed the Catholic radio station became the communication centre of the rebel forces and Marco's overthrow was celebrated as 'a miracle brought about by God's intervention   Glory, glory, glory, glory Changing moods, changing sides The name is Hitler, Saddam, Milosovec The story is one that is too well known. The consequences are even better known. Which side? The fickle crowds cheer and jeer without knowing why. Crossing the line and not going with the crowd, is a dangerous, life threatening thing. We only have to read papers, watch the news to find the mavericks who stand out, and the lambs that are slaughtered because of the mood of the crowd. The way to freedom, the way to peace, has always, always, always been through the people who have not followed the crowd, who have rode into the city, face set like flint, seen the kingdom, and known the crowd will not follow. But take the road anyway. It is this violent way of peace, that the kingdom comes. Glory, glory, glory, glory
	The Road To Freedom After these words, people were invited to take a palm branch from the ground that were spread over newspaper. As they lifted them to put them on the cross, the words 'Road to Freedom' were revealed. As a symbol of the crowd that moves the story from one side to the other, I'll invite you in a moment of two, to take a palm branch. And make a choice this week. Which side do you take? Hindsight is a powerful thing. We know what happens in this story. So I'm not asking you to commit yourselves to what you think is right. And who are the good players and who are the bad. That would be too simple. Instead, I invite you to take responsibility for our part as the crowd, which side changes sides today in the fickle way crowds always do. It's the same crowd today that changed then from coronation to crucifixion cheering and jeering without knowing why, changing mood, changing sides.. This is an act of confession. If you feel comfortable, and even if you don't, take a branch, hold it, think about the times you have been in that crowd, persuaded not by truth, or freedom, or love, but by greed, self-gratification, prejudice. Confess those feelings quietly between you and God, and then nail your palm branch to the cross as an act of repentance. It is your confession. It is your moment of responsibility. It is the Good News for you. To stand out from the crowd is the way to freedom. Tonight, walk it, to the cross and beyond. In your own time, and there is plenty of it, pick a branch and set yourselves free. (Moby: Play: Track 6)