To boldly go

Our Palm Sunday service had a certain Star Trek theme today.

The Starship Enterprise famously set out on its mission to 'explore strange new worlds, to seek out new civilisations and to boldly go where no man had gone before.'

Jesus, too, entered on a journey on the first Palm Sunday to 'go where no man had gone before', but not so much as to explore strange new worlds as to save this one.

'It's life, Jim, but not as we know it' Mr Spock told Captain Kirk.

Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, dying on a cross, was a King But Not As We Know It, and a Saviour But Not as We know it. And he came to offer Life But Not As We know it.

The Trekkies, at least, in the congregation enjoyed the Sci-Fi allusion but we all got the point, in a service that was greatly enlivened by musical contributions from our local community choir, Bermondsey Voices, who rehearse in St James every Tuesday.

Two spirituals from South Africa by Bermondsey Voices (right), and their wonderful rendition of O Happy Day at the end of the service, rounded off a memorable start to Holy Week at St James's.