The Church by the Bridge - 100 Years of Good News
And here we are: A week already after Easter!
Literally a week ago from the time of writing this letter we participated in a solemn Maundy Service complete with the ceremonial foot washing (hand washing in our case), the Last Supper and the departure into the Easter weekend in Silence.
Then on Good Friday the remembering of the darkest moment in human history: The trial and execution of Jesus Christ son of God, fully man and fully God.
After this on Easter Sunday morning the Easter Sunrise Service above the cross on Whiteleaf Hill over Risborough: Celebrating the victory over death, light over dark, exclaiming ‘He is risen’ and being responded to by ‘He is risen indeed, alleluia’ was a hugely joyous moment!50
It struck me as special that we could celebrate Easter with guitar and trombone, sing and pray in freedom in the public sphere. This is not to be taken for granted, as it unfortunately is something that is not possible in so many countries around the world. It also is an occasion to pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ around the world that are under persecution for their Christian faith and Christian beliefs.
The other, more local, joy was that we could celebrate the above mentioned Services with believers from all local churches and denominations literally as ‘Churches Together Risborough’. Within all of our churches we all have our respective denomination specific traditions, yet when it comes to the big event of Easter we can remember and celebrate together – that is truly special and events like Easter become so much richer in meaning when we can all be together to celebrate them.
The apostle Paul so appropriately writes on this in Colossians 1:18 ‘he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church’ and then continues ‘for just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body’ (1Col 12:12,13a)
And today, one week after Easter: We carry on with our lives. But we carry on with our lives having been so vividly reminded that the world has changed through the Good News of Easter for good, even if it does not always seem so looking out of the window! We know that death has been defeated. We also know that we can carry on day to day whilst carrying the hope of Jesus in our hearts and through our actions, in good as well as challenging times.
Jesus in inviting in to continue journeying with him saying to us ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matthew 11:28-30).
With Easter Jesus’ invitation to all of us becomes hugely meaningful and deeply personal!
Have a blessed week full of the joy and with the hope of Easter in your hearts.
Kai