Dear All,
Lent is whizzing by and Easter – I was going to say looms but that is not quite the right word for Easter. Easter beckons. I know Lent is busy – extra house groups, Women’s World Day of Prayer (always a good service) and Mothering Sunday for example, but there are always the Easter holidays to look forward to.
The school holidays do not begin until late this year so most are after Easter. So, even on Palm Sunday, we still wait for the space to relax. Yet I think that the time from Palm Sunday to Easter Day is so important. If you do not travel each day or at least some of the days with the suffering Jesus, but simply celebrate his arrival into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and then the following Sunday celebrate again with the empty tomb and Resurrection, there is a great deal missing.
During that week Jesus gave such teaching, suffered such pain and died only to be encased in a borrowed tomb that, not to travel with him, misses out the cost of our freedom. I’m not someone who won’t say “Praise the Lord” during Lent so that the cries of “Hallelujah” on Easter Day can be more celebratory and I am glad that we continue to have flowers in church during Lent, but I do think it is important to observe the events of Holy Week. So, I would encourage you to make space some time in the week so that in some way or another you can meditate on the events, whether that is on your own or in fellowship with others. It will make Easter Sunday so much the richer.
This year, the Worcester City Walk of Witness will begin at the Cathedral and therefore take a different route, which we hope will be visible to more people. Witnessing – although mostly in silence – can make quite and impression on the passersby. Do come along and join in!
Sometimes people ask questions like “What is more important Crucifixion or Resurrection, Good Friday or Easter Day?” Well they are inextricably joined, you can’t have one without the other (at least in the case of Jesus). Both are important and at different times of our lives the cross and empty tomb will have greater meaning. Yet we need to remember that we are a resurrection people with the certain hope of eternal life. Nevertheless that hope was bought and the price was the cross.
May you continue to journey through Lent with the hope of Easter in your hearts.
May God bless you and keep and guide you always,
Anne
