Weekly Reflection by Peter 10th April

Today is Good Friday – and we remain restricted and isolated. We remain worried and anxious.

For Jesus, crucified, dying over several hours, he felt utter isolation – “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
We can shout at God “Why?” – we can weep quietly, as did the women at the cross. Today, of all days of the year we are aware of the ravages of sin, but we also discover that God has taken this upon himself.

Corona-virus is so named because it has an apparent crown shape – corona. Today we remember Jesus crowned, not with respect but with mockery and brutality with a crown of thorns. The “crown” which seems to be ruling the world now is not a true crown and we will see its end (but not before it has caused much more damage, in our country and probably in countries less well-equipped to deal with it).
 
There is a Good Friday Service on Facebook, YouTube and our Parish website, just 15 minutes and some added music, filmed on the hills of Turton Heights, and there is also a script of the set readings and prayers for Good Friday. We hope one or both will be helpful to you in your prayers; and there will be similar for Easter Sunday.

I am very grateful to Melanie Plumley who has provided organ backing music for these services, from the organ she has at home.
This Sunday is Easter DayWe would normally gather together to celebrate the good news of the Resurrection; we can’t do that this year, but we can still celebrate!  We suggest you might still want to light an Easter Candle (you could paint it or make it special in some way), and you might want to find some of your favourite Easter music and take some time to stop, listen, and thank God for his goodness which is everlasting.



The services for the day will be available on our website, on YouTube and on Facebook from 9.00 am, but we would encourage people to try and join in at 11.00 am, as we would have done, so we can feel together.
 
Please also give us your comments, feedback and requests so we can try and offer the worship and prayer resources that would most help you in the coming weeks. And when we can get back to church together we can celebrate that with great joy and gladness.

Remember the risen Jesus appeared to his friends in the garden and in the room, not in the temple or the church. He is with us, in the suffering of the cross and the joy of the resurrection.