Easter Blog
Dear Friends
Happy Holy Week. What does your Holy Week look like? I am thankful that this year Easter and School holidays land together, so next week my family and I will go on holiday together with four clergy families that we trained with and go to North Yorkshire to take time to be refreshed after the busyness of Holy Week.
However, I find Holy Week to literally be that word, Holy.
Holy Week is an invitation for us to go slowly as we head into Holy Week.
On Maundy Thursday, I will gather with other lay and ordained leaders to reaffirm our ordination and calling promises, and this is always a special service.
The week is about coming slowly to the cross and coming in wonder of Maundy Thursday, questions of Holy Saturday and pure joy of Easter Sunday.
I have been struck through Lent following the Lectio reflection, going back thousands of years to the desert fathers and mothers and have been struck by the word holiness that has been used so much. Alongside that, I have recently been having several conversations about the quiet revival and what we in particular have been seeing: young men coming to faith. But why? A simple answer has been holy encounters. As one guy recently said to me, I started reading the Bible and wanted to know more about this Holy man. What we have seen is people having holy encounters. I saw another glimpse of this in coming to support Alpha a little over this last term and seeing people’s hunger in wanting to go deeper!
After Easter, we are going to offer two things.
- A daytime Alpha, as we are aware, for many Alpha in the evening does not work. To sign up, click on this link https://tinyurl.com/3me2enm3
- The Bible Course we are going to encourage life groups to run the course but also be aware that this is a great follow-up to Alpha and for those who want to get a better understanding of the Bible. So we will start on a Wednesday evening in May. To sign up, click here https://smartchurchliskeard.churchsuite.com/events/554twf8z
Why do we see this as so important? Quite simply, back to that opening question. What does Holy Week mean to you? Then, the question we are seeing people encounter by asking that question is what it means to be Holy.
So, a Holy Week challenge for you. Take some time in the busyness or even in the quietness to seek what it means to be Holy, or a harder question, what do you need to put in place to enable you to have a Holy Week or go deeper in your holiness.
As we prepare for the joy of Easter Sunday, may Holy Week and the Easter season be a time of depth and growth and real joy. We pray this Easter blessing over each of us.
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
May the risen Christ bring you new life,
forgiving your sins and renewing your strength.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
God bless
Rev Mark