As I reflected on this I thought of Peter. He must have felt very low indeed when he denied Jesus three times (cf. Luke 22: 54-end).But now, here we are after the resurrection. Jesus is alive and he appears to his disciples. One of these appearances was a wonderful encounter with Peter. (John 21: 15-17). Peter is given a second chance.We are like Peter. Which of us haven’t at some time wished we could have a time over again, that we could undo some thoughtless or angry word, some rash commitment or unwise judgement, or some careless mistake? If only we could have a second chance, an opportunity to put right the past!If anyone longed for that it must surely have been Peter, for he must have felt helplessly and hopelessly burdened by past mistakes. The memory of denial of Jesus – not once, not twice, but three times – must have haunted him without respite. What wouldn’t he have given to undo those moments? Only he couldn’t……or… could he?For suddenly here was Jesus asking, not once, not twice, but three times ‘Do you love me?’. It took a while for the message to sink in, his initial reaction one of pique, but finally the truth dawned – for each time he’d denied him, Jesus was offering the opportunity to make amends, to put the past behind him and start afresh. Peter did just this and became ‘the rock on which He built His Church’We cannot put the clock back as such and we have to live with the consequences of our mistakes, but with God, the opportunity is always there to move forward from what has been…to what shall be. We only need to acknowledge our faults and be truly sorry, for resurrection to begin once again…here…and now.If God can use a triple-denier of Christ (Peter), what is stopping you? Turn to Christ this Easter.This Sunday need not be a ‘Low Sunday’!
Our ministry is nothing without the Laity. This year many parishioners were invited and we enjoyed a lovely lunch in the Crypt Laying on of Hands, Anointing and Reconciliation ministries were offered.Also on Maundy Thursday there was a traditional service of Foot washing and Stripping of The Sanctuary including Holy Communion at both our churches. It is a humbling experience to wash feet and to strip the altar.
Click on this link to watch a short video of The Lego Easter story – just 5 minutes.
Thank you to our ‘Saturday Team’ who regularly meet to keep our church tidy, safe and in good order. Look out for the next dates – why not come along?
