My message to you this morning is short and very sweet: because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ our lives can have a different storyline, a different trajectory, and our understanding of God can be completely changed.This day is the most important event in history for a Christian. Christmas was, of course, key. We needed the incarnation to make the whole life of Jesus on earth possible. But on the surface looked like a very normal happening: baby gets born. Even the crucifixion could pass as a tragic but not unfamiliar incident: man gets executed. But Easter is different. Never before have we heard about someone coming back from the dead, without human intervention, and who then goes on to live a life that defies human experience and the laws of nature.There have been incidents of people being raised from the dead – Jesus performed those miracles himself with Jairus’s daughter and his friend Lazarus. There are other accounts dotted throughout history of other healers raising people from the dead. But there has never been a raising that happened supposedly by itself, or at least without another person ‘making’ it happen, and that resulted in the person being able to walk through walls, appear and disappear at will and then vanish without any plausible explanation known to science. So, what can this day mean to us? Why should we get excited about Easter? This is the day that tells us that, in Christ, there is always life after death. This is the day that reveals God’s pattern for creation, hidden in the heart of the universe, about what life is really like, that there is life after death. The changing seasons also show us this message, year in and year out, as winter once again gives way to spring. It is right before our eyes. We believe it for the flowers and trees but, until the resurrection, we didn’t know whether it was for us too, but, unlike for Jesus, not in a physical sense. The resurrection tells us that if we open ourselves to God’s Spirit within us, we will be able to live a new kind of life. St Paul wrote to the Roman believers, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11) By opening ourselves to God, by saying ‘Yes!’ to God, our lives can be transformed, here on earth and, also eternally, beyond death. This transformation begins with a step of faith, a willingness to open ourselves to who God is and to what life might be like taking God into account. But the wounds on Jesus’ body that remained even after the resurrection tell us that there is a cost to accepting the path transformation: we must die to our own selfish desires, we must be willing to let go of our bitterness, resentment and hurt. We must be willing to listen to what the Holy Spirit says about us, namely, that we are loved so completely by a God who is Love, that God exploded Jesus out of the tomb because love is stronger than death. Death does not have the last word. Love does. The God who loves us in this way, to this extent, and who is, in essence, the power of Love, is the same God of the wounded, yet gloriously resurrected, Christ. St John writes simply, “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” That’s what Jesus came to show us and to do for us: show us who God is and who we can be and what our lives can be like. Easter says: Love Wins! May you have a joyful, transformative and loving Easter. The Revd Christina Rees
Alleluia. Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Hymn: Now the green blade riseth...Acts 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11Let us pray: Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: God of glory, by the raising of your Son you have broken the chains of death and hell: fill your Church with faith and hope; for a new day has dawned and the way to life stands open in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.John 20:1-18Please see the Message from the Minister.Hymn: Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son...Let us kneel before God in prayer, asking for his cleansing love to be known to all people. We pray for St Peter’s Church, that your love will be seen in all we do, to your glory; We pray for our world, that all of its creatures will thrive, and for peace in the world; We pray for our friends, families and community, that we may share in the love of Christ; We pray for people who are sick or suffering, that they will know healing and strength; We remember the departed, and pray for all who mourn.Let us join in the words of the Lord’s prayer, whoever and wherever we are:Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself, the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service, the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our hearts; and may the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and and be with us always.Amen.The Hallelujah Chorus, by HandelLet us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.A very Happy Easter from all at St Peter’s Church!
Our Lent Course this year saw us looking forward to feeling healthier in body, mind and spirit.Each week we thought about an aspect of life which affects us emotionally.We read a Psalm, slowly, and shared what stood out for us.One of our ministers gave us a short talk, which led to a time of discussion.We thought about Action Points to take away with us.Here are our Action points, week by week:Session 1 - Thinking about positive and negative thinking, another way of seeing things (Psalm 89):Count your blessingsBe honest with GodAnd Remember - Why was David classified as a great king? Because he took the blame when right to do so and accepted God’s authority.Session 2 - Thinking about treachery, betrayal, being hurt by others (Psalm 55):Pray for wisdom, knowledge and understandingBe wise as serpents, harmless as doves And Remember - ‘Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.’Session 3 - Thinking about being at our lowest ebb, holding on to hope (Psalm 22):Pour it all out to God - be honest!Belief in God helps us to believe in ourselvesLive with an attitude of gratitudeGod has the last wordAnd Remember something God has done in the past for others we know, and something we know God has done for us, as these give us positive thoughts to hold onto in difficult times.Session 4 - Thinking about the freedom of forgiveness (Psalm 32):Let go of past hurts and let God healWe need to be as kind to ourselves as God isI will not remember is not the same as I will forgetAccept the past honestly, turn to Christ and pray for healingJOY - Jesus first, Others next, Yourself lastAnd Remember - To refuse to forgive ourselves is to deny the crossSession 5 - Thinking about calling out to God, seeking help (Psalm 142):Be Honest to ourselves and to GodMove from feelings to faithGod is first, not usAnd Remember - Memories of the past help us to make better decisions in the futureSession 6 - Thinking about hope and trust, resurrection and new life (Psalm 42 ):We try to take control, in vainWe need to go through the cataracts in trustTake every thought captive
