Scripture & Reflection for Easter Day & the week ahead:Scripture:‘But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.’ (1 Corinthians 15.12-14, 19-20 12) Reflection:Paul is responding to his opponents in Corinth who say quite simply ‘Dead men do not come back to life’. If that is the case, says Paul, then Jesus has not been raised, and neither will anybody else be. This life is all there is, and those of us who believe otherwise are pathetically deluded. But, says Paul, the fact is that Jesus has been raised, and that knowledge changes everything, both for our life on earth and for how we face death. Why should we believe this? Many, like those scoffers in Corinth, will dismiss it as wishful thinking, but for those who are genuinely seeking the truth there is abundant evidence pointing to the reality of the Resurrection. And the most convincing evidence of all is found in the transformation of lives changed by the knowledge of this truth. May you experience the reality of Christ’s Resurrection in your own lives. Happy Easter! Revd Rosemary
Scripture & Reflection: Palm Sunday and for the week ahead:ScriptureAs he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!’ (Luke 19. 36-38)ReflectionIf we take the flattery of others too seriously we are likely to expose ourselves to disappointment. Pop stars and movie stars find this frequently. The crowds that rush out to buy their records or go to their films, can all too quickly suddenly lose interest. More worrying, the media can turn nasty and overnight reputations are ruined and careers in tatters.Jesus knew this. The crowds who lined the road to cheer him into Jerusalem would soon change and call for his blood. The disciples themselves were fickle and ran away when the going got tough. So this week we are asked what kind of Christians we are. Are we 'fair weather' friends of Jesus, or are we prepared to follow him through the difficult times as well?Are we up to being disciples of Jesus, or are we just following Jesus to see if we can get something out of it? Are we happy to hang around just whilst the going is easy, or are we prepared to stick with Jesus when we realise just how much peace really costs? That is the challenge of Palm Sunday.Lyn Hayes ALM
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 6th April & for the week ahead:Scripture:“Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)Reflection: We can often dwell on the negative things that happen in the past, normally just as we’re trying to fall asleep and your brain decides to remind you of that embarrassing moment at school. It can be hard to look forwards with optimism, particularly in a fraught political and global climate. But the author of this scripture views it another way. He came from a good background and was a person of influence, but he gave it all up to follow Jesus Christ. His new aim in life is to do that to the best of his ability. He doesn’t focus on what happened and what could have been, only what he can now achieve in the position he has. He strives to work hard to please his God. We know we can all achieve things when we focus, so why not aim for something that will benefit others, not only ourselves? What difference can we make to those people who struggle, whether near or far? Just by doing something, we can help to push towards a better, more selfless goal. Victoria Bray
