I’m currently reading: Not much. Just been very busy and tired. I will try better next week! However, I have been listening to the new Taize CD “Dona Nobis Pacem” which contains many favourites from the last few years.
Fun Fact of the week: Sunday is the beginning of British Summer Time. William Willett, a builder from Surrey who spearheaded the campaign for daylight saving in 1907, is the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin!
We had over 200 children and adults in church on Tuesday for the St. James Easter Service and then 180 of them came back on Thursday for our “Experience Easter” day in church. We had 30 groups of 6 children rotating around different ‘stations’ of the Easter story such as Palm Sunday, The Last Supper, Gethsemane, and Resurrection. I spent the first part of the day attempting to explain resurrection to 12 different groups of 7-11 year olds. I can barely explain resurrection to myself so this was quite a challenge! Can you explain the heart of your faith in one sentence that would be intelligible to your average 8 year old? Of course, this was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on my own evolving understanding of the Easter story. The most common interpretation of these events that are taught in our schools, our churches, and in many of our families is one that focuses on Christ as a necessary substitute for the atonement of our sins. However, throughout history and throughout the global church there are many different interpretations of what was going on with Christ’s death and resurrection. My own understanding is that the love of Christ broke the power of death and revealed the way of life and death that brings renewed connection with our God. I awoke last night with a helpful (but, I assume, unoriginal) visual picture to explain this that I will share on Easter Morning.
Also, on Tuesday I attended a lecture organised by The Severn Forum entitled “How do Christians and Muslims live well together in the UK whilst respecting their deep differences”. Myself and Rafiq Patel (Police Community Engagement Coordinator with our local police and resident of St. James Parish). It was a very interesting evening and lovely to spend time with Rafiq as we travelled to and from Cheltenham together. This is the way we learn to live well together, by spending time with each other, and fostering an openness to listen, to learn, to respect, and to value what we all bring to our common life together.
I look forward to sharing Easter with many of you.
As always, if you would like me to pray for, or have a conversation about anything then do get in touch. I am available to listen and share in whatever might be arising for you at this time.
"Nothing can separate us from the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus" Eph8:38-39
With peace and blessings,
Rev Steve
07503164309
My day of rest this week is Monday.