Dear Church family,How are you coping? For the three of us in the Matthews’ household, it varies from day to day. Some days I am in school with the children of key workers and on other days I am working from home planning work for my class to do at home, or I am responding to texts from staff and emails from parents. Jim has been out at foodbank most days for quite long hours. Rachie, our daughter is always at home at the moment, other than going for walks. But we all need our personal space and when the weather is good, this is easier to achieve. There are days when Jim and I are out, then Rachie gets some personal space.This week I have noticed that some parents are struggling and I felt God give me this message for them: Your family situation is unique and I believe you are all doing the best you can in the current circumstances. Please don’t compare what you are doing with anyone else - you are the expert on your child and childhood needs to be a magical time.However, for other adults in different situations, there is too much personal space happening. Loneliness or a feeling of being alone can creep in. Whatever our circumstances, we need to hold on to the fact that God is in control and that He alone can bring order out of chaos. It is at times like this that we need to draw close to God and I have always found great comfort from Psalm 23 ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want.’Following on from Mick’s splendid videos, we have co-ordinated another video from members of the Church family and you can view this through the link here .Words for the songs can be accessed from the DOWNLOAD link, to the top right of this article.The theme and title of this video is The Shepherd and His sheep. As well as the contributions from members of All Saints Church, Jim and I have had the assistance of Rachie our daughter, in videoing our parts. There was one particular moment where I fluffed my lines and then got the giggles. Fortunately, we have been able to edit out this part as well as the part where Rachie tells me to start talking and I gawp like a goldfish.I can’t imagine how I could cope without God in my life. What a blessing it is to have a relationship with Him. This video is a first for many of us and we pray that God will bless you through it. We have been richly blessed in making it. May you know His peace and comfort at this time.Yours in Christ,Jill MatthewsPart of the Church family in the benefice of Sapcote, Sharnford and Wigston ParvaPlease remember that we are still running the All Saints prayerlink. If you would like to be part of the prayerlink or if you have prayer requests, then please contact us on allsaintsprayerlink@hotmail.co.uk Prayer requests are confidential to those members of the prayerlink but anyone can send in a request at any time. Pray anywhere, anytime, for anyone about anything!Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.I Thess 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
A hard copy of the message appears below and a DOWNLOAD link to the song words is top right.For access to the service go to the Youtube site and search for “worship with rev mick on easter day” or click here Easter Day 12 April 2020John 20:10-23In May 2018, Denise and I visited Israel and were blessed by our visit to the“Garden tomb”. No-one knows for sure if this was the place where Jesus’ bodywas buried after it was taken down from the cross that first Good Friday. For usit was very special as we entered a beautifully kept walled garden. One of thewalls consists of a vertical rock face, about ten metres high. At the base of thewall is a doorway carved into the stone like a cave entrance. As I stooped tostep inside this entrance I found a space, approximately the size of a two metrecube. It was a very exciting experience to look around an ancient tomb withnothing in it!We can all envisage the events of that first Easter Day when Mary saw the risenLord and mistook him for the gardener.(John 20). As soon as Jesus speaks toMary, she recognises Jesus. Her life is transformed and she rushes off to spreadthe good news. Today, all over the world Christians celebrate this wonderfulnews.Yet in 2020 we find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic andmany are fearful and anxious as death hits the headlines. As Christians, I hopethat we can take to heart the message of Jesus to the disciples that first EasterDay: “Peace be with you!”.Especially here in the UK, death has been a hidden subject, a taboo subject, fora long time. Death, that has been previously swept under the carpet, is suddenlyall around us. This is very alarming for many people, and most people areexperiencing the fear of death. I can remember the first few funerals I tookafter being ordained. It was hard because I’d had little acquaintance with deathduring the first thirty years of my life. Over years in ministry, I have come tounderstand just how powerful and painful death is for those who have lostprecious friends and family members.As Christians we believe that God is more powerful than death. When Godraised Jesus from life to death, God showed that He is more powerful thandeath. Jesus is uniquely qualified to talk about matters of life and death andteaches “ I am the resurrection and the life”. In other words, Jesus Himself hasbroken the power of death in our lives. Our fear of death subsides in thepresence of Jesus. We may not fully understand all that Jesus has done, but Ihope that we can all experience the peace of Jesus, even in the face of death.May we, once again this Easter, know in our hearts and minds the peace ofJesus Christ. Jesus says to us “Peace be with you!”Rev Mick Norman Rector
A hard copy of the message appears below and a DOWNLOAD link to the song words is top right.For access to the service go to the Youtube site and search for “worship with rev mick on good friday” or click hereGood Friday 10 April 2020Mark 15:21-37Good Friday is the day in the year when we focus on the sacrificial deathof Jesus Christ on the cross. Hot cross buns carry the sign of the crossthat has become the main symbol of Christianity. We remember todaythat Jesus died on a large wooden cross nearly 2000 years ago.In 2018 Denise and I visited Jerusalem and were able to walk along theroute that Jesus travelled on His way to be crucified. On a hot day westruggled to carry water bottles and souvenirs up a long and fairly steephill. Jesus had to carry a very heavy wooden cross and then suffer anextremely painful death.It makes you wonder why this is called Good Friday, doesn’t it? The goodnews is that Jesus death was a necessary sacrifice for us, out of God’slove, so that we can be reconciled to God. Jesus’ death brought usforgiveness, peace with God and hope. Furthermore, Jesus, Son of God,suffering on a cross demonstrates that God understands what it is to suffer andwe can be confident that God is with us when we suffer.God is with us in our sufferingsThere is a lot of suffering in our world today. In the UK coronavirus lockdownwe are all suffering losses of freedom, we are mourning cancellations ofoutings, events and holidays; we face separation and loneliness, job losses, lossof health, relationship problems, financial hardships, shortages of foods andother products and so on….The good news is that whatever our circumstances,whatever our sufferings, God is with us.It is good to know that God is with us in our own personal sufferings, those ofour family, those of our community and those of our country. Yet it is morethan that- because God loves the whole world as it suffers a pandemictogether.As John puts it in that most well-known Bible saying:“ For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, thatwhoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”. John 3:16Let us, once again, thank God for the loving gift of Jesus Christ, bringing uslove, forgiveness and peace through His sacrificial death for us on the cross.Rev Mick Norman Rector
Dear friends,in other News items you will find my two Easter messages, one for Good Friday and one for Easter Day. Also, there are somewords for some songs that could go with them. For those without access to Youtube I hope that these resources will help you to remember what Jesus has done for us at this very special time of year. BBC TV and radio , and others, will be broadcasting Christian worship over the Easter weekend , for example Ihave spotted: Saturday BBC2 7pm Easter from King’sEaster Day BBC Radio 4. 8.10am Easter Sunday worshipEaster Day BBC1 11.25am Sunday Worship.If you have access to Youtube, I am hoping that you will be able to find a new resource called ‘Worship with Rev Mick’! The debut video is called “Worship with Rev Mick on Good Friday” and can be foundon the following Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5jgdGGuvb8 I hope that you will enjoy the video and I invite you to participate at home using the attached songs words.A second video called "Worship with Rev Mick on Easter Day” will be posted in readiness for Easter Day. I don’t know what the exact link will be, but I am reliably informed that I have a channel where eventually you will be able to find both videos. It can be found on Youtube at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8vYxkbJSynSFt1N3kapLnQOf course this is all very different to gathering together for Christian worship, but I hope that these resourcesyou will be encourage you, and your household, in your faith this Easter weekend.Also enclosed is a letter from Jill Matthews, Pastoral Assistant for All Saints Church that I hope you willfind helpful during these challenging times.Happy Easter! With love and prayersRev Mick
