Musings from the Manse – April

On 16th March 2020 I wrote in my musing;

                                                                                            ‘It is likely that as things move on with Coronavirus and we get closer to Easter, that Easter will look very different this year. There may be things we cannot do, we may not be able to meet, we may be in lock down but God is not and so we have to look for other ways to share Christ’s love with others.’[/dropcap]

…and I wonder if you knew then what you know now, what might you have done differently over this last twelve months? Hindsight is as they say a wonderful thing but maybe as you read this you have the opportunity to change what you did last Easter by making this Easter something new, a new start in your relationship with Jesus. It maybe that you join Zoom worship to share together, or you might reconnect with someone you haven’t spoken to for a while, or you may begin a new pathway in your journey to take up a new roll or join with another group of Christians in their activities or join another community group and be Christ’s light there. Let’s not talk about the message of Easter as the first new beginning without being willing to create new beginnings in our own lives and in our relationship with Jesus.

This Easter let’s not just pause but actually stop and think deeply of Christ’s journey into Holy Week, and I suggest reading again the gospel stories of that week. I remember in my ministerial training where we had a retreat day and we were given lots of suggestions of how to spend the day in silence including some craft idea’s, walking etc. but I took myself outside the country chapel on the edge of Lyme Park and sat on a wall and just read and reflected on the four Gospel narratives of Holy Week, something I had never done before in one go. Even thinking about it now I am deeply moved and the experience with God in that place still has the power to move me because of the insight He gave me of what Jesus did for me as I read it and put myself there with Him.

What a way to enter ourselves into Easter by giving time to read his word where no doubt God will speak to you through the familiar anew, so that Easter 2021 is a time that you focus your mourning not on the loss of freedom or the loss of not being able to be in our church buildings but mourn the death of Jesus Christ and then from mourning to dancing as we celebrate the glorious resurrection to offer us new life in him. We are encouraged in our reading not to avoid what Jesus went through to demonstrate his unconditional love for us at the cross but to stop and stand with him and each other, so that we can in the full experience of the cross celebrate Easter Day.

Have a happy, safe and blessed Easter knowing Jesus more.

Your friend and servant

Alan

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