Easter Sunday

Today was Easter Sunday, a day when Christian churches celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. At Trinity we had a model of the empty tomb, created for Experience Easter, an event staged by Trinity Learning, and visited by lots of schools before Easter. The date of Easter is changeable and is closely aligned to the Jewish Passover. In the bible Jesus was crucified after the passover feast. Easter is celebrated on the the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Spring Equinox. This date was settled by the Council of Nicea in 325.

Waiting for Jam to return

This morning Tabitha led the service. The Jam (Jesus and Me) group went out after the first hymn, and  Tabitha was expecting them back before the last hymn. But we waited, and after a time Nigel played the organ and we sang the last hymn. We waited again. The coffee servers started to bring out coffee. Then the children returned. They held up cut-out doves and said into the microphone that they had talked about peace. Tabitha then said the blessing and the service formally ended.

Third Advent Candle

 

Tabitha lit the third Advent Candle as her husband, Revd Ian, led the service and gave a warm Trinity welcome. Both church boilers were working, and the church was warm despite sub-zero temperatures outside.

We welcomed a new member who has moved to Abingdon and transferred her membership to Trinity.

The JAM (Jesus and Me) group performed a nativity scene where the Inn Keeper kept getting woken up, first by a couple wanting a place to stay, and then lots of other visitors wanted to find the baby, Jesus.

Revd. Ian preached on the coming of Jesus. Then we shared Communion, remembering Jesus who celebrated the last supper and shared the bread and wine.

Prayer

Reverend Alan Grist from All Saints Church led the service today on the theme of Prayer.

Alan used to walk through a Jewish community in Tyneside on the way to school. The Jewish houses had a tube nailed to the doorframe. Inside on a parchment called the mezuzah were the words (of today's bible reading) from Deuteronomy. Leaving the house or returning people would put their hand on the tube and say the words ‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’ 

Alan said that his equivalent was waking and praying the prayer taken from Richard of Chichester, Day by Day, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly.

Seize the moment

We listened to the story of Martha and Mary as it appeared in today's lectionary reading from Luke 10:38-42. Martha welcomed Jesus into their home and prepare food. Mary, was listening to Jesus speak. Then Martha asked Jesus if Mary could help her get the food ready. Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part and that should not be taken from her. 

Daphne, who was preaching, asked us how do we make time for Jesus and seize the moment as Mary had. The final hymn was Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.

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Pentecost and Platinum Jubilee

Today we remembered Pentecost and the Queen’s Jubilee.

The hymns were pentecost hymns about the Holy Spirit.

Deacon Selina led us in considering the Queen’s service for seventy years and how she has served God and people and has shown in her life the gifts of the Spirit: faithfulness, love, patience, kindness, self-control, modesty. peace, and joy.’

Take this Moment

At church yesterday we sang a song written by John Bell. It had the last verse:
Take my talents, take my skills,
Take what's yet to be;
Let my life be yours, and yet
Let it still be me.

Revd' Ian's sermon was about two passages from Matthew's gospel: : the Talents and the sheep and goats. The sheep were welcomed with ' for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'

Then the parable of the talents where two servants made their master's money work and earned more money. The servant given one talent feared his master and so buried the money for safe keeping.

Ian asked, 'What point Jesus was trying to get across. Which of those servants do you most identify with?' The servant who hid the money was driven by fear. That fear stopped him taking any risk at all. Could the talents equate to gifts God has given us? It appears that all the servants wanted to please their master but one feared and did not use his gifts.

Taken together these two parables might be saying: don't fear, use the gifts God has given you for his Kingdom.