Good morning everyone

Well, here we are on the cusp of Holy Week.

Our service tomorrow (Palm Sunday) will follow the pattern of the service you have used in the past. The plan is to process around the church all holding our Palm crosses as we sing our hymn. I will also be using the dramatized reading of the gospel so come prepared to be of good voice for crowd, priests, passers-by, soldiers.

I will also need someone to play Pilate and Jesus. So please let me know if you would like to do this.

As we go into Holy Week there are a few things I want to highlight:-

We are holding the Easter Vigil on Saturday (30th) at St Mary’s, Gilston at 7.00 pm.

We are asking you to come with something to sit on, something to keep you warm and a torch.

The plan is to sit together, around the firepit, read some of the set readings interspersed with poems and prayers, which we will all take part in.

We will then all go into church to light our candles from the Easter Candle and sing a final hymn together. Rosemary is going to provide Prosecco if you would like some as we spend time together remembering. Hope you can make it as I feel this will be a very special time for us.

We will be having a lot of contact with the school this week as I am in with Nursery, Reception and the RE council on Monday, I will be leading collective worship in the school on Tuesday, and also the school will be in church on Wednesday for their Easter Service. Please pray for the children, the parents and the teachers as they go into Easter, and for the hope that many children will come to our Messy Church sessions at St James on Good Friday or St Botolph’s on Easter Saturday.

This year also we will have the opportunity and privilege to talk about Easter with our toddler group, each child will receive an age appropriate Easter story book and stickers and of course a little bit of chocolate, so please pray for our wonderful team on Thursday morning.

As you may have picked up on the news the Princess of Wales has been diagnosed and is being treated for cancer. Please pray for her, her family and also King Charles as they face this difficult time together over the next few months. The Church of England has issued a prayer specifically for the Princess of Wales:-

Gracious God

We pray for the continued recovery

Of the Princess of Wales,

For her husband, and for her family.

Grant to them,

And to all who are affected by sickness,

Faith, hope and the knowledge of your love,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

My hope and prayer for us all this Easter is that we will grow in the love and knowledge of Jesus, enjoy being together and sharing the Easter story with so many.

Let us hold onto hope this Easter, regardless of what is happening in our world. Let us remember our Romans 15:13 scripture:-

‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’.

See you very soon

Alison