Easter is a time of both deepest sorrow and greatest joy. We had our experience of both in great measure this Holy Week.

On Maundy Thursday, we gathered for an evening Holy Communion at which we shared hot cross buns and juice: to recall the sweetness of Jesus' life and ministry, and his fellowship with his closest companions. Afterwards, we stripped the altar, removing all cloths and ornamentation in preparation for the stark sorrow of the crucifixion.

We met again on Good Friday morning for an emotional service reflecting on the sorrow, the agony and the sacrifice of our Lord.

On Sunday, the mood changed: sadness became joy and we celebrated Christ's resurrection, with Easter bonnets filled with symbols of new life, an Easter egg hunt and a Holy Communion in which we received the elements with particular gratitude, rejoicing in all that the Lord has done for us.   Great fun - and beneath it, our grateful thanks for all that God has done for us, and the gifts he has freely given.