St Matthew's Grosmont

Dear friends,

Welcome to this week’s newsletter, which comes with prayers as we journey through Holy Week towards Easter Sunday. This update includes details of what’s happening this week, and a copy of my sermon from yesterday, Palm Sunday.

If you can make it to any of our Holy Week or Easter Sunday services/events, it would be lovely to see you. Please email me back for any information required.

With blessings and all good wishes,

Reverend Anthony

Community Forum on Palm Sunday Many thanks to those of you that came to our Community Forum meeting yesterday with The Venerable John Day, the diocese’s ‘Growing Healthy Churches’ adviser. John will be walking alongside us for at least the next two years as part of the ‘Revitalise’ programme, of which Middle ESK Moor is a part. We had a very productive discussion around the opportunities and challenges facing us, the Church of England, in this beautiful part of the world, and we agreed some priorities for the next few months. Some notes from the meeting will be available in due course, but if you would like to find out more and be part of the ongoing discussions with John, please get in touch with Reverend Anthony.

Holy Week through to Easter Day Every Day through the School Easter Holidays

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Outdoor Interactive Easter Trail at St Hilda, Egton

Tonight

9:00 PM - 9:30 PM Night Prayer for Holy Week at St Hilda, Egton

this, and the other night prayers this week, will be livestreamed, visit: live.middleeskmoor.org

Tuesday 26th

9:00 PM - 9:30 PM Night Prayer for Holy Week at St Hilda, Egton

Wednesday 27th

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM New Weekly Holy Communion Service in Goathland at different locations each week.

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM A Meditation for Holy Week in Words and Music from Cherubini's Requiem at St Matthew's Grosmont - see the poster attached for some more info on this.

9:00 PM - 9:30 PM Night Prayer for Holy Week at St Hilda, Egton

Maundy Thursday 28th

10:30 AM - 2:30 PM Vi's Community Cafe with Easter Crafts in Grosmont at St Matthew's Grosmont

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Play Space in Grosmont at St Matthew's Grosmont

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Holy Communion with foot washing for Maundy Thursday at St Mary's Goathland

9:00 PM - 9:30 PM Night Prayer for Holy Week at St Hilda, Egton

Good Friday 29th

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Good Friday Meditations at St Thomas Glaisdale

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Good Friday Meditations at St Matthew's Grosmont

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Good Friday Meditations at St Mary's Goathland

Easter Sunday 31st

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Holy Communion in Lealholm for Easter Day at St James' Lealholm

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Holy Communion in Goathland for Easter Day at St Mary's Goathland

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Holy Communion in Egton for Easter Day at St Hilda, Egton

Our Survey Thanks very much if you have replied to our survey. If you haven't replied yet, please could complete the survey online by clicking this link . Thank you. please bear with us as we analyse all the responses from the survey. Members of the Advisory Council will be in touch with everyone who has replied.

Sermon from Palm Sunday: Motivated by Love Please follow this link for the Readings and Prayers that go with Reverend Anthony’s latest sermon:

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts together be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock, and redeemer. Amen.

I wonder, have you ever been caught up in the excitement of a crowd?

Do you remember the Tour de France a few years ago, when it came through Yorkshire? We went down to St Mary’s in Oxenhope near Bradford, where we used to live, with a few friends and sat on the wall by the church. Everyone was very excited as the ‘caravan’ came past first, followed by a long wait until we heard the TV’s helicopter getting closer overhead. Before we knew it, we were cheering and shouting and, in a flash, the leaders came through followed by the peloton. It was an exciting day with a good community feeling about it, and lots of noise and excitement! But it’s interesting to note that I’m not a cyclist by any stretch of the imagination, and I know almost nothing about cycling let alone international competitions like the Tour de France. Who won that year? I’ve absolutely no idea. There would certainly have been many cycling enthusiasts there, and there might be some of you here today who could tell us all about the Tour de France? But I know almost nothing and all I remember is being swept away by the excitement of the crowd!

I wonder whether there were many people like me in the crowds making a lot of noise on that first Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. People shouting Hosanna at the tops of their voices. People shouting but not realising what or who they were shouting and cheering at. People being swept away by the excitement of the day? Jesus' journey, that we remember specifically at the beginning of Holy Week, was a significant one because it directly fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy. There had been many signs that Jesus was the Messiah, but Palm Sunday was more than a sign. Rather like those that know lots about cycling know lots about the Tour de France, those who knew their scriptures well would have known that The King of David's Line would ride into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey. And so it happened, exactly as the scriptures foretold. A powerful symbol and fulfilment of prophecy! And the crowd went wild, following Jesus, following each other, shouting and singing in praise. But I’m sure, after a while, those not in-the-know would have started asking, "Who on earth is this? What's going on?"

I wonder what was in Jesus' heart as he rode along on the donkey? He knew the shallowness of much of the praise. He understood that many of the people who were proclaiming him king just happened to be there that day. Most of the crowd were just caught up in the moment, just like I was caught up in the crowd at the Tour de France.

“Hosanna!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord -

the King of Israel!,” they shouted,

as we heard in our reading from John earlier. But Jesus knew full well that this ride of triumph was in fact a ride towards his death. And this same crowd who praised him would, in a few days' time, be shouting for his crucifixion, with just the same ignorance and lack of understanding. In our longer reading from Mark we heard that the crowd we’ll think about more on Good Friday, shouted to Pilate:

“Crucify him!”

‘[But] why, what evil has he done?’ Pilate asked.

They shouted all the more: “Crucify him!”

The majesty of that triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday would have been laced with fear and sadness at the pain towards Jesus was travelling. Perhaps at one level Jesus Christ eagerly wished that things could be different. As Christ he was fully God, yes, but he was fully human as Jesus too; and humans usually try to avoid pain, not to walk into it, don’t we? But there was no turning back. And even if there had been a way out, Jesus wouldn’t have taken it. Jesus Christ’s mind was set on what was ahead because Jesus was motivated by love. And while, in this week of all weeks, we need to remember his pain and his suffering, we must not lose sight of the reason for it: when Jesus looked around at all those people shouting his praise, he loved them. Every single one of them. Even the ones who hated him. Even the ignorant ones that were just swept away with the excitement of the crowd.

Love was the reason why Jesus was willing to walk into the hands of those who despised and misunderstood him so much that they wanted to kill him.

Love was the reason why there was no turning back for Jesus.

Many people failed Jesus; even the ones who loved him the most. His disciples fell away, even denied that they knew him. His family didn’t understand him. His community disowned him. The authorities killed him. But, despite all that, Jesus went on loving.

When Jesus Christ looks around at everyone on this earth, including all of us here, he loves us all, whatever our colour or gender, whatever our religion, whatever our political persuasion. And, in all our confusion, in all our weakness and hypocrisy, Jesus loves us all. Even as humanity continues to cause him untold suffering with the continued oppression and exploitation of people and resources – exploitations that threaten the very survival of our species and the planet on which we live – Jesus loves us. So, let’s take hold of the message and the reality of Jesus‘ love for us this week. Let’s let that love take root in our hearts, so that as we follow Jesus’ journey to the cross, we may experience his true resurrection when we celebrate Easter next weekend.

As Jesus, let’s be motivated by love: to love each other; and to love all those in our communities across this beautiful part of this world.

I think that’s our core mission here.

To love.

Amen.

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The Reverend Anthony Bennett

Interim Minister – the Benefice of Middle ESK Moor

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These two books, edited by Jane Williams, are continuing to be very helpful with planning my sermon writing:

Williams, J (2009), Ed., ‘Lost for Words, A Sermon Resource for the Anglican Three Year Cycle,’ Redemptorist Publications, Chawton, UK.

Williams, J (2011), Ed., ‘Lectionary Reflections, Years A, B and C.’ Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, UK.

St Matthew's Grosmont

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Palm Sunday - come and Join us!

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Mothering Sunday in Middle ESK Moor