A hard copy of the message appears below and a DOWNLOAD link to the song words is top right.For access to the service go to the Youtube site and search for “worship with rev mick on easter day” or click here Easter Day 12 April 2020John 20:10-23In May 2018, Denise and I visited Israel and were blessed by our visit to the“Garden tomb”. No-one knows for sure if this was the place where Jesus’ bodywas buried after it was taken down from the cross that first Good Friday. For usit was very special as we entered a beautifully kept walled garden. One of thewalls consists of a vertical rock face, about ten metres high. At the base of thewall is a doorway carved into the stone like a cave entrance. As I stooped tostep inside this entrance I found a space, approximately the size of a two metrecube. It was a very exciting experience to look around an ancient tomb withnothing in it!We can all envisage the events of that first Easter Day when Mary saw the risenLord and mistook him for the gardener.(John 20). As soon as Jesus speaks toMary, she recognises Jesus. Her life is transformed and she rushes off to spreadthe good news. Today, all over the world Christians celebrate this wonderfulnews.Yet in 2020 we find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic andmany are fearful and anxious as death hits the headlines. As Christians, I hopethat we can take to heart the message of Jesus to the disciples that first EasterDay: “Peace be with you!”.Especially here in the UK, death has been a hidden subject, a taboo subject, fora long time. Death, that has been previously swept under the carpet, is suddenlyall around us. This is very alarming for many people, and most people areexperiencing the fear of death. I can remember the first few funerals I tookafter being ordained. It was hard because I’d had little acquaintance with deathduring the first thirty years of my life. Over years in ministry, I have come tounderstand just how powerful and painful death is for those who have lostprecious friends and family members.As Christians we believe that God is more powerful than death. When Godraised Jesus from life to death, God showed that He is more powerful thandeath. Jesus is uniquely qualified to talk about matters of life and death andteaches “ I am the resurrection and the life”. In other words, Jesus Himself hasbroken the power of death in our lives. Our fear of death subsides in thepresence of Jesus. We may not fully understand all that Jesus has done, but Ihope that we can all experience the peace of Jesus, even in the face of death.May we, once again this Easter, know in our hearts and minds the peace ofJesus Christ. Jesus says to us “Peace be with you!”Rev Mick Norman Rector
A hard copy of the message appears below and a DOWNLOAD link to the song words is top right.For access to the service go to the Youtube site and search for “worship with rev mick on good friday” or click hereGood Friday 10 April 2020Mark 15:21-37Good Friday is the day in the year when we focus on the sacrificial deathof Jesus Christ on the cross. Hot cross buns carry the sign of the crossthat has become the main symbol of Christianity. We remember todaythat Jesus died on a large wooden cross nearly 2000 years ago.In 2018 Denise and I visited Jerusalem and were able to walk along theroute that Jesus travelled on His way to be crucified. On a hot day westruggled to carry water bottles and souvenirs up a long and fairly steephill. Jesus had to carry a very heavy wooden cross and then suffer anextremely painful death.It makes you wonder why this is called Good Friday, doesn’t it? The goodnews is that Jesus death was a necessary sacrifice for us, out of God’slove, so that we can be reconciled to God. Jesus’ death brought usforgiveness, peace with God and hope. Furthermore, Jesus, Son of God,suffering on a cross demonstrates that God understands what it is to suffer andwe can be confident that God is with us when we suffer.God is with us in our sufferingsThere is a lot of suffering in our world today. In the UK coronavirus lockdownwe are all suffering losses of freedom, we are mourning cancellations ofoutings, events and holidays; we face separation and loneliness, job losses, lossof health, relationship problems, financial hardships, shortages of foods andother products and so on….The good news is that whatever our circumstances,whatever our sufferings, God is with us.It is good to know that God is with us in our own personal sufferings, those ofour family, those of our community and those of our country. Yet it is morethan that- because God loves the whole world as it suffers a pandemictogether.As John puts it in that most well-known Bible saying:“ For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, thatwhoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”. John 3:16Let us, once again, thank God for the loving gift of Jesus Christ, bringing uslove, forgiveness and peace through His sacrificial death for us on the cross.Rev Mick Norman Rector
Dear friends,in other News items you will find my two Easter messages, one for Good Friday and one for Easter Day. Also, there are somewords for some songs that could go with them. For those without access to Youtube I hope that these resources will help you to remember what Jesus has done for us at this very special time of year. BBC TV and radio , and others, will be broadcasting Christian worship over the Easter weekend , for example Ihave spotted: Saturday BBC2 7pm Easter from King’sEaster Day BBC Radio 4. 8.10am Easter Sunday worshipEaster Day BBC1 11.25am Sunday Worship.If you have access to Youtube, I am hoping that you will be able to find a new resource called ‘Worship with Rev Mick’! The debut video is called “Worship with Rev Mick on Good Friday” and can be foundon the following Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5jgdGGuvb8 I hope that you will enjoy the video and I invite you to participate at home using the attached songs words.A second video called "Worship with Rev Mick on Easter Day” will be posted in readiness for Easter Day. I don’t know what the exact link will be, but I am reliably informed that I have a channel where eventually you will be able to find both videos. It can be found on Youtube at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8vYxkbJSynSFt1N3kapLnQOf course this is all very different to gathering together for Christian worship, but I hope that these resourcesyou will be encourage you, and your household, in your faith this Easter weekend.Also enclosed is a letter from Jill Matthews, Pastoral Assistant for All Saints Church that I hope you willfind helpful during these challenging times.Happy Easter! With love and prayersRev Mick
In the spirit of unity, Christians are being encouraged to come out of their homes at 3pm on Friday 10th April as an expression of faith and identification with our Christ on the Cross when He cried out “IT IS FINISHED!” Believers are being asked to come out, sing the well-known hymn Amazing Grace, pray the Lord’s Prayer and like Jesus say “it is finished” as we hope and believe for an end to this epidemic. As Christians who believe in the power of prayer, we can only imagine the impact of millions of Believers praying at the same time across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales.For those of us who had been following Frontline Sundays, this is an opportunity to make this our frontline moment!
