Thomas was famously not there when the resurrected Christ came and stood among the disciples as they gathered behind locked doors. When they told him what had happened, he said “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25).Theologians through the centuries have speculated about why Thomas was not with the others, and have drawn all kinds of conclusions. One described him as “gloomy and pessimistic”. Thomas, he said, was disposed to disbelief, tended to isolate himself from others and could not face the contradiction between what he was being told by the other disciples and the stark reality of the cross.Perhaps. But Thomas also showed a healthy scepticism about what he is being told, was willing to ask questions – and needed to be convinced by the evidence. Three useful characteristics of anyone seeking to navigate today’s post-truth environment, where people’s emotions or pre-determined beliefs can skew their view of the facts.Thomas has a history of speaking out. In John 14:3-7, Jesus tells his disciples: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”It’s Thomas who is brave enough to ask the question that perhaps the other disciples had in their minds. He says: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”Jesus replies: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” It is one of Jesus’s key declarations, central to the Christian faith for many, and it comes in direct response to Thomas’s question.In John 11, when Jesus declares his intention to go to Bethany, where he will raise Lazarus, on his way to Jerusalem, Thomas makes a stark, gloomy prediction to the other disciples: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (v16). Again, Thomas says aloud what the other disciples may have been thinking. He raises his doubts.So in today’s world of disinformation, where conspiracy theories, fake news and false narratives can be across the world with a few strokes of a keyboard, what can we learn from Thomas?1. Don’t follow the group-thinkJust because everyone on your social media timeline or in your friendship group believes something is true, it doesn’t mean that it is. You should still do your own research, check out the sources of the information and reach your own conclusions. That might not always make you popular, but you will be well-informed.2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions“I could never be a Christian,” a sceptic said to me, “I ask too many questions.” Yet questioning is good – and much of Jesus’s teaching in the gospels arose from questions he was asked. Thomas asked questions, and opened up new avenues of conversation and dialogue. Our faith can bear the weight of questioning and challenge, and we can be confident in it.3. Be willing to speak out your doubts and reservationsThe chances are that many other people are feeling the same way, but are holding back. Like Thomas, be the one to put the discomfort into words. That way, the truth of a situation becomes known and can be addressed. People raising concerns, such as whistle-blowers acting on their conscience, can open up dark situations to the light of the truth.In John’s gospel account, when Jesus appears again to the disciples, now with Thomas among them, Jesus speaks directly to Thomas. He addresses the concerns Thomas had raised, offers him the evidence of his own risen body and calls on Thomas not to doubt but to believe. In response, Thomas declares: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) demonstrating his full acceptance of Christ’s lordship and divinity. He doubted no more.True, Thomas is lovingly reprimanded by Christ, but the episode is recorded in the gospel as an encouragement to the generations of believers who will come after and will not have the benefit of Thomas’s first-hand experience. Jesus says to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)Thomas is numbered among the disciples in Acts 1:13, and traditional accounts speak of Thomas being a much-travelled evangelist for the gospel, dying as a martyr in India.Having believed, having had his doubts answered, Thomas goes on to show his strong commitment to Christ and to the gospel. Having had his questions and concerns addressed, Thomas speaks out the truth with conviction and power. He is a true apostle for our times.
A choir that has been in existence since 1348 has just accepted its first two female choristers – Julia and Lucy, both nine years of age.Two girl choristers have made history at the Choir of St George’s Chapel in Windsor, which for 674 years has only accepted boy choristers.The choir, based at Windsor Castle, regularly sings for The Queen and has just gone mixed for the first time.Julia Johnson and Lucy Howe, both Year 4 pupils at St George’s School Windsor Castle, became the first female choristers to join the choir.The nine-year-olds will take part in daily rehearsals and live in the school’s boarding house during the week.William Goldsmith, Head of St George’s School Windsor Castle, said: “We are tremendously proud of our long-standing tradition of educating and housing the choristers of St George’s Chapel.“To be able to offer this opportunity to everybody at the school, regardless of gender, is very much aligned to our philosophy of valuing all students and recognising that each child has his or her own unique contribution to make to the life of our community and to global society as a whole.”The Choir of St George’s Chapel is formed of up to 23 choristers, who are usually auditioned between the ages of seven and nine. Choristers receive musical tuition from the Chapel Director of Music, Assistant Director of Music and the Organ Scholar, have regular singing lessons, and additional music theory lessons at school.Founded in 1348, the choir sings regularly in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and other members of the Royal family.The young voices were heard by a televised audience of two billion at the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in 2018.Julia and Lucy’s history-making appointments follow the decision, announced by the Dean and Canons of Windsor in January and supported by The Queen, to allow girls and boys to sing side by side in the choir, for the first time in history.St George’s Chapel follows in the footsteps of other church, chapel and cathedral choirs including Salisbury Cathedral, which 31 years ago became the first Church of England cathedral to admit girls on parity with boy choristers.
Debi Rawlings, the Children and Families Worker at Cove Parish Church has been busy.Over the last three week’s she’s led ‘Easter Experience’ events at two churches and school assemblies, which have involved a thousand children and parents.Cove has two churches and eight schools.Debi, who took up her role in autumn last year, developed an Easter trail. Supported by other volunteers, these involved a series of Easter eggs which explained the significance of the events of Holy Week.So, starting with Palm Sunday, each egg offered a different activity. The Garden of Gethsemane egg, invited the children to write a prayer on a post-it note, which Debi took home to pray for the children. The walk-up Golgotha Hill egg contained a plaster, “to remember how much it hurt”. Debi did a cut down version of the Easter Experience for two school assemblies.“The children love it,” says Debi. “It’s been wonderful to engage with some very young children and talk about Easter. What’s exciting is that as I’m doing this, I’m building more and more relationships with these children, who we might not normally get a Christian perspective. It’s been a really eye-opening, wonderful and tiring experience,” she says.The reception assembly needed 70 bags with items for the children to take home. Debi’s living room was turned into an assembly line. The bags included a note of explanation. “I know those bags went home; parents had to read to their children what each item represented. So, I hope we’ve touch a parent or two as well.”“We feel so privileged to share our witness with so many,” concludes Debi.
Since 2017, Revd Tony Shutt (see photo) has been engaging his congregation, the local community and passers-by with some thought-provoking paintings, leading them through the ‘Stations of The Cross’.These 15 paintings were created by Tony, the Vicar of Send Parish Church, between 2017 and 2018, and, although having taken a break last year due to pandemic life, have been used in various ways ever since.Tony speaks of his inspiration by saying, “I wanted to make my own interpretation and version of the Stations of the Cross in a way that made them portable, placeable and to some extent vulnerable.”Each station is an acrylic painting on wood which has been considerably varnished to withstand the elements – very helpful considering the ways in which they’ve been used and helped them stand the test of time.When churches were closed during the Easter season in 2020, the stations were set up along Vicarage Lane in Send for the many lockdown walkers to see.This Easter, Tony has displayed the 15 paintings in the churchyard at St Mary’s in Send and will stay there for all to enjoy and reflect on until the end of April.One member of the congregation commented on Facebook saying, “I was delighted to see the stations of the cross in the churchyard.”Tony hopes that people will think about the sufferings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as they see the installation.
