Pondering the Questions

Tags

Liturgical Seasons, Religious Thoughts

Did you notice that ‘and’ hidden in last Sundays Gospel from Mark?

In among all those other familiar words for Easter Sunday a common word that is so easy to overlook but this time it struck me like never before in fact it was one of those moments when you suddenly actually see something that has always been there and immediately questions jumped into my head, questions that have been travelling with me this Easter week:

• why was that ‘and’ in between the disciples and Peter?
• was it that Peter was not physically in the same place as disciples?
• was it because Peter was still bitterly weeping elsewhere?
• or was it that Peter, because of his denial was no longer considered one of the disciples?
• who no longer considered him as such the women?
• the other disciples?
• the young man dressed in white?
• Peter himself?

The Common English Bible translates it as ‘especially Peter’ as if this strange young man dressed in white knew that this was news that Peter needed to know more than anyone else.  Was Peter now so full of remorse for his denial that he was in danger of following Judas’ path?

One little word, so many questions, and a week later not sure I really have any answers, the pondering continues.

He Is Risen!

Tags

Liturgical Seasons, Photography

He Is Risen!

Maybe Next Year

Tags

Liturgical Seasons, Photography, Religion

Canterbury Cathedral Easter Garden

Holy Week And Easter Day Round-Up

What an uplifting time my first Holy Week and joyful first Easter Day at All Saints and St Andrew’s was.

The meditations and Compline during the first part of the week set the scene, as Jesus flitted in and out of Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday, at All Saints, saw foot washing and as the altar was stripped an atmosphere so heavy with prayer that I was hesitate that I might break it by reading the Gospel to begin the Vigil, I needn’t have been.

The Children’s Service, at All Saints, on Good Friday was a joy and the children of the church made a fantastic job of their first Easter garden.  It is a service I always enjoy and having the opportunity this year did something slightly different, which worked a treat.  While the Stations of the Cross over at St Andrew’s was only marred by me placing my laptop on the carpet not realizing how plush it was, and hence at station 7 the laptop overheated and we had to continue with words alone until station 10.  In the evening it was a trip down to Bearsden Cross Church of Scotland were I was leading the Ecumenical Service I was slightly apprehensive about what I was going to do, not knowing how it might be received, it turned out I didn’t need to worry at all, they got it and more than one tear was shed.

Holy Saturday came along and the churches were decorated wonderfully by both groups of ladies, then in the evening ‘The Protecting Veil’ was finally unveiled.  An Easter Vigil was something new to All Saints and so I decided to take the opportunity to approach it from a slightly different angle.  Using John Tavener’s music ‘The Protecting Veil’ as a backdrop we meditated on the sorrow of Mary before turning to the joy of Easter with fire and light, it turned out to be powerful stuff especially the live music played by Sarah Harrington who is a cellist with the Scottish Opera, and Mary Stott’s reading of ‘Mother of Tears’ by Marie L Weldon.  If you are unfamiliar with this poem you will find it here.

Easter Day dawned to rain!  Nevertheless there were those who turned out to proclaim the risen Christ at the Preaching Brae in Milngavie (no not a place for the Covenanters, but rather for the cotton mill workers before they had a church) for an early morning service followed by rolling eggs down the hill before breakfast – I did manage a quick bacon roll before dashing back to All Saints for the 8am.  Back to St Andrew’s, the sun now shinning, and the biggest Sunday morning congregation I have seen there.  Included in their number was ‘J’ someone who had come along to ‘The Protecting Veil’ the night before at All Saints and had been on the phone to me later that evening asking about the Easter services, he had also turned up at the Preaching Brae, God is good.  Then it was back to All Saints to do it all again but differently!  With the Paschal Candle having been lit the night before it was processed round the church as the choir sung a version of the Excultet, here the children sprinkled the congregation with the water from the font using last weeks palm branches, and as is the custom at All Saints, everyone placed a flower in what had been a bare wooden cross the week before.  In a change to previous years however the cross was then processed out of the church, as Thine Be The Glory was sung with great vigor, to take its place in the garden as a witness to the risen Christ for all those who pass by.  The service was followed by  frantic rush by the children as they tried to find all the hidden eggs and more egg rolling.

All Saints - Easter Cross 2010

I was deeply touched when at the end of the service I was presented with a bouquet,  for me it had all been a joy and a privilege but on this my first Holy Week and Easter it was also good to know that the right note had been hit.  And while the flowers were for me, when I arrived home with them Hubby appreciated them too, for it let him know that although he hadn’t got to see me for a week it had all been worthwhile.

I also want the world to know that I couldn’t have done it without a host of people, those who read, led, decorated, sang, played (instruments), cooked, attended, built boxes, shifted furniture and encouraged – thank you one and all.

Wondering What To Do This Holy Week and Easter?

If you are and are on the north-side of Glasgow then maybe something from this list will tempt you.

Palm Sunday – 28th March

8am – All Saints – Said Eucharist

9.15am – St Andrew’s – Palm Procession and Sung Eucharist

with Reading of the Passion Narrative

11am – All Saints – Palm Procession and Sung Eucharist

with Reading of the Passion Narrative

6.30pm – All Saints – The Cross Of Christ

(for those of you unfamiliar with this service

it is the Holy Week version of Lessons and Carols)

Monday – 29th March

All at 7.30pm

All Saints – The Anointing at Bethany – Meditation and Compline

Bearsden Cross Parish Church – Ecumenical Service

St Paul’s, Milngavie – Ecumenical Service

Tuesday – 30th March

All at 7.30pm

All Saints – The Cleansing of the Temple – Meditation and Compline

Bearsden Cross Parish Church – Ecumenical Service

St Paul’s, Milngavie – Ecumenical Service (led by St Andrew’s)

Wednesday – 31st March

10am – All Saints – Said Eucharist

All at 7.30pm

All Saints – The Fig Tree – Meditation and Compline

Bearsden Cross Parish Church – Ecumenical Service

St Paul’s, Milngavie – Ecumenical Service

Maundy Thursday – 1st April

10am – St Andrew’s Said Eucharist

All at 7.30pm

All Saints – Sung Eucharist with Foot Washing,

Stripping of the Altar and Vigil

Bearsden Cross Parish Church – Ecumenical Service including Communion

St Paul’s, Milngavie – Ecumenical Service

Good Friday – 2nd April

11am – All Saints – Children’s Service for Good Friday

2pm – St Andrew’s – Stations of the Cross

Both at 7.30pm

Bearsden Cross Parish Church – Ecumenical Service (led by All Saints)

St Paul’s, Milngavie – Ecumenical Service

Holy Saturday – 3rd April

6.30pm – All Saints – The Protecting Veil

(Reflective service of words, images and the music of John Tavener

with the Lighting of the Paschal Candle)

Easter Day – 4th April

7am – The Preaching Brae, Milngavie – Dawn Service (led by St Andrew’s)

8am – All Saints – Said Eucharist

9.15am – Sung Eucharist with

Lighting of the Paschal Candle and Renewal of Baptismal Vows

11am – All Saints – Sung Eucharist

with Welcoming of the Light and Renewal of Baptismal Vows

6.30pm – All Saints – Night Prayer

The Protecting Veil

I have been living the evocative whole 45 minutes of this John Tavener music over the past weeks, the more I hear and work with it the more it seeps into my soul.  Have I just discovered it you may be wondering, is that why the haunting cello strings are echoing through the Rectory?  Well what I have recently discovered is that a member of the congregation who plays cello with the Scottish Opera is prepared to play it on Easter Eve as part of our Vigil with a difference.  Although we wont technically be in Lent by then this music has already become a wonderful companion for me during Lent, and so I offer it to you as another way of also journeying through this season.

All Saints The Protecting Veil for Easter Eve will be on April 3rd at 7.30pm.

Easter Eggs And Buses

For the second year we, at St Mark’s, went out into the streets again after the main Easter service and handed out Easter Eggs.  Nearly 150 eggs were handed out including some on a bus which was waiting at the nearby bus stop – the driver promised not to move off again until we got back off, he was killing time obviously running early.

It certainly looks as if a tradition has been born as the enthusiasm for the enterprise was high although maybe next year we will do it before the service inviting people to come and join us.

Easter Lilies

He is Risen, Alleluia!

Tags

Keble College

Mosaic From Kebel College, Oxford

Smiles All Round

While on the Leading Your Church Into Growth conference, opsss sorry course, Tim told us of something which had been happening in the Peterbourgh Diocese for some time, and what this year got some degree of column news inches.  Shining passers-bys shoes as a modern day equivalent of washing feet.  I pondered for a moment thinking there is something in that, the more I pondered it the more I realised that it wasn’t the right thing for St Mark’s and for East Kilbride.  As the course went on and it was mentioned again in passing and then alluded to a couple of times more I knew there was something in the concept trying to grab my attention but it wasn’t to do with shoe shining, the seed had been firmly planted.  It wasn’t until a back home again a couple of days later that it suddenly started germinate and sprout.  Which brings me onto Easter Sunday.

After we had sung Alleluia’s, peeked in the empty tomb, the children had gone hunting for their eggs, and smell of lilies had totally filled our nostrils.  A group of people prayed in the church while another group of the congregation head outside to spread the Good News, the plan was simple hand out Easter Eggs saying ‘Happy Easter, Christ has risen!’ to those passing by the church.  But as is the way with simple plans they sometimes don’t work as anticipated.  There is usually a steady stream of people passing the church, but not yesterday, yesterday it was but a trickle.  So as we are only 5 minutes walk from one of the shopping centre car parks we thought, Jesus would have gone were the people were, so off we headed light snow fluttering around us.  We were greeted with smiles, Happy Easter’s, surprise and a few questions, those who went out were invigorated and discovered that mission isn’t that scary after all, the congregation as a whole was buzzing with the fact that we were spreading the Good News, not only that Christ was alive but that St Mark’s was too. 

There are a few lessons to learn for next year, firstly start off in the car park, secondly get some of the people to wear St Mark’s t-shirts so that people know were we are from, and thirdly buy a lot more eggs!!!

Holy Week And Easter

I know Holy Week begins before Maundy Thursday but I have always felt that Maundy Thursday was special, even before I myself was a priest. The Chrism Mass starts the journey when along with other priests I gathered at the Cathedral to renew my ordination vows; once again we were reminded that we can only carry out our tasks and calling with God’s help, that we are his servants and that like Christ we are here to serve.

Back to EK and the evening services. As priests we are indeed servants and I have always found the washing of feet both moving and strengthening. I remember introducing it at St Mark’s and a number of people saying they would like to have their feet washed but they were embarrassed about them. To us, or to me at least, feet are beautiful at such a time, pouring water over them and delicately washing them as if they are a precious object, gently drying them, not rubbing and scrubbing, I always end up recalling not only Jesus’ events on that first Maundy Thursday but also St Paul’s words when he told us how important all parts of the body where and that none were more precious or important than an other. All year we serve a congregation, on that night washing feet becomes like how the catechism describes a sacrament, and outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible act. Much of what we do week in and week out for various members of our congregations goes unseen, yet on that night all can see that we strive to be servants to them even if we sometimes fail.

Jesus’ command to love one another as He loved us resounded not only in the readings but silently around the building as the Last Supper was recalled in the Eucharistic prayer. Gathered together we were more than united in love for God but also for one another and for the countless other Christians around the world recalling the events of the Last Supper, which rather than being an end, as the name suggests, was a glorious beginning to a feast which unites all people under the banner of God’s sacrificial love for us.

I always have a sense of foreboding when stripping the altar, it is like peeling back the layers of our life’s to see what is really there, is our worship and faith just skin deep once the finery has been removed what is left, when there is nothing external to draw our eyes what can we see of ourselves? Can we stay and watch or is the sight now before us one which does not excite and ignite, do we see nothing and want to join with the disciples in ‘taking their rest’ or do we stay and watch, pray and meditate?

Finally everyone drifts away; the church is left dark and empty reluctance I blow it out the last candle. Like the washing of the feet that final act as I leave the church on Maundy Thursday evening becomes like a sacrament, a visible sign that we leave Jesus alone, that we too have abandoned him, that we too have betrayed him and left him too his fate.

Good Friday here at St Mark’s always seems to start by jumping forward in time, when the children gather to make the Easter garden before their own service of devotion and the story of Good Friday. Foraging in the grounds of twigs to make the crosses, stones to build the tomb, plants to make the garden and gravel to make a path. As the children search and build they recall the story. Grass for the green hill, but was it green? ‘Wouldn’t it have been rocky and brown?’ one asked. This year we had ‘S’ and ‘C’ trying to lift up big wooden pews as they recalled Jesus’ journey to Golgotha, afterwards I thought I should have also got some others to sit on them too, showing how Jesus not only carried the cross but our sins – will have to try and remember than for another time. The garden made, the hymns sung, the events recalled, the journey lived, the children headed home while some of the adults waited to be joined by others in anticipation for the Stations of the Cross.

This year the stations were somewhat different, usually there is an over whelming sense of quietness even as we sing, but this year the builders were in and despite them promising to be quiet for the service we heard their drilling and banging and chattering. However it made me think, yes there were those who stood along the road and watched and wept and prayed for Jesus, but also there would have been those in Jerusalem on that first Good Friday who were going about their business, preparing for the Passover, cleaning the house, greeting their guests. As 3 o’clock arrived and we prayed those words from the cross of Jesus ‘It is finished.’ I was more conscious than ever that our task is far from finished, that for many that darkness that fell is still there even if they are unaware of it.

Easter Sunday was glorious the Pascal candle shone forth proclaiming Christ is Risen, Alleluia! The lilies trumpeted our own hope of resurrection for ourselves and for those who have gone before us. We remember our own journey from death to life in our Baptism and renewed our vows. We recalled how the women had brought spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus, doing what they thought would be the last anyone could do for him, only to find he wasn’t there. The question was what had we brought? Had we come empty handed, had we decided there was nothing more we could do for Jesus? Or had we remembered the things we had sung about at his birth and that not knowing what we could bring him, what we could and should bring him was our hearts?

This year instead of hunting for Easter Eggs, the children had to find the Easter angel, once they had found it they were rewarded with the good news that they could have an Easter Egg and reminded that they too had received the commission to spread the Good News the angel brought that day the news that Christ wasn’t dead that He had risen. When we find what we are searching for it doesn’t mean it is the end, we still have rewards and joys ahead.

As the Easter season continues may we all see Christ afresh in the breaking of bread, find comfort when he welcomes us like he did the weary fishermen, and have any doubts cast aside as Thomas’ were.