Growing up in a family where my father was a school teacher as well as a church organist, we often took a spring break after Easter in the school holidays. And usually we went to Devon where my godparents had a big old house near the sea. We would go to the village church on my father’s ‘Sunday off’ (although he often ended up playing the organ as their organist was also away!) and the small (and what seemed to me as a small boy very elderly) choir would very loudly and hurriedly sing the ‘Easter Anthems’ - which sounded like ‘christourpassoveris sac – ri – ficed – for – us…… thereforeletus keep – the – feast’ (sic!) (and so on). But those words made a deep impression on my young mind and soul of the stark truths they proclaimed of the death and resurrection of Jesus and what that means to us. I later learnt they all came from verses of St Paul’s letters to the Romans and the Corinthians:
‘Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us: so let us celebrate the feast not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7b & 8)
Christ once raised from the dead dies no more: death has no more dominion over Him. In dying He died to sin once for all: in living He lives to God. See yourselves therefore as dead to sin: and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:9-11)
Christ has been raised from the dead: the first fruits of those who sleep. For as by man came death: by man has come also the resurrection of the dead’ for as in Adam all die: even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
This month of May is filled with the weeks as we celebrate Easter, with Ascension Day on Thursday 26th May when we celebrate the Triumphant Risen & Victorious Jesus ascending to Heaven.
Do join us at Colmworth for a Deanery Ascension Day Service at 7:30pm.
And on the first Sunday in June when we celebrate the gift and power of God’s holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is also our Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration Weekend and Wilden 800th Anniversary Flower and Craft Festival. So, amongst all our beacon lighting, barbecues, cream teas, Songs of Praise services and Jubilee street parties, we have just one Sunday 5th June service at Wilden at 10am for our 5 Parishes that day with Bishop Alan with us to celebrate the Jubilee, 800 years of St Nicholas Church Wilden, Pentecost and most especially as always (along with our Queen) the hope of Resurrection Life!
God raised Jesus to eternal life on that first Easter Day, and we too can have that faith and hope of eternal life if we trust by faith in Him. Join us throughout our May Easter Services and the Jubilee weekend to celebrate!
Timothy Wilson