Christ is Risen He is risen indeed! Rev Sue and Revd Frances wish everyone, despite the present circumstances, a Very Happy and Blessed (and safe) Easter.
Bp Rachel and others are saying the following prayer followed by the Lord's Prayer at 8am every morning:
Invitation to pray with Bp Rachel: A prayer in lockdown
PRAYER FOCUS For those who are fearful of the current situation; for all the key ‘frontline’ workers and for those who are suffering the pain of bereavement.
Lectionary Readings: Jeremiah 31: 1 – 6 Acts 10: 34 – 43 The Psalm to use is Psalm 111
Please remember in your prayers the families and friends of those whose anniversary of death falls at this time ..Stephen Sansum, Joan Pullin and Paul Leach.
Regular Prayer Cycle: Tytherington during April: West Street and The Orchard Falfield this week: A38 from Huntsman South to Buckover.
From Gloucester Diocese: Holy Ground This package of resources for Holy Week has been produced to support families and households in these challenging times. This is on the diocesan website.
Other ways to share in worship in these next few days: Saturday – BBC2 7pm Easter from Kings College
Easter Sunday BBC1 11.25am Easter Sunday Worship from Bangor Cathedral BBC1 1.50pm Heavenly Gardens Part 2
Radio Good Friday Radio 2 8-10pm At the Foot of the Cross a dramatic retelling of the Crucifixion plus music
Radio4 3pm Good Friday meditation
Easter Sunday Radio 4 8.10am Archbishops Easter meditation
Radio 3 3pm Choral Evensong from Norwich
Rev Sue’s Musings will be sent out on Maundy Thursday, a Meditation for Good Friday, Holy Saturday and hopefully a service to share in on Easter Day!
Lydia (Acts 16:11 – 15; 40 ) was an important person in her community – she had her own business importing purple cloth, which was a costly material worn by kings and the wealthy people. She employed people, and in her private life probably had a large property and servants. She did not however give the whole of her life to her business, although she had obligations through her work to other people, she still had time for other things of importance to her. She did not allow her working life to be all-consuming! Remember these are days when it was not ‘usual’ for women to be in such a position of control and with such a level of independence. Lydia is a lovely example of someone who really did have a ‘God-shaped’ hole. Lydia found time to worship, but she was not satisfied, as some people were, with the worship of Apollo and so she worshipped the one true God, making sure she gave Him time in her busy schedule – she had her priorities right! In Acts 16 she was going to worship with other women – probably not enough Jewish men in the area to form a synagogue – and so they were meeting in the open air and there was an unexpected guest speaker in the form of Paul, together with his companions Luke, Silas and Timothy who had arrived in the city. God had changed Paul’s original plans to go to Bithynia and brought him to speak to these women and in particular to Lydia – isn’t God amazing how He gently nudges us and encourages us in order that we can do His will! Paul spoke about the God of Abraham who sent His Son, Jesus to earth in order to allow the people an opportunity to be forgiven and receive their salvation. Paul explained that through faith in Jesus Christ there was redemption and eternal life, and that as we know, gives a new and different perspective on our daily lives. Lydia had a deep desire in her heart to be with and to obey God and so she listened intently realising as she did so that her knowledge of God was superficial and she longed for this deeper understanding. She found the bit that had been ‘missing’ in her experience – the personal faith in Jesus Christ – she became a Christian and she and her whole household were baptised. As with so many new Christians she wanted other people to enjoy and experience that which she had made part of her life. She continued in her life as a business woman, offering all that she had to God – her home as she persuaded Paul and the others to stay for a while; she stood for the gospel to non-believers; she cared for Paul when he was illegally imprisoned and her earnings were used to further the gospel. Right priorities – a lesson for us all!
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