From today until Easter Sunday we go on quite a journey alongside Jesus. From the agony of betrayal in the garden and Jesus' crying out to God - 'could you not take this cup from me?' to his cruel death on the cross, the silence of Saturday in the tomb, through to Easter Sunday's extraordinary events.
After a long Lent it's tempting to skip straight to the joy of Easter. But it's in harder times that we discover a God who walks with us in those dark valleys. He often seems closer when we can barely see the next step ahead and we need to depend on him to navigate the path in front of us.
There are a number of ways to engage with the journey at St Francis, virtually and in person. The treasure hunt will enable you to get out and about if you're able; the week's Take Time meditations are available on the website if you'd like the chance to catch up, and there are opportunities for communion services in the church building and virtual services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
After this long winter, hope is in greater supply at the moment as things slowly open up. We trust that things will continue to ease. But the hope that Easter brings isn't dependent on vaccines and social distancing - it speaks of the sure and certain hope to be found in all that Jesus has done. I'm looking forward to the journey of the next few days - and to celebrating together on Sunday! But let's not rush there 😉.
You can find the rest of the newsletter here: Newsletter 010421
