Alleluia. Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
How we wish we could all be together in our lovely Church which would be filled with joy and music and flowers as we Christians would be celebrating the most important day in our Christian year.
It is not to be, so we must find other ways to show how we belong together, not only with our own worshipping community but with Christians the whole world over.
In these unprecedented times, the Church of England has had to look at how our much desired Easter Sunday Eucharist might happen. We are all, priests included, not allowed into our churches. However, clergy are invited to preside over a Holy Communion in their own homes. Special permission has been given for this to take place. We are required though to make clear that this is an expression of the shared life of the Body of Christ, not the offering of an individual.
So, at 10.00 am on Easter Sunday morning I will be blessing the bread and wine in my own home as if I were at the altar of All Saints Church. I will offer these thoughts, prayers and actions in the belief and hope that by the power of God's Holy Spirit we may be 'as one' in His precious sight.
If you are missing the lovely floral arrangements made each Easter by Frances Pickett and her team, here is a photo of the flowers in 2019.
Perhaps you can focus on these as you listen to an Easter Sunday sermon written for these difficult times.
I close today with a poem from the Church of England:
A locked church, by Alan Amos
Ah my dear Lord, the church is locked
but let my heart be open to your presence;
there let us make, you and I,
your Easter garden;
plant it with flowers,
and let the heavy stone be rolled away.
When we turn again to Christ we can be sure that because of the emptiness of the tomb our lives can be full, full of the resurrection power & love that is ours in Jesus' Name.
Wishing you all many Easter Blessings.
Rev Janet Owens.
This message was first delivered by email to our members on 12/4/2020. If you would like to join to the All Saints email list then contact us.
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If you wish to make an act of Spiritual Communion this Easter Sunday you'll find the appropriate words on the main Church of England website.