Easter Message

Churches were built for Easter worship, traditionally set on an West-East axis so that people faced the rising sun and were reminded of the resurrection of Christ. So it is a particular sadness to be locked out of our church buildings at this time.

But Easter itself is not cancelled. It might even have greater significance for us. For those who are grieving or anxious, it provides a sense of hope that death does not have the final say. And for all of us, as we heed the call to stay at home, there is a particular resonance in the gospel stories. Jesus’ first resurrection appearances were in a garden (to Mary Magdalene), in a locked house (where the disciples were self-isolating) and on the footpath (when two disciples were taking exercise on the road to Emmaus). So it may well be that the best places to sense Christ’s presence with us are in our gardens, in our homes and in our daily exercise.

Easter is also a time to celebrate new beginnings. We’ve been learning all sorts of new ways to keep in touch with one another and to pray together. Thanks for all the wonderful messages we’ve had about the Virtual Sunday Services, Daily Podcasts and the support that our Care Team are offering. These will all enrich our ministry for years to come.

Let’s remain people full of faith, hope and love. Our church buildings may be closed, but the Church (as people) remains open.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Services

Please view our Easter Day Communion service here.

Reflections

Our free, daily reflections can be found here at 7am each morning. There is no need to subscribe to Spotify, or any other service, as they can be listened to directly from Anchor, at no cost, and we think they are better than anything you'll hear on Radio 4!

Prayer and Support for Families at Home

There are lots of resources for prayer and worship at home to be found online, including for families and children. The best that we have found is offered by the Diocese of Chelmsford.

Bishop Sarah has also written this letter offering support to children which parents might like to share.

Donations

If you would like to make a one-off donation, as is traditional at Easter, please click here. Thank you to everyone who gives to the church by Standing Order or Direct Debit. Your ongoing donations will be critical in keeping us going over the next few months when we will be losing all our hall income and plate collections but still have to cover the majority of our overheads.