Manse musings: 'Early on the first day of the week'

... from our Easter newsletter.

‘Early on the first day of the week...’
The beginning of an old, familiar story.
The beginning of a story that cuts to the heart of the Christian faith. A story of darkness and light, for John’s Gospel account of that story begins in the gloom and dark before dawn.
But we, as his audience, know that light is coming...

Over the last weeks, we’ve been marking the season in the church year we name ‘Lent’. A time in which we symbolically emerge from the
wilderness with Jesus, and travel with him as he turns his face towards Jerusalem and probable death.
When travelling, a good rule of thumb is to travel light;
travelling in Lent traditionally involves letting go of something for a time
to help us focus on the journey. Alternatively, some choose to take on a
particular practice – although, I suspect taking on eating chocolate for Lent
is probably not quite the done thing...!
Regardless of letting go, or taking up, the season of Lent is a time
in which we take time to reflect on what matters in life,
a time we use to refocus upon the One who knows us each by name, and who loves us utterly.

By the time this newsletter is edited and distributed,
we will be approaching the events in that first Holy Week nearly 2 000 years ago.
There will be palms and cheers.
There will be Gethsemane: a garden, sleeping disciples, betrayal with a kiss.
There will be arrest and trial, denial, death.
A time of darkness and waiting.
And, after the waiting, in a garden shot through with
the light of a new dawn, an empty tomb – because you can’t nail a good man down.
The quiet of the garden broken by a question to a weeping woman:
‘who is it you’re looking for?’
In these latter days of Lent, and as we move through Holy Week to death and resurrection,
may we find anew the One who shattered the darkness with resurrection light.
May we find who, and what, we’re looking for at the end of our journeying –
and may we experience the joy of the story of Easter once more.
A happy Easter to you all
Nikki