no gathering this sunday

paintings by Greig Leach




a quote from a favourite writer of mine, Lesslie Newbigin, that seemed especially fitting this Good Friday.
"He (Jesus) does not leave behind an ideal or a program. He leaves behind a community--the Church. This community exists not because of decisions its members have made. It is not constituted by the faith, insight, or moral excellence of its members. It exists because God has called its members out of the world by his own action and given them to Jesus." (The Light Has come;Grand Rapids 1987 p.228)

a very small part of that community got together last night in the Undercroft for "a meal with friends". To eat and talk together, but also to read Matthew's account of the Last Supper, betrayal, arrest of Jesus, the dispersal of the disciples, and finally to share the Lord's Supper together on the night that commemorates Jesus' last supper. It was a poignant evening.

Today, Good Friday, gives us the chance to walk once again through the harrowing events of that day, before we wait, through the hours of gloomy saturday to the surprise and shock of the empty tomb on Easter morning. quite a journey!

we won't be gathering at the Undercroft this sunday for a number of reasons, Promenades Cathedrale is closed for Easter, many emergers are out of town with family. so celebrate Jesus being raised from the dead with friends, family, a local church, whatever. but make sure you reflect on the outrageous turnaround that God engineers, that absolutely no one expected. it's the same God who calls us into relationship with him through his son Jesus. It's the same God who has made us a part of his community!

Have a good Friday and a joyous Easter Sunday when it arrives!