At
the beginning of February fifty-four people of all ages from three to
eighty-something enjoyed a parish holiday weekend at Willersley Castle in
Cromford, Derbyshire. That was the
weekend when the Church celebrated the Presentation of Christ in the Temple,
sometimes known as Candlemas. That’s not
such a well known festival as Christmas and Easter, but it is a pivotal moment
in the Church’s year. At Willersley we
were given two helpful ways to think about this. During our Saturday evening
service Janet Gorick likened it to an elbow, with the upper part of the arm
representing Christmas and Epiphany, and the lower part representing the time
leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the Sunday we celebrated Holy Communion,
with chairs arranged in a circle. Pat
Edwards asked us all to stand facing outwards, looking back to Christmas, and
singing a verse of Away in a Manager.
Then we turned around to face the centre, and to focus on what is coming
next. I thought these ideas were worth sharing, in the hope
that they will be helpful during Lent and as we prepare to move through Holy
Week towards the joyful celebration of Easter.
If
Candlemas is a pivotal moment in the Church’s year, then the coming of Jesus
Christ to share our human life is a pivotal moment in the history of the
world. From the perspective of his
birth, his life, his death and resurrection, we discover, in the Old Testament,
signposts which point to Jesus, and we find parallels in the story of the
Hebrew people which resonate with our own faith story. Of huge significance is the Passover, God’s
great saving act in delivering the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and,
through Moses, leading them towards the promised land. It was Passover time when Jesus shared the
Last Supper with his friends, and gave new meaning to the breaking of bread and
pouring of wine, which he spoke of as his body and his blood. Christians believe that through his death on
a cross all may be delivered from slavery to sin and self and receive the gift
of eternal life. We, too, are on a
journey towards our promised land. We
look back to the events of Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter, and we look
forward to the day when Jesus Christ shall return and everything will be made
new.
That’s
a brief summary of the ‘big picture’. On a smaller, personal scale, the
Christian year mirrors our own lives. The seasons of the Church’s year will not
always coincide with how we feel. For
instance it is possible to be utterly dejected at Christmas and to be full of
contentment and joy during the penitential season of Lent. The point is that, during the Church’s year,
all the highs and lows of human life are reflected, as indeed they are during
public worship, which includes penitence and praise, prayers for those who
suffer, and thanksgiving for God’s blessings. For those who have felt the
anguish of Good Friday there will be great joy in celebrating the resurrection
and the gift of new life on Easter Day.
With
love and prayers a joyful and blessed Easter
Glynis Hetherington
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