Easter News from St John's News
Dear friends,
We begin this week, not with a verse of scripture, but with these powerful words by John Newton that are very appropriate as we head to Good Friday:
In agony and blood;
He fixed His loving eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.
Sure, never to my latest breath,
Can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.
My conscience felt and owned the guilt,
And plunged me in despair:
I saw my sins His blood had spilt
And helped to nail Him there.
A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive:
This blood is for your ransom paid,
I die that you may live."
If you missed Tom’s superb sermon on Sunday, do catch up on our YouTube channel.
Thank you so much to Irene and Michael Martin for donating a folding rollator/walking frame to St John's. This will be a great assistance for people who get a lift to church, but struggle to get their rollator into the car.
This Wednesday, 27 March, at 12:15pm, there is a Holy Communion followed by a light lunch with soup and rolls - please email elmswellrector@gmail.com if you wish to attend, for catering purposes.
On Maundy Thursday (28 March), a Tenebrae Service with the Lord’s Supper will take place at 7:30pm. Tenebrae is Latin for shadows and, during this moving service, candles will be extinguished one by one as we hear readings from Matthew's account of Maundy Thursday/Good Friday. The aim is to dramatise the increasing darkness as Jesus goes from the Last Supper to face betrayal, abandonment, trial and execution.
On Friday, the annual Christians Together In Elmswell Good Friday Service will be on the Green (by the station) at 10:00am. Please support this short public act of worship and witness. Hot cross buns will be distributed at the end.
The service on Easter Sunday, 31 March 10:30am, is a Family Communion Service.
** Remember to change your clocks to British Summer Time **
A note for diaries - the Annual Church Meetings will be held during the service on Sunday 21 April.
The weekly church prayer meeting is on Zoom on Saturday at 9:00am for 40 minutes. You are welcome to join us by clicking here or, load Zoom and use Meeting ID: 685 295 1296 and Password: 816262.
In Christ,
Peter
Tue 26 Mar 2024
