Friday April 16th Memorial service for HRH the Duke of Edinburgh – 6.00 pm at St Mary’s.  Bookings only. It will be livestreamed on Facebook – details below.

Please log in from 5.50 pm onwards.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/4360858437322126

The Church of England has opened an online condolence book following the announcement from Buckingham Palace of the death of HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.

If you wish to sign the online Book of Condolence please click here

In today’s passage from John’s gospel, we find the disciples behind locked doors, fearful of what might happen to them at the hands of those who killed Jesus. And then – the risen Christ steps into the room, into the midst of their fears with the first of a three-fold “Peace be with you.” ! This first peace is the peace that perhaps comes when our worst fears are not realised; the relief that against all odds, death has not won; the realisation that out of the blood, the nails, the thorns, the beating, and the cross has come new life.  Something we need to pay particular attention to as we move out of lockdown into something which will be life, but life changed and renewed.

When Christ shows them his hands and side, the disciples rejoice with the adrenaline rush that follows the miraculous — the crucified one is the risen one. Jesus then speaks a second “Peace be with you”, maybe this time it is a “not so fast” kind of peace, a kind of peace that lasts beyond the initial rush, that abides even when one remembers the cost and the challenges that still lie ahead. 

 “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” These are sobering words, even when the disciples see the living Christ since they have also just been shown his wounds. Christ’s victory will be theirs as well, but in order to get there, they will need the kind of peace that lasts even when — in the midst of their own blood, thorns, and cross – victory seems a dim and distant possibility.  So we too need this second kind of peace when things seem to be hard, when we do not know how we are going to get through a certain situation or how all our struggles will ever come to an end.

The third “Peace be with you” follows a famous exchange with the disciples and Thomas, who was absent during the previous appearance of the risen Christ. As many have noted, although he is famous as “Doubting” Thomas, he asks for no more than what the rest of them, including Mary Magdalene, have already received, and Thomas’ words do not seem particularly troubling to Jesus. But perhaps the other disciples are exasperated  with Thomas. After all, Thomas has in so many words called them liars to their face. “I won’t believe you until I see for myself.”

However, when we meet the disciples again a week later, they are still all together. 

Jesus again appears among them, and before anyone says anything, says again, “Peace be with you,”.  Perhaps this time it is the peace of reconciliation–“peace be among you,” the peace that follows when we forgive one another. This task of forgiveness was given to the disciples at Jesus’ previous appearance, verse   It is John’s that most emphasises oneness and unity among the disciples, a oneness that shows the world that this message of life is true.  So, this third peace, within the community, might be the most significant of all. For life in all its fullness cannot be lived unless we live as a community.

Jesus does not admonish Thomas and, in fact, invites him to satisfy his doubt by seeing for himself Even if he were to be considered a doubter (as the traditional interpretation understands him), he is welcomed into the peace of Christ before he can either apologise or defend himself. Congregations and communities of faith often do not do well with people who, like Thomas, challenge them with doubt and difficult questions. Christ calls them and us to live in his peace as a way of reaching our own peace with each other. He seems less concerned than we often are about sticking to one interpretation of his life and resurrection. He sends Thomas, doubters, and all of us to continue his work.

After all, in the end, it is Thomas ‘The Doubter’ whose response stands as the highest proclamation of Christ by any person in the gospel, “My Lord and my God!”.

Rev Ann

Dear friends,

We move from ‘Hosanna’ to ‘Crucify’, and then to ‘Hallelujah, He is Risen!’.

This season of the church year encompasses so many aspects of faith and human experience that it challenges and blesses us on all levels.

Are we hopeful, snatching at good news, seeing but not altogether getting the picture? The Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday holds a poignant balance of confidence and apprehension, for the story is not yet over. Are we grieving, in pain, desolate, ashamed, or guilty? The Crucifixion speaks to our distress and offers forgiveness.   Do we rejoice, feel overwhelmed by joy and wonder, and yet need to understand further?  Easter morning comes with an almost incredible statement of new life in the Resurrection of Jesus.

As a Deanery, we are blessed in many ways and I hope that each one of us can speak of some particular blessing in our parishes and projects. We are also challenged to look at things afresh, and to apply faith to new and emerging situations. One major change is that we are now working in partnership with Crewkerne Deanery, so our boundaries are extending as we welcome this collaborative ministry with laity and clergy over the combined area from Haselbury Plucknett to Pitminster.

Also, we are all very aware of the urgent need to address matters of climate change and eco-responsibility, globally and locally and our responsibility to protect the lives of others by the way we live as Christians and in our stewardship of church buildings and land.

God’s love includes all of us, so we are also beginning a discussion on matters of faith, sexuality, and gender, connecting with the Church of England report ‘Living in Love and Faith’.

Beneath, and of foundational importance, there is each parish and all who live therein.  As times change, we look forward to seeing more lay leadership at parish level, along with anticipated changes in clergy deployment.

In all of this, we do indeed need a Saviour, and the essential confidence of Resurrection as we walk onwards.

May God bless and guide each of us through the Easter season, in the name of Jesus our Risen Lord,

Friends

On Sunday we come together for worship at St Mary’s and in Combe.  It will be good to be together for the most important and precious Sunday of the Christian year.  There is much we need to let go of, and much we need to celebrate.

Most of all we will gather together knowing that we are children of God’s unfathomable and never-ending love, borne through death on the cross and triumphant in resurrection.  After what we have been through in the past year, this seems particularly meaningful.

Whatever you are doing on Sunday, may you take some time to focus on the forgiveness and hope that is now ours, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As Christians we must carry this hope for others and seek out those places and circumstances where we can offer hope instead of despair, encouragement where there is doubt and light where there is darkness.

We can do this because of what happened on Easter day.  Jesus bears all our willful wrongdoing and by his sacrifice and selfless act of forgiveness offers us the chance to begin afresh, not just once, but time and time again.  This is not just good news – but the best ever!

He is risen indeed.  Hallelujah.

 Ann

We hope that you will be able to join us at some point during Holy Week on the Zoom or in Person on Good Friday for the Stations or to celebrate on Easter Day.
There will be Palm Crosses for you in Church if you would like them, please remember to gel hands before and after taking one.
I remember when Stephen and I visited the Holy Land in 2010 the awesomeness of coming up to the top of the hill on the coach, sadly not walking, and seeing, stretched before us the site of Jerusalem and the glorious colours of the stone and the golden top of the Dome shinning in the sunlight. It all bears little in resemblance to the moment Jesus and his disciples walked over the summit as most of the buildings were not there, however, the second temple would have greeted them over the walls of the city, alongside the olive trees at the mount of Olives. But we caught enough of the sight to be able to identify with what they would have seen.
The coming from Galilee involved rising from the lowest city on earth Jericho 800 ft below sea level to the heights of Jerusalem 3000 ft above sea level in the space of not more than 14 miles.
And they were coming to celebrate, can you remember the excitement of going to a festival or big event that everyone was heading for? Anticipation rising at what the day would bring? Picture yourself if you can then as the crowd accompanying Jesus, weary from that climb, but knowing they are entering the city with the King. The kingdom is arriving. Jesus instructs for a colt to be brought for him that he may enter the city on its back, not a stallion richly adorned, but a simple colt unridden before. Then the road is strewn with cloaks and palms and branches for him to ride the royal pathway. You don’t do this for just anyone, only an expected King, royalty, Hosanna they shout, blessed be the one who is come. Expectation is in the air, excitement, the King is entering the city.
Over the next few days as the Jews prepare for the Passover, festival time, the place is alive with people come to Jerusalem a festival not to be missed. Most of them will stay outside the city as Jesus did with the disciples in Bethany, probably with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
You may have noted the last sentence of the first Gospel Reading from Mark “Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the disciples”. The next day scripture tells us Jesus went into the Temple and overturned the money tables.
Within the week there would be a fickle changing of minds for some to shouting Crucify him.
This is such a thought-provoking service on Palm Sunday, as we travel through the narrative. Our King arriving in Jerusalem, our King being misunderstood, our King turning the world upside down. We have joy and excitement as we sing the joyful songs of arrival at the city, yet within the hour we have heard the moving story of Jesus coming to the Cross which cannot but touch our hearts. Our Saviour throughout the narrative shows love and forgiveness for those who have left the path and pays the ultimate price on the Cross, for us, as for the peoples then, and we leave on a sombre note.
But for now, we have the joy and anticipation.
If you get a moment, follow the Art Project in Chard, either with a walking plan and/or on line, details are here: https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/hopecommunityartproject which can be reached without being on Facebook, or the Easter Stations and Trail, plus the glorious knitted and crocheted flowers at Combe St Nicholas Church.

Be Blessed

Rev Georgina