Dear Siblings in Christ,
Happy Easter season!
Methodist Modern Art Collection No. BAV/2015.
Image Copyright © Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes.
The Methodist Church Registered Charity no. 1132208
On the President & Vice-President’s blog on the Methodist website is this picture from the Methodist Modern Art Collection with a reflection by the Vice-President, Barbara Easton. In her reflection, she points out this picture makes life in the tomb strangely attractive and that it might be tempting to stay there for a bit longer before embracing the new.
Richard Bevin said that as he painted it, he was trying to express the magnitude of what had taken place.
As I look at the picture, I see the light ahead, but it looks more like a crescent-shaped moon because the rock is blocking our full view of the daylight. If the rock was rolled fully away, we would have a full circle. Jesus would not have been able to leave the tomb without the rock being moved away sufficiently, but perhaps he did not need it to be completely gone. As we sit in our tombs of despair and hopelessness, I wonder what holding us in there; what is the rock that imprisons us? Do we have to wait for that rock to be entirely gone before we emerge, or can we climb up and out now? Can we poke our heads out far enough to see that the future is bright, and then walk into that future?
In this magazine, I see so much to be hopeful for at each of our three churches and in our community. No, it is not perfect; it is not a whole circle, but the light is shining.
Christ is risen! God is up to something and making a new way. Can you see it? Can you perceive it? Let us go and join him!
ZOOM coffee morning (contact us for the code) is on Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Wednesday Coffee Morning from 10 a.m. to 11.30 at Museum Street.
Friday Coffee Morning from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. at Chantry.
Friday Tea & Toast from 9.15 to 10.30 at Landseer Road; mid-week activities (Toddlers, Choir and Craft Club) are running during term term.
The May issue of our joint magazine for the three churches has been published with lots more information. Read it here.
Here is May’s preaching plan (*=communion, L=Livestream). Or download the plan for the whole circuit.
| Chantry 9.30 a.m. | Museum St 10.45 a.m. | Landseer Rd 11 a.m. | Video from 6 a.m. | |
| 1st May | Ellis | *Pell – L | No Service | Grimshaw |
| 8th May | Nichols | LA | *Pell | Gardner |
| 15th May | LA | Walker | No Service | J Cassidy |
| 22nd May | Cope | Ramacci | Loggie | Cope |
| 29th May | *Pell | Pell | No Service | M Cassidy |
| 5th June | 10 a.m. Songs of Praise | *Pell – L | 10.30 a.m. Café Church | Pell |
In Christ,
–Pastor Joan
Rev. Joan Pell
Joan’s Jottings are written to the churches at Museum Street, Landseer Road and Chantry where Joan is the minister, and a monthly summary is shared here for all to read.