I have seen the Lord! That is what Mary Magdalene announced to the first disciples after she encountered Jesus in the early hours of the first Easter Day. She had made her way to the garden tomb because she wanted to do one last thing for her beloved friend after the horrendous events of Friday afternoon; she wanted to anoint him for burial. She came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled back – the tomb was empty. Stunned and afraid that the body had been stolen, Mary dashes back … [Read more...]
The Rev'd Canon Beth Benson
The Crucifixion
Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Chelmsford reminds us that day-by-day the liturgies of this Holy Week take us ultimately to Calvary and to the foot of the Cross. He writes: “On that first Good Friday, only a few people could do it. Those who promised most were first to flee. But let us be those who stand there today, not understanding but standing under in order to understand. Standing with empty hands and hopeful hearts. For it is only under the cross that we will begin to comprehend its … [Read more...]
The Arrest
It is easy to forget how strange it is, how incredibly counter-cultural it is, to confess that you are a Christian. On one hand it is easy enough to hold the view (if only privately) that it is a good and helpful way to make our lives more meaningful and purposeful as we strive to live good lives; that it offers a certain sort of comfort in times of suffering and some sort of hope beyond the grave. But then along comes Good Friday when the church makes us sit for 1, 2 or maybe even 3 hours (!) … [Read more...]