Sunday 24 April 2011

It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Coming!

That was the title of a sermon by Tony Campolo some years ago. Our Easter weekend has been amazing…

First there was more ‘footing the ladder’

DSCF1395

DSCF1396

DSCF1397

Bob and David hung two massive gold foil curtains either side of the cross at the front of the church. This was for the Good Friday Service. For our ‘Churches Together’ united event, Bob felt we should have a ‘Tenebrae’ service. The distinctive ceremony of Tenebrae is the gradual extinguishing of candles, leaving the church in darkness – symbolic of the darkness surrounding the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Not very easy to do when the service is at 2pm in the afternoon! Hence the curtains, illuminated by Bob’s stage lighting rig. Throughout the service, the lights were gradually dimmed – and by 3pm, it was noticeably gloomier.

I found it all very moving.

DSCF1421

Also in the afternoon, Hayley and her team were downstairs, running a Good Friday Club for the children. They did some great crafts, including two crosses, which decorated the church on Easter morning.

DSCF1422DSCF1423

[If you look carefully, you can see the first says ‘Jesus’ and the other is made of handprints]

Saturday, Barbara and her helpers decorated the church with baskets of flowers [these will be distributed to sick and housebound friends]

DSCF1424

We were at church early this morning for Easter communion, then we shared breakfast. Thank you Janet, David and co, for making it look so welcoming – and cooking kippers, eggs, porridge and more!

DSCF1425

Sunday morning was a great celebration of the resurrection. Bob made a fountain in church, with Mentos and Cola! This required much preparation [and one very anxious wife fretting about the new church carpet] I took no pictures during worship – but here are the experiments in the garden beforehand.[scientific explanation here]

Are you ready? Here we go, 2 litres of coke, two Mentos…

DSCF1407

DSCF1408

Now we try with three Mentos

DSCF1409

Yes, that is spectacular enough for the service!

Do you know what our minister did in church on Easter morning? He produced a fountain over three feet high with coke and mints! It was amazing…

Even more amazing, that FIRST Easter, Jesus burst out of the tomb – alive again, death conquered…

Don’t just tell people about the uncontainable fizz – tell them that the tomb could not contain the Saviour – that’s the really important message of Easter!

DSCF1420

Bob took a basket of eggs to share with everyone afterwards

This evening, friends from Hucknall came to share this…

DSCF1410

Ben, Vanessa and the others from Seymour Road Baptist, arrived early and set up all their gear. The evening was indeed full of lights, music and drama – telling the Easter story, particularly from the point of view of Judas. It was challenging and thought-provoking, and we were grateful to these young people for bringing this to us.

DSCF1429 

We ended the service with the hymn “In Christ Alone” [which we’d also sung in the morning.]

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

I pray that your Easter has been full of joy and hope too!

7 comments:

  1. I remember hearing Tony Campolo speak years and years ago and people said, "Sunday's coming" for the longest time after that.
    Wow! Bob's creative! I'm glad Easter Sunday was such a wonderful day all around!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a wonderful Easter! In Christ Alone is one of my favorite hymns! And I LOVE your church's two handmade Easter crosses. Very cute!

    What an intriguing thing to do for Good Friday. Very good way to impress the meaning - the opposite of our Advent services where we start with 1 candle and each light the other's candles and gradually the room gets bright. Very lovely! And cool Mentos project - hmmm, that would make for great activities for grandparents and grandchildren when talking about the Easter story. :)

    Thank you for a delightful visit for Easter. Have a blessed week.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds like a wonderful Easter series in which all ages and stages had their needs met. I love that 'Jesus' cross - what did they use to decorate it? I am up for pinching ideas for future use!

    Now have a well earned rest before you head north (I nearly put south!) to Blackpool, and have a great time there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I remember hearing Tony Compolo preach that sermon, one that really stuck with me.

    Looks like you had a fantastic Easter, love the fountain!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your weekend sounds wonderful. I love the coke and mentos!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for all the comments
    PP - yes I remember that too
    Kay - I shall have to remember the Advent idea, and hang the curtains again to reflect the candles
    Catriona- tiny screwed up pieces of tissue paper stuck on with PVA glue
    Carolyn - if all the people who heard TC preach were laid end to end, would any of them dare fall asleep!!
    Terri - it was REALLY cheap coke, hortrid taste. Leftover stuff being used as loo cleaner! But DO try the experiment, it is great fun

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the Coke/Mentos thing. Much easier than trying to make a volcano from vinegar and bicarb of soda!

    ReplyDelete

Always glad to hear from you - thanks for stopping by!
I am blocking anonymous comments now, due to excessive spam!