Easter Week

From the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the ups and down of Jesus preaching and teaching to crowds in the Temple, the intimate and profound declarations at the last supper, the drama of the trial and crucifixion on Good Friday to the celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday we celebrated all these throughout the Itchen Valley.

Firstly, an enormous thank you to all those, too many to mention, who helped behind the scenes. They enabled us to worship, pray and finally celebrate the most important week of the Christian calendar.

Mischief, the donkey, turned up again on Palm Sunday for us to follow to Easton church waving palm fronds. The children of Itchen Abbas Primary School brought their staff and parents to St Johns and the church rang with their joyful singing.

Through the week we held compline services at Martyr Worthy and Maundy Thursday in Itchen Abbas, all quieter and more contemplative services enabling us to pray and reflect on the meaning and consequence of Easter both for ourselves and our community in the valley but also for Christians everywhere.

The Way of the Cross

Martyr Worthy celebrated the Way of the Cross, as it has done for about fifty years, on Good Friday. Starting from the river Itchen where we re-enacted the Last Supper. This year saw well over a hundred walk, watch and sing up the hill to the church of St Swithun’s.

Stopping in different peoples gardens to enact the scenes of the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed to the Father and was finally betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Roman soldiers, the trial in the Sanhedrin where the high priests accused Jesus of blasphemy and sent him to Pilate for execution and then in Pilates Praetorium we saw the pressure on Pilate who wanted to release Jesus but eventually gave in to the demands of the crowd,  released Barabbas and sent Jesus to be crucified. As we walked between each scene we sang Easter hymns to the delightful accompaniment of an accordion.

The crowds lined the last part of the journey to the church as Jesus, after being beaten and ridiculed by the soldiers, took up his cross and staggered to Golgotha. We were told how his story had been foretold in the Old Testament, saw Simon of Cyrene forced into helping with the cross when it became too much and heard the wailing women of Jerusalem as they bemoaned his forthcoming death.

Finally, the crowds packed St Swithun’s church to witness the crucifixion of Jesus, hear his last words and see the disciples come to Pilate to request his body and put him in the tomb. We saw the concern of the priests who approached Pilate to cover it with a stone and set a guard because of their fear of a resurrection being staged.

And finally, after singing that great hymn “When I surveyed the wondrous Cross” they left quietly.

The crowds repaired to the village hall where with tea and hot cross buns we shared fellowship.

We were concerned that the weather might disrupt us as easter is so early this year but as we approached the start time the heavy rain ceased, and the sun came out. Indeed no one can ever remember it being disrupted due to the weather, someone must be on our side!

So, a great big thank you to all who took part, to all the many backstage helpers who help with organisation and costumes and food etc. to our new director this year and our accordionist and our great violinist who played in church, to the very scary soldiers (average age 11)who arrested and persecuted Jesus. Indeed, to the crowds themselves who not only brave what was forecast as bad weather but also take active part with their own script as a crowd in the Sanhedrin and the Praetorium scenes.

It is a wonderful example of community worship and fellowship, and educational for many of the very young who come along. We even received a review in the Diocese newsletter that can be read here.

So, it will happen next year on Good Friday and the weather will be good. Come along at 10 am to Church Lane, Martyr Worthy.

Easter Sunday

And finally, it was with great pleasure we welcomed Revd Peter back following the death of his sister to celebrate Communion on Easter Sunday, a wonderful opportunity to celebrate what the fact of the risen Lord means for us all.

Nearly 400 people came to the various services during the week demonstrating the tremendous sense of faith and community which is growing in the valley. And for those of you who may have come to an event for the first time please do not be a stranger come and meet us at some of the regular services detailed on our website.

Thank you everyone