3 April
Dear Friends,
Greetings to you as I write this letter on Good Friday, as Holy Week draws to a close and Easter Sunday approaches.
For Easter Sunday this year I have asked a number of people to record themselves on their phones, saying in between 1 and 5 words what Easter means to them. The result (I hope) will be a collage of brief testimonies as to the meaning of Easter which will form a part of our Easter morning Sunday service. I look forward to it!
I did not include myself in the collage, but I have been thinking about how I would sum Easter up in 1-5 words, and what came to mind is the title of a book written a few years ago by a Christian writer called 'Love Wins'. I think that is as good a two-word summary as anyone is likely to come up with. In the story of Holy Week we see God taking everything that we could throw at him, and still forgiving us and refusing to stop loving us. Easter morning and an empty tomb proclaims that simple message, 'Love wins!'.
I wish you a very happy and blessed Easter. It is sad that for the second year running we cannot celebrate together, in a packed church, with the rafters resounding with our worship. The fact that we cannot do that, however, does not in any way take away from the meaning of Easter, the proclamation that nothing can possibly silence: Love Wins! May that assurance inspire you and give you strength.
Sunday is a Communion service:please have some bread and wine, or a biscuit and juice, handy if you wish to participate.
Keep well and all best wishes to you,
Lance
THIS WEEK:
Sunday, 10.30 hrs:
Pre-recorded Easter morning service, including Holy Communion, so you might like to have bread and wine or juice and a biscuit ready.
You can access this just before 10.30 am directly at: https://www.erc.amsterdam/calendar/easter-sunday-2021
Our reading for this Sunday, Easter Day, is John 20:1-18, John's account of the resurrection.
Sunday, 21.00 hrs:
Compline (short evening prayers): Join at: https://zoom.us/j/91386497205?pwd=YUN5dnRLOWlybHDSV250aHdJcnhiQT09
Tuesday 30th, 08.45 hrs:
Psalm Reciting (this week Psalm 135-143). We will not meet at the church for this, but you might like to participate from your own home at 8.45 or some other time.
Thursday 1st April, 19:30 hrs:
Compline (short evening prayer): join at https://zoom.us/j/91386497205?pwd=YUN5dnRLOWlybHDSV250aHdJcnhiQT09
Prayer:
In this time there may be people who feel especially in need of prayer either for themselves or for someone else. In 'normal' times there was a small group of people in the congregation who used to take it in turns on Sundays to be available after the service to pray for anyone in need - so, if you would like prayer or have a particular prayer request please contact Margaret Richards on margaretanne_richards@hotmail.com and she and the others will pray accordingly.
A word about finance….
Please note that in this period when we are not meeting together there is a way of giving to the church on the website, https://www.erc.amsterdam.
Please remember that it is our custom to have a collection for the Mulanje Mission Hospital in Malawi on Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of the month. Please go to the website if you wish to donate.
God bless you all and keep us united as a church family – and safe and well.
Lance