Message from The Rector
And so we meet again by sharing in a service. The experience of presiding when no-one else is physically present has proved to be a very interesting one for me. The other day I was sharing experiences with Fr Tony, our local Roman Catholic priest, and we agreed that, as the apparently isolated services happened, we very much felt the presence of those worshipping with us. We somehow do not feel alone. Of course, it is not the same as actually being together in the same space at the same time and I cannot wait for us to be able to do that again. But for as long as the current restrictions apply, I hope that you too feel that, as we share words, music and prayer and the breaking of bread, there is a sense in which we are part of something greater than what we can see. And we take comfort from the fact that, wherever we are, the risen Christ is with us. Of that we have his promise – a promise that never fails.
One way in which we might be able to share in the presentation of our acts of worship is if people might like to volunteer to read one of the lessons. This can be done reasonably simply by using a phone or a tablet. Here are the instructions for iphones and ipads and I’m sure something similar is possible with other makes.
https://osxdaily.com/2016/05/04/record-audio-iphone-voice-memos/
If you’d like to have a go, then please let either me or Claire know.
Collect
Almighty Father, who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples with the sight of the risen Lord: give us such knowledge of his presence with us, that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life and serve you continually in righteousness and truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
First Reading
Acts 2.14a, 36-41
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
Second Reading
1 Peter 1.17-23
If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
Hymn – Thine be the Glory
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory, thou o’er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the Church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.
No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love:
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.
Gospel Reading
Luke 24.13-35
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’ Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Reflection by Revd Johanna Mabey
Luke 24:13-35
Disappointment. We have all been there one way or another.
A relationship breakdown… a failed exam… a dream job turned sour… trust turned to betrayal… a medical test revealing bad news… the death of a loved one… Hope was lost, and life looked dismal at best.
If you have experienced devastation, you can probably understand how the two men on the road felt that afternoon, walking from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus. Theirs was a road of deep disappointment – of hope in the past tense. “We had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel,” they explained (unknowingly) to the Risen Jesus as He walked with them.
They had lost hope. Yes, there had been rumours of resurrection, but the only thing these two men knew was the reality of death. They had seen the crucifixion. There had been a body. They knew death when they saw it. Hope was gone.
The Emmaus Road can represent the road of disappointment when there seems to be no hope. Perhaps our own struggles right now seem like a hopeless uphill road?
The two men on the Road to Emmaus did not recognise Jesus when he joined them on their journey. Someone once heard two children talking about blindness. One of them asked, “How do you know when you are blind?” The other one answered, “You don’t. You only know afterwards when you can see.” Until we have recognised Jesus in our midst, we do not know what we have missed seeing before.
So here we are. Two weeks have passed since Easter. The world presses in on us. We are stressed, afraid, tired, maybe feeling our age, perhaps ill, probably unsure of what lies ahead. We read and hear bad news in papers and on television. When we bury our loved ones, we do not find empty tombs. We pray for people who are ill and often watch them continue to physically decline.
The road of our lives may seem as full of discouragement as that dusty Emmaus road did for those two men.
But wait! We have been given this story. The Emmaus story is the story of a God who will not leave us alone, even when we cannot believe, even when we are hurt and disappointed, even when we cannot recognise Jesus in anything around us, when it seems that the brightest and best in life is over.
One more thing we should notice about this story of those who finally recognised that Jesus was with them: they immediately went to share the news with others. This meant doing a turnaround in the middle of the night with no streetlights to walk a seven-mile journey back to Jerusalem to tell others that they had seen Jesus alive.
For us, the journey may have a different shape, but the message should end up being the same.
We are walking along the roads of the lives we have been given. It is quite likely that God would like us to “retune” our vision, so that we can notice and understand where God would like us to share hope, forgiveness and help in the places around us. We do not have to be afraid to see new needs or hurts, because no matter what challenges, disappointments, or opportunities we encounter, the Risen Christ is with us.
By the grace and power of the Living God, may we come to see that Jesus is risen and alive, right in our midst! By the grace and power of God, may each of us recognise in Jesus hope and challenge beyond every disappointment. Amen.
Post Communion
Living God, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in all his redeeming work; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
The Church of England is producing lots of good material and advice at present. This includes some excellent prayers for us all to use and I commend them to you:
https://www.churchofengland.org/
You can also join the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich weekly newsletter mailing list by visiting:
https://www.cofesuffolk.org/publications/e-news
Anzac Day 25th April 2020
by Mary Sidwell
Prior to coming to live in Aldeburgh 5 years ago, I lived in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Our Parish church of St Mary, had several New Zealand soldiers buried in the old churchyard, having been patients at the Mount Felix hospital in the town. A brass plaque at the back of church records the names of the deceased. ANZAC means Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.
On the Sunday nearest to April 25th each year, we had an ANZAC service of Commemoration at Evensong. The NZ High Commissioner, service personnel and other staff came to the service, where the standards were presented, we sang hymns, an anthem, an address by the vicar, the names of the dead were read out. We then filed out of church behind the British Legion standards and walked to the old churchyard, where there are engraved tombs. Wreaths were laid and prayers said. Afterwards, we gathered in the church hall for refreshments and to meet our NZ guests.
In March 2016, I was staying with family in Australia (Sydney) and in Rotorua (N. Island, New Zealand) and during my stay there were big events marking 100 years of Gallipoli. At Rotorua, my sister and her husband booked a 5-day mini tour down to Wellington, on the South Coast of North Island. The Te Papa Tongarewa Exhibition Centre near the waterfront had a display called ‘GALLIPOLI’ and had set up on the peninsula in Turkey Nga Tapuwae which means ‘the footsteps’ where you can follow trails of the ANZAC soldiers. I recommend that you follow in these footsteps and then light a candle.
Recipe for ANZAC Biscuits (sent to the soldiers on the frontline)
4 oz flour,
4 oz rolled oats,
4 oz desiccated coconut,
4 oz sugar,
1/2 teaspoon baking powder,
1 tablespoon golden syrup,
4 oz melted butter.
Mix dry ingredients together, add melted butter and syrup, and roll into small balls, flatten gently. Bake in a cool oven for 15 mins.
The Week Ahead
Next Sunday – 3rd May
Fourth Sunday of Easter
NOTICES
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Food Banks – Message from the Community We support 22 independent and Trussell Trust Foodbanks through our Food Stores; the Foodbanks all collect from the stores who support them. To find the list of who we support and how to find out what their specific needs are please go on to our website https://www.eastofengland.coop/food/ethics-and-sustainability/food-banks-(1)?viewmode=0 I can confirm that we are working hard on how best we, as a Society, can best support our local communities. There have also been articles in the paper about how food banks are struggling to receive donations as many supermarket shelves are empty. Suffolk Community Foundation are in need of donations to support the various Suffolk Charities they are involved with, to support them financially go to https://www.suffolkcf.org.uk/in-response-to-the-coronavirus-threat-suffolk-community-foundation-launches-local-appeal/. |
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✞Wednesday Morning Holy Week✞ |
