30 Northumberland Square | North Shields | NE30 1PW Weekly Update #197 – 31st March 2024 – Easter Sunday
From the Minister Looking for Jesus
“You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.” (Mark 16:6) When a group of women came to the tomb where they expected to find the body of Jesus they were in for a big surprise. It was not there. A young man told them so, even pointing out the empty spot where the body had been lying. It wasn’t a case of grave robbing but of resurrection. Jesus, who had been dead, was alive. It was a unique act of God. It is also unprovable. No one was there when it actually happened, and there is no one left alive today who was around at that time. Some (like me) will be convinced by the Gospel accounts of what happened, others will remain sceptical. It will help, though, if, like the women, you are actually looking for Jesus when you consider the resurrection. If not, you are unlikely to be moved, even if you think the resurrection story might be true. Come looking for Jesus, though, and belief in his resurrection might be life-changing. Happy Easter!
Trevor Image: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Prayer God our Father, through your only-begotten Son you have overcome death, and opened to us the gate of everlasting life; grant that we who have been redeemed by his passion may rejoice in his resurrection; through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. From The Gelasian Sacramentary
Worship Easter Sunday 31st March
8.15 a.m. Easter Worship, with communion, led by Trevor Jamison. 8.45 a.m. Easter Breakfast, open to all, following on from the 8.15 a.m. service 10.30 a.m. Easter Celebration – communion service led by Trevor Jamison 6.30 p.m. Easter Journey – experiencing the Holy Week using our Easter installations, concluding with communion at the empty tomb, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus
Don’t forget – the clocks “spring forward” one hour this weekend!
Livestreamed Worship from Saint Columba’s
To watch the morning service live, catch up with it later in the week, or view previous services,
10.30 a.m. A service led by Mrs Hannah Middleton, Northern Synod Children’s Work Adviser
Bible readings
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’
1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 Paul lists those to whom the resurrected Jesus appeared
John 20:1-18 Mary Magdalene is the first witness to the resurrection
Mark 16:1-8 Fear is the initial response to the empty tomb
Reflection on the Readings
‘ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.’ (Mark 16:8) Well, that an odd way to end a Gospel! If you look in your Bible you will see verses which follow on from verse eight, but you will also see that these are thought to be later add-ons, written by those who thought that the ending of Mark’s Gospel could do with being improved. Maybe Mark did write more, but his original ending has been lost. (One of my teachers at theological college, noting that Mark says nothing about the birth of Jesus either, mused that perhaps the covers of the original “book” had been parted from the other pages, taking Mark’s versions of Jesus’s birth and his resurrection appearances with them!) Yet Jesus’s resurrection is announced in Mark(16:6), and despite their initial silence, we know the women did quite quickly tell their story to the other disciples. As Mark’s Gospel “ends” we, like the women at the tomb, are invited to believe the good news on the basis of what we are told by someone else. We are invited to have faith.
“Christ Has Risen While earth Slumbers”: a hymn by John Bell and Graham Maule. Here is sung to the beautiful Welsh tune “Suo Gan” click here
News and Notices
6th April – G
ranny’s Attic Sale
The next Granny’s Attic Sale is due to take place on Saturday 6th April. All contributions gratefully received on Friday 5th April between 2-4pm at the church hall. And don’t forget to come along on the day to bag some bargains!
15th June at Bishop Auckland – Faithful Flourishing: a Northern Synod festival of faith, fellowship and fun!
People from churches around Northern Synod are invited to take part in this festival, which gives participants free access to all of the venues at The Auckland Project https://aucklandproject.org/ as well as workshops on faith conversations, music, poetry and prayer – plus a packed lunch.
We are hiring a bus to take participants from St Columba’s and St Andrew’s URC, Monkseaton.
You can find more information about the event by clicking here
Contact Mathew to book your place,
Closing Date for booking for the coach is Sunday 5th May 2024
Pie and Pea Lunch – Thank you!
Thank you to all who supported our recent pie and pea lunch event. It was a very enjoyable afternoon – the pies were delicious. We raised £332.45 for church funds.
Next Update – Sunday 7th April 2024
Trevor Jamison will edit the next Update. Please get your information to him by Tuesday 2nd April.
Keeping in Touch
You can contact your Elder, the Minister, or Church Secretary.
“You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.” (Mark 16:6) When a group of women came to the tomb where they expected to find the body of Jesus they were in for a big surprise. It was not there. A young man told them so, even pointing out the empty spot where the body had been lying. It wasn’t a case of grave robbing but of resurrection. Jesus, who had been dead, was alive. It was a unique act of God. It is also unprovable. No one was there when it actually happened, and there is no one left alive today who was around at that time. Some (like me) will be convinced by the Gospel accounts of what happened, others will remain sceptical. It will help, though, if, like the women, you are actually looking for Jesus when you consider the resurrection. If not, you are unlikely to be moved, even if you think the resurrection story might be true. Come looking for Jesus, though, and belief in his resurrection might be life-changing. Happy Easter!
Don’t forget – the clocks “spring forward” one hour this weekend! 
To watch the morning service live, catch up with it later in the week, or view previous services,
‘ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.’ (Mark 16:8) Well, that an odd way to end a Gospel! If you look in your Bible you will see verses which follow on from verse eight, but you will also see that these are thought to be later add-ons, written by those who thought that the ending of Mark’s Gospel could do with being improved. Maybe Mark did write more, but his original ending has been lost. (One of my teachers at theological college, noting that Mark says nothing about the birth of Jesus either, mused that perhaps the covers of the original “book” had been parted from the other pages, taking Mark’s versions of Jesus’s birth and his resurrection appearances with them!) Yet Jesus’s resurrection is announced in Mark(16:6), and despite their initial silence, we know the women did quite quickly tell their story to the other disciples. As Mark’s Gospel “ends” we, like the women at the tomb, are invited to believe the good news on the basis of what we are told by someone else. We are invited to have faith.