30 Northumberland Square | North Shields | NE30 1PW Weekly Update #246 – Sunday 20th April 2025 – Easter Sunday
From Andrew Easter Sunday
A happy Easter to all our readers!
Pictures help us to imagine and to tell the story that of our faith. After Roberta Ritson’s time with us three years ago, I was inspired to share pictures on Facebook relating to the set readings each week, beginning on Good Friday, 15 April, 2022.
I invite to you to study four quite different pictures illustrating the Easter story – the women (and later also men) hurrying early to find an empty tomb and angel telling of a risen Christ.
The first is a painting of the three Marys from 1910 by Henry Ossawa Tanner, an African-American artist from Pennsylvania.
The second shows the empty tomb. This image was generated by Arnie Bragg of Ohio-based organisation Jesus is our only Hope in 2024 with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
The third comes from an art project reimagining Bible stories in a West African context. JESUS MAFA is a response to the New Testament readings from the lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon. Each of the readings was selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members. Photographs of their interpretations were made, and these were then transcribed to paintings. This painting of 1973 is entitled “Easter, Empty Tomb.”
The fourth is somewhat older – a painting from 1641 by the Italian Baroque painter Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. It shows St Peter and St John at the empty tomb of Christ.
Living Lord, we marvel at your glorious resurrection that first Easter morning. Give us eyes to see the wonders that you show us, and tongues to tell the Good News to the world. Amen.
Worship Easter Sunday – 20th April
8.15 a.m.Early Easter Communion led by the Revd Dr Trevor Jamison, followed by breakfast at 8.45 a.m., which is open to all.
10.30 a.m. Easter Celebration Service with communion, led by the Revd Dr Trevor Jamison
Livestream of morning services 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 the Revd Jack Macadam, followed by the Annual Church Meeting.
6.30 p.m. An evening service led by the Revd Dr Trevor Jamison.
Bible readings Easter Sunday
Isaiah 65: 17-25 New heavens and earth, and Jerusalem blessed.
Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24 Rejoicing in God’s steadfast love.
I Corinthians 15: 19-26 Christ is the first to rise from the dead, and will triumph.
Acts 10: 34-43 Peter’s testimony to Jesus’ ministry, death and rising.
John 20: 1-18 Mary Magdalene meets the risen Jesus in the garden.
Luke 24: 1-12 Women tell of the stone rolled away from the tomb.
Have you ever gone to find something and it was not where you thought you had left it? That can be momentarily perplexing, as you try to work out what has happened.
Perhaps the experience of the women, and later the men, early on that first Easter morning, was like that. They had seen Jesus crucified, and taken down from the cross, and his dead body laid in a stone tomb. After one awful day of waiting, in obedience to the law of the Sabbath, the women were finally able to anoint with spices and perfumes Christ’s body (Luke 23: 56). They hurried anxiously to the place at the first light of dawn, only to find a strange and startling sight. The tomb was empty, the grave clothes folded, and Jesus gone. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen,” explained the angels (Luke 24: 5).
As they turned over in their minds what this meant, their first instinct was to tell someone. Mary and her companions told other disciples (John 20: 2, 18; Luke 24: 10). They continued to reflect and try to understand what had happened, and Peter later spoke up to a crowd, “We are witnesses… everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10: 39, 43). Some 20 years after that, Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, explaining that death does not have the last word. There is new life through Christ, and the beginning of God’s kingdom (I Cor 15: 22).
The last few weeks leading up to Easter have been busy. It’s been a pleasure to welcome the Year 2 children from King Edward’s Primary School into the church. We had fun watching them do an I-spy activity, locating items around the church. The children also enjoyed taking an active part in retelling the Easter story and making some Easter crafts. Thank you to the volunteers for helping to make this such a memorable day, and a big shout out to Liz for organising the activities.
I have also been into Riverside School during their RE week and delivered Godly Play sessions within three classes. Within the Year 5 class, I retold the story of the Last Supper, and within Nursery and reception classes we looked at baptism. It was such a joy to watch the children practise baptising the baby doll and holding their candles.
Many blessings
Irene
Pioneer Children’s Worker
Prayer Space for Lent
The prayer corner is changing three times during this week. We begin by thinking about the arrest of Jesus (John 18: 1-11). On Good Friday, the prayer corner is available during Messy Church when we are reminded of the crucifixion. On Easter Sunday, the prayer corner reminds us of the risen Christ.
Photo by CC.
Café 2.21
Please note that Café 2.21 will be closed on Tuesday 22nd April, and will re-open on Tuesday 29th April.
Curry and Quiz tickets on sale
Tickets are on sale from Sunday for the Curry and Quiz lunch on Saturday 3rd May at 1.00 pm.
You are invited to drop in and join the conversation to help shape the future direction of the United Reformed Church in its Northern Synod. A series of roadshows is being held over the next two years, starting at St James’s, Northumberland Road, Newcastle, on Saturday 10th May.
To watch the morning service live, catch up with it later in the week, or view previous services,
The prayer corner is changing three times during this week. We begin by thinking about the arrest of Jesus (John 18: 1-11). On Good Friday, the prayer corner is available during Messy Church when we are reminded of the crucifixion. On Easter Sunday, the prayer corner reminds us of the risen Christ.
Tickets are on sale from Sunday for the Curry and Quiz lunch on Saturday 3rd May at 1.00 pm.