EASTER 2013

Easter seems to be early this year and next week (Sunday 24 March) we celebrate Palm Sunday. On this day we remember how Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey and crowds gathered, waving palm branches in celebration of their king. The very next week that same crowd is shouting “Crucify him!” and we witness the greatest love ever shown as Jesus dies on the cross. Of course the end is not death but RESURRECTION. Find the downloadable/printable EASTER SERVICES programme HERE! Stick it on the fridge or  share it with a friend and celebrate the miracle which is Easter! Join in with the services and celebrations; make use of James’ Prayer Diary for daily devotions and hear how God is speaking to you and our community here at PMC!

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The Stations of the Cross

Although not a very common tradition among Methodists, this year we decided to set up The Stations of the Cross and follow  eight steps along Jesus’ final journey to his death. We devoted the evening service on Palm/Passion Sunday to doing it and different members of the congregation used wonderful creativity to set up each station. At each stop along the way there was a visual display accompanied by scripture reading and a short meditation with response. This proved to be a wonderful start to Holy Week, bringing contemporary themes into an historical context, and reminding us once again of God’s amazing love.

What follows is a ‘virtual tour’ of our interpretation of the Stations:

1. Pilate condemns Jesus to die. (Matt 27:11-14, 24, 26b)

The crowd condemns Jesus; Pilate washes his hands; Jesus, the Lamb of God is whipped by the Roman soldiers.

 

2. Jesus accepts His cross. (Matthew 27:27-31)

As ‘King of the Jews’ Jesus instated a new kingdom – that of service and not power. The ‘cross’ at this station contains symbols of service.

 

3. Simon helps to carry His cross. (Mark 15:21)

Would we have been willing to help Jesus with His terrible burden? Are we willing to help others? Or do we even see the burdens they bear?

 

4. Jesus speaks to the women. (Luke 23:27-31)

The women are weeping at the sight of Jesus who stops to talk to them, telling them to weep for themselves and not for him. Are our hearts broken by our sin and do we weep for our repentance?

5. Jesus is stripped of His garments. (John 19:23-25a)

The ultimate humiliation – nakedness. Are we willing to serve others to this extent?

6. Jesus is nailed to the cross. (Mark 15:23-32)

Were you there when they crucified Him?

7. Jesus cares for His mother. (John 19:25b-27)

What must Mary be thinking as she stands before the cross? And even at this final hour you bind her and John together. Who have you given me to love and care for? Make me a conduit of your love, and not only to the lovable.

8. Jesus Dies (Mark 15:33-39)

“May you use this moment to teach us how to love you and to love others the way you have loved us. O Lord, we long for newness, for hope, for renewal, for life where there is now death.  Out of this darkness bring to us the light of a new dawn.  O Lord, have mercy on us. O Lord, hear our prayers. We hope in you and trust in your mercy. Amen”

 

Lent/Easter Service Programme

The Cross has said it all – in the words of the song by Matt Redman and Martin Smith, “There displayed for all to see, Jesus Christ our only hope, a message of the Father’s heart, ‘Come my children, come on home.” This will be the theme of our services and the Prayer Diaries for the next 5 weeks, until Easter Day. The programme is detailed more completely below and you are encouraged to participate! The evening services will be ‘cafe style’, in the hall and include communion and a light meal so bring someone along to share the experience with you!

March 11 – Morning Services (08h00 and 09h30) : The Cross has said it all: Counting the Ways!

Evening Service (18h00) : Lent Reflections around the Lord’s Table. “The Work of our Hands.” (Communion and light supper incl)

March 18 – Morning Services (08h00 and 09h30) : The Cross has said it all: The Ultimate Swop-Shop. (Communion)

Evening Service (18h00) :  Lent Reflections around the Lord’s Table. “It’s a Miracle! One loaf, many mouths.” (Communion and light supper incl)

March 25 – Morning Services (08h00 and 09h30) : The Cross has said it all: How the cross speaks to us, with personal testimonies.

Evening Service (18h00) :  Lent Reflections around the Lord’s Table, including personal testimonies (Communion and light supper incl)

April 1 – Palm Sunday. Morning Services 08h00 and 09h30 : Are you really alive or just pretending?

Evening Service 18h00 : The Stations of the Cross (Communion and light supper included)

HOLY WEEK

Tuesday April 3 – 19h00 : Connecting through the cross. Prayer, silence and meditation in the church.

Thursday April 5 – 19h00 : Tenebrae (The service of Shadows), Communion

Good Friday April 6 – 08h00 : Pierced hearts, kneeling before the cross.

April 8 –  Easter Day : Morning Services 08h00 and 09h30 : The empty tomb: what symbols shape your life? (Tea and hot cross buns!)

NO EVENING SERVICE ON EASTER SUNDAY!

Lent 2012

The season of  Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which this year is on Wednesday 22nd February. Lent lasts for 40 days (not counting Sundays) until Resurrecton Sunday (Easter Day!) and is a time of spiritual focus: contemplation, confession, repentance, forgiveness and simplicity. Many Christians ‘give up’ something during Lent and use this to remind themselves of their dependence on God for all things, and to offer the money and time which would otherwise be spent doing something more specifically for God and others. While it is a more serious time of the Christian Year, Easter Day is always in the back of our minds – Resurrection! Re-creation! Transformation and Life Abundant!

Below are some ideas, gathered from all around the world, which you may find helpful in guiding your spiritual walk from Ashes to Resurrection. As Rachel Evans asks: When I wake up on Resurrection Morning how will I be different?

Get into the habit of daily prayer and bible readings using the weekly PMC Prayer Diary on the The Prayer Diary page. (Each week a new one is uploaded for you.)

Sign up for daily devotions via e-mail and/or Facebook from John van de Laar and purchase a Lent e-book (Living in the Promised Land) at Sacredise.

40 suggestions for Lent from Rachel Held Evans. Some challenging ideas here!

A Lenten Meditation video from Christine Sine at Godspace.

Christine Sine also offers a free, downloadable Lent Guide.

The Lent Experiment from All Hallows Bow church in the UK – 40 Days to Love Your World. (Remember it is the UK so references to Spring may not seem appropriate here!)

You may have different things that you feel God is calling you to do or stop doing and that is fine! You can leave a comment here to share with others in our community or add your Lent commitment to the Primrose Methodist Church Facebook wall.

“I invite you, therefore… to observe a holy Lent: by self-examination and repentance, by prayer, fasting and self-denial and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word.” (The United Methodist Book of Worship)

With thanks to Nikita Shulz for the image used on this post!

A Prayer for the New Year

“Christ our life, you are alive in the beauty of the earth, in the rhythm of the seasons, in the mystery of time and space

Christ our life, you are alive in the tenderness of touch, in the warmth of community, in the insights of solitude.

Christ our life, you are alive in the creative possibility of the dullest conversation, the dreariest task, the most threatening event.

Christ our life, you are alive to offer re-creation to every unhealed hurt, to every deadened place, to every damaged heart.

You set before us a great choice. Therefore we choose LIFE!

The dance of resurrection soars and surges through the whole creation.

It sets gifts of bread and wine upon our table.

This is grace – dying we live. So let us live.

Amen

(Source unknown)

Padkos!

Faith, fellowship and food for life! A four week series that focuses on the celebration of the Eucharist (Communion) at the evening service. Beginning on the 4th September at 6pm and running through the month. The vision for this series is to experience different aspects of the traditional Communion service in an informal setting. Church will happen in the hall, around tables, and, along with a light supper, we will break bread together and share in the cup. Just like the early church we will all take part in the preparations as well as the participation.

Jesus shared in many meals with people and these are all sacred moments. From the wedding at Cana to a simple fish braai on the beach for his disciples; dinner with the religious high-brow as well as supper with the outcast and sinners; the feeding of 5000 to the last Passover meal with the 12 in the upper room. The Eucharist (or Communion Service) continues these meals of Jesus, through his life, death and resurrection, as a sign of the nearness of The Kingdom of God.

These Sunday evenings are designed so that you may invite people along to share The Lord’s Table with us.

St Paul encourages us:

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 New International Version (NIV)

  ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying,“This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

So, let us remember!

Feasting and Fasting

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which this year (2011) is on the 9 March. Lent lasts for 40 days (not counting Sundays) until Resurrecton Sunday and is a time of spiritual focus: contemplation, confession, repentance and forgiveness, simplicity. Many Christians ‘give up’ something during Lent and use this to remind themselves of their dependence on God for all things, or offer the money and time which would otherwise be spent doing something more specifically for God and others. While it is a more serious time of the Christian Year, Easter Day is always in the back of our minds – Resurrection! Re-creation! Transformation and Life Abundant!

It is good to use Lent to grow spirituallly in whatever way is helpful to you and there are many resources that may help you on your Pilgrimage. At PMC we are beginning Lent by celebrating our 75th Anniversary in these buildings but we will be observing all the traditional Lenten and Easter Services, so watch the pew leaflets, Facebook page and website calendar for details and get involved! Take part in some sort of service, either by giving to the feeding schemes at the church or in another way at home or work/school. Use the Prayer Diary prepared by James each week to have daily or weekly devotion times where you spend quality time with God. Write down the things that strike you in a Journal and you will have a record of your experiences over time.

While you may not be able to fast from meals or certain foods, you can fast from certain attitudes: Fast from hatred and distrust and feast on love; fast from ill-temper and feast on peace; fast from negativity and feast on optimism, for example.

May this Lent be a time of reflection and learning!

COVENANT SUNDAY 2011

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, encouraged the people to begin each year by renewing their Covenant with God, to remind ourselves of our great need for God, His forgiveness and His grace. The Covenant joins us with God as we submit to Him, but the fact that we do it together suggests that we will support and uphold one another in our Christian walk.

On August 11, 1755, Wesley refers to an occasion when he conducted a service that provided opportunity for persons to make or renew that covenant with God. Listen to this account from his daily journal:

“I mentioned to the congregation another means of increasing serious religion, which had been frequently practiced by our foreFathers, namely, the joining in a covenant to serve God with all our heart and with all our soul.

I explained this for several mornings and on Friday many of us kept a fast to the Lord, beseeching him to give us wisdom and strength, to make a promise unto the Lord our God and keep it.

On Monday, August 11, I explained once more the nature of such an engagement, and the manner of doing it acceptably to God.

At six in the evening we met for that purpose. After I had recited the tenor of the covenant proposed all those who desired to give testimony of their entrance into this covenant stood up, to the number of about 1,800 persons..

Such a night I scarce ever saw before. Surely the fruit of it shall remain forever.”  (Source)

As we prepare to make Covenant this week let us consider our feelings towards God and the path He has called us to. Allow the Spirit to prepare our hearts so that our surrender may be generous and joyful, knowing that the Creator of the Universe only desires abundant life for us.

PRAYER DIARY 22 – 28 November 2010

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The Service of Remembrance

The end of the year finds us a little travel-weary. We began with such high hopes (many of which have been realised), we had great ambition (and we invested a lot of energy into achieving this), resolutions were made and broken and real life took over. Now we are facing the beginning of Advent, leading up to the arrival of “God with us” in the form of the baby Jesus.

Christmas time is synonymous with hot summer days, wild thunderstorms, long holidays and a welcome break from routine as well as the gathering of family and friends to celebrate. It can be a rather bitter-sweet time though as we recall those who have died or who have moved far away and will not be physically present this year. The annual Service of Remembrance acknowledges that God is with us in the midst of our pain.

This year we spent time examining Psalms 23 and 139. Both are songs that remind us that we have a loving God who has taken great delight in our creation and loves to be a part of all of our life journey, from ‘quiet waters’ through the ‘valley of the shadow of death’. He is ahead of us, behind us and knows everything we are going to think or say, even before we do ourselves. This is true for us as we struggle through daily choices, and it is also true for those who have died or who have moved far away.

As a sign of surrendering our feelings of pain and loss and our distant loved ones to God, who is infinitely more qualified to deal with them, we lit tea lights from a larger, central candle, representing God’s light and presence.