Weekly letter from St Luke's - 6th April 2023

Dear Parish Friends

This evening begins the three great days of the Christian Calendar, with a service for Maundy Thursday at 7.30pm. Then tomorrow, Good Friday, after Morning Prayer at 9am, when we have the next of the 'Women in Holy Week' podcasts, we have a family service at 10am, so bring all your family along - we will have Hot Cross Buns! There will be a more reflective service at 2pm tomorrow afternoon in church tomorrow. On Holy Saturday we will again say Morning Prayer at 9am and in the evening the Easter Vigil - a service of readings and prayers - will be held on Zoom only. Finally on Easter Morning we celebrate the Risen Christ with the lighting of the new Pascal Candle at the first service (at 6.30am), followed by a Resurrection Breakfast and then the Family service with communion at 9am. The Maundy Thursday evening, Good Friday 2pm and Easter Day 9am services will also be streamed on Zoom.

Traditionally all these services are liturgically a single service. Thus this evening's Eucharist concludes in silence without a blessing, as we strip the sanctuary and wait with the disciples. Similarly the Good Friday liturgy does not start with the familiar 'The Lord be with you' greeting, and again it ends in silence. Then on Easter morning, the organ is silent until we have lit the new flame, carry it into church, and proclaim 'Christ is risen!' We then can sing with gusto 'Glory to God in the highest!'.

Finally, I realise that this is short notice, but on Saturday morning, at 9.30am, I will be interring the ashes of Derek Dicky, who died earlier this year, in the Memorial Garden. All are welcome to join Derek's family, who are together in Brisbane this weekend, for this service.

Yours in Christ

Rev'd Timothy