Holy Week

Hi all,

Holy Week is a journey: a journey with Jesus from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning. Every day this week, we will be journeying with Jesus with a rich variety of services. Why not join us?

On Monday at 8pm we gather at St James’, Gt Horwood, where we recall the last hours of Christ’s life in the Stations of the Cross. On Tuesday evening at 8pm at St Laurence, Winslow, we share in evening prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, and on Wednesday at 8pm, at St Mary’s, Addington, we end the day with Compline. These days are a time of preparation: of waiting and watching with Jesus as we lead to the most significant services of our year.

On Maundy Thursday at 8pm in both St Laurence and St James we remember Jesus gathering with his disciples at the Last Supper. We will be invited to have our feet or hands washed, we shall share in communion and then watch as the churches are stripped bare. We watch with Christ in the anguish of the Garden of Gethsemane and wait as he is tried in secret.

From 12pm until 2pm on Good Friday there will be a time of quiet prayer and reflections and readings in St Laurence. We will pray for the church and the world. At 2pm, there is the Last Hour of Cross service, also at St Laurence, at which we are faced with what Jesus has done for us. The service includes the response: My people what wrong have I done to you, what good have I not done for you? We leave the church in silence - there is nothing more to say. Christ has died.

It was early in the morning when Mary came to the place where Jesus had been laid and so on Easter Sunday we meet early in the morning too (at 5.30am) as we celebrate Christ’s rising from the dead. Our Easter celebrations continue with our Sunday services at 8am (Book of Common Prayer) and then 9.30am at St Laurence and 11am at St James.

Find some time this week, this Holy Week, to join us for some or all of these services as we journey with Jesus during the last days of his life.

Best,

Revd Didier

Readings

Monday: Isaiah 42.1-9; Psalm 36.5-11; Hebrews 9.11-15; John 12.1-11

Tuesday: Isaiah 49.1-7; Psalm 71.1-14; 1 Corinthians 1.18-31; John 12.20-36

Wednesday: Isaiah 50.4-9a; Psalm 70; Hebrews 12.1-3; John 13.21-32

Maundy Thursday: Exodus 12.1-4, 11-14; Psalm 116.1,10-17; 1 Corinthians 11.23-26; John 13.1-17,31b-35

Good Friday: Isaiah 52.13 - 53.12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10.16-25; John 18.1 - 19.42

Easter Eve: Job 14.1-14; Psalm 31.1-4,15,16; 1 Peter 4.1-8; Matthew 27.57-end