Dear
All,
Alleluia,
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
It
is only two and half weeks since we celebrated Easter Day, and I pray we are
all still rejoicing in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we await another
great celebration, Pentecost in another four and a half weeks!
Looking
back on Holy Week and Easter day I feel that God blessed us greatly in the very
different ways that we remembered and celebrated. Our Passover meal remembering and celebrating
Jesus’ Last Supper, with foot washing in the Link, on Maundy Thursday was very
moving and powerful. It was such a
beautiful sight as one entered the church and saw the table laid for over 60
people – an evening of tremendous fellowship for all ages, and a real feeling
of being with Jesus and his disciples in preparation for Good Friday and Easter
Day.
I
also thought our All Age Good Friday service with prayer stations was again
another opportunity for everyone, from the youngest to the eldest, to engage in,
as well as remembering the enormity of the sacrifice Jesus made for all
humanity. Also God surprised me at the
Lache & Saltnety Churches Together service at the Cathedral that evening –
a great gathering of over 200 people from all different denominations
worshipping together as we reflected on the Cross of Christ.
Lastly
Easter Day was a day of true celebration where all present rejoiced together in
the resurrection of Jesus. I do hope and
pray that in the coming weeks we do not lose hold of what God gave us over
Easter – and continue to reflect and seek what it means to be living in today’s
world as Easter people, with the hope and promises that we have been given.
During
April we also had our APCM in a joint morning act of worship where we elected our
Church Wardens and PCC, as well as sidespersons and Deanery Synod
representatives. I also had the
opportunity to share with you all present, that I feel God is calling St.
Mark’s to move up into a higher gear, and embrace our Vision with courage and faith,
with all the challenges that that might bring.
In our new sermon series starting this Sunday, we are going to be
learning about discipleship as we journey with Simon Peter, and where we will
be challenged about ‘growing up’ in our faith; and having the choice to move up
a gear in our personal lives, in our corporate life at St. Mark’s, and in our
activities in the communities that we live and work in.
In
the last few days I have been pondering on Jesus’ command to Simon Peter to
move out into deeper waters (Luke 5: 1-11). It was only when he did that they
caught any fish; it was only when he did that they witnessed the miraculous
catch; it was only when he did that he
truly recognised who Jesus was; it was only when he did that he recognised
himself to be who he truly was; and it was only when he did that Jesus revealed
to him his mission!
I
truly believe God is calling us out of the shallow waters, where we can paddle
and be in control, and out into the deep waters where we have to throw
ourselves upon the care of Jesus – then we will see the miraculous, and God
will call us and commission us to go out and make disciples of all
nations. I pray for all of us that we
may hunger to grow and mature in our own discipleship (and I am seeing signs
and fruit), so that we may share the love of God with others bringing them to
Christ so that they too may rejoice and know the resurrection power of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Alleluia, His is risen
indeed.
Love
and Easter blessings,
Hennie
1) If you want to walk on water ... 
