Today Caiaphas, the chief priest, is worried by the threat that Jesus poses to institutional religion, and Peter denies that he knows Jesus. There are questions to meditate on about individual rights versus institutional and national rights, how we know whether we are right, about betrayal and forgiveness.
Holy Monday Meditation
On Holy Monday the disciples ponder service, both at the time of Jesus and in our current world, and Judas realises what he has done.
BCP Evening Prayer – 28th March
This evening’s BCP Evening Prayer
A journey through Holy Week
Join us online and in person as we travel through Holy Week, from Palm Sunday, which recalls Jesus entering Jerusalem in triumph yet riding on a donkey, through the events which led to his crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Palm Sunday
There will be Palm Sunday services in all of the churches tomorrow (March 28):
St John’s, Hale, at 9.30am;
St George’s, Badshot Lea, at 10am;
St Mark’s, Upper Hale, at 11am.
Services in church in Holy Week
From Monday to Good Friday we will have the following services in church:
March 29, 7.30pm: Holy Monday Meditation – St John’s;
March 30, 7.30pm: Holy Tuesday Meditation – St John’s;
March 31, 12pm: Holy Wednesday Service – St Mark’s;
March 31, 7.30pm: Holy Wednesday Meditation – St John’s;
April 1, 7.30pm: Maundy Thursday Service – St John’s;
April 1, 7.30pm: Maundy Thursday Service – St George’s;
April 2, 9.30am: Good Friday Liturgy – St John’s;
April 2, 11am: Good Friday All-age Service – St Mark’s;
April 2, 2pm: Good Friday Hour at the Cross – St George’s.
Online services
The following online services will be available on Facebook and the website:
April 1, 7.30pm: Maundy Thursday;
April 2, 9.30am: Good Friday;
April 3, 8pm: Holy Saturday;
April 4, 10.30am: Easter Day.
For the services, click here.
Easter Sunday in church
Please also join us for Easter Sunday services in the churches followed by socially distanced Easter Egg hunts:
St John’s, Sunday, April 4, at 9.30am;
St George’s, Sunday, April 4, at 10am;
St Mark’s, Sunday, April 4, at 11am.
Each day there will also be extracts from our online Easter drama, Company on the Road, on YouTube and Facebook.
May you feel blessed as you journey through this week.
Picture by Duncan Sanchez on Unsplash.
Happy Easter!
Day 10:
Happy Easter from the Easter Bunny, Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny, A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny, Quite-Small Bunny, Smallest-Bunny-Of-All (very loudly) and, of course, the Chocolate Chicken.
May you know the blessing and hope of Christ this Easter!
Day 9:
Holy Saturday isn’t as sunny as Good Friday, but the bunnies still manage to get in a walk. Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny wants to show them the difference between a park and a recreation ground (which she is careful not to call a ‘rec’ for fear of getting Quite-Small Bunny’s hopes up).
“Wow! This is huge!” says A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny. “I hope we won’t get lost.”
“Don’t worry, I’m with you,” says the Easter Bunny. “And I know the way.”
“Look!” shouts Smallest-Bunny-Of-All. “We can climb the trees!”
It’s quite a long way up for their little legs, and A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny is, well, a bit of a worrier about whether they are safe, but from their tree they can see a long way.
“What’s that?” asks Quite-Small Bunny? “Down there on the ground?”
“It’s… it’s…” says Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny peering down. “I don’t know.”
“It’s the chocolate chicken!” yells Smallest-Bunny-Of-All.
And it is! The Easter Bunny is overjoyed to see her.
“Can I place an order for eggs?” she asks.
Day 8:
The bunnies are in a reflective mood. Before they tuck in to a hot cross bun (they are only little bunnies so they need only one between them), the Easter Bunny tells them a little bit about Good Friday.
“So Jesus showed everyone a different way and people didn’t like it, is that right?” asks Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot-And-Wants-To-Know-Even-More Bunny.
“That’s right,” says the Easter Bunny.
“What way was that?” asks A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny.
“It was a way of love,” says the Easter Bunny.
“Is that why our bun has a kiss on it?” asks Quite-Small Bunny.
The Easter Bunny gives him a hug.
Smallest-Bunny-Of-All hopes that the bun also has chocolate in it. Good thing the Easter Bunny can’t read her mind.
Day 7:
After yesterday’s confusion about ship wrecks and recreation grounds, the bunnies investigate the houses further and discover, to the delight of the children at least, that there is another playground.
“Just a short play,” says the Easter Bunny, “I want to go to the Maundy Thursday service this evening.”
“Evening is years away!” says Quite-Small Bunny.
“No, it’s only a few hours away,” Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny corrects him.
“Whose going to baby-bunnysit us when you go to the service?” asks A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny.
“The chocolate chicken can!” shouts Smallest-Bunny-Of-All from her high perch.
‘If only,’ thinks the Easter Bunny.
Day 6:
The Easter Bunny and her family investigate what else there is near the church they found yesterday. There seem to be lots of houses and people, some of them playing games, and this all makes A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny, well, worried.
“Supposing they don’t like bunnies,” he says.
“Everyone was very welcoming at church when we went on Sunday, weren’t they?” says the Easter Bunny. “And there’s plenty of space in all these big green fields.”
“They are recreation grounds,” says Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny. “Or you can call them ‘recs’.”
“I want to see the rec, I want to see the rec!” says Quite-Small Bunny. “There might be lost treasure.”
It takes the Easter Bunny a while to realise that he thinks he is going to see a ship wreck.
To cheer him up she promises them all ice cream.
“Can I have a chocolate flake in my ice cream?” asks Smallest-Bunny-Of-All.
That reminds the Easter Bunny of a problem. Just where is that chocolate chicken?
Day 5:
It’s a beautiful day and the Easter Bunny takes her family for a walk, this time to another part of north Farnham where she has seen another church.
“It’s a lovely place to live,” she tells them as she leads the way down the road.
“Can we have a burrow in one of the parks here?” asks Quite-Small Bunny.
“They are recreation grounds,” says Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny. “The park is a very big area over there,” she says, waving a paw in what she hopes might be the right direction, as she doesn’t always know quite as much as she makes out (shh! don’t tell anyone).
“A big park might be a bit too big for little bunnies,” worries A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny.
“I don’t mind, as long as there are flowers and playgrounds,” says Smallest-Bunny-Of-All . He scampers off into a clump of daffodils.
“I also want to live somewhere where there are chocolate eggs!” he calls.
That reminds the Easter Bunny of a problem…
Day 4:
There has been a disagreement about what to do today. Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny wants to study the spring flowers for a school project.
Smallest-Bunny-Of-All wants to visit the playground.
A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny doesn’t like disagreements and is feeling a bit upset.
Thankfully Quite-Small Bunny has a solution: “Let’s do both.”
The Easter Bunny thinks that this might give her a greater chance of finding a chocolate chicken.
Day 3:
It’s Palm Sunday and the Easter Bunny and her family want to go to church.
“Here’s the door,” says Quite-Small Bunny.
“Will we be allowed? We’re not like most of the people here,” says A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny.
For once Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny turns to her mother for the answer.
“Of course,” says the Easter Bunny, “this is a church where everyone is welcomed, whoever we are.”
“Come on in,” says the vicar, “you are very welcome.”
The Easter Bunny hopes that a chocolate chicken has also found her way here.
During the service a small voice can he heard singing ‘Sleeping bunnies’. It’s Smallest-Bunny-Of-All’s favourite song.
Day 2:
The Easter Bunny and her family stop off for a rest on a park bench.
“Where are all the people?” asks Quite-Small Bunny.
“They are having to stay inside and keep safe because of Covid,” says Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny.
“Do we have to do that?” asks A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny.
“We’re bunnies, it’s OK,” says Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny.
“Can we go and play in the park?” asks Smallest-Bunny-Of-All.
Meanwhile the Easter Bunny is considering the journey ahead. She doesn’t seem to be as fit as she used to be. Maybe she has spent too much time watching TV and eating biscuits during lockdown.
Also, she still hasn’t solved the problem of the chocolate chicken.
Day 1:
The Easter Bunny and her family are off. They are making their way around the parish, heading for church on Easter Sunday.
But where are they today? And why are they? Who exactly is the Easter Bunny?
Well, since you ask, the Easter Bunny has been investigating her family history and so far has got back to her Great-great-great-great-great-great-and-quite-a-few-more-Grandad in the middle of Europe in the 17th century when he used to carry eggs in a basket to give children at Easter.
“We don’t have to lay the eggs ourselves do we?” asks A-Bit-Of-A-Worrier Bunny.
“Don’t be silly, bunnies don’t lay eggs,” says Big-Sister-Who-Knows-A-Lot Bunny.
“Will we have to ask the chickens for eggs?” asks Quite-Small Bunny.
“Let’s give them chocolate eggs!” says Smallest-Bunny-Of-All.
The Easter Bunny tries to remember whether she knows any chocolate chickens.
Bunnies on the move
The Easter Bunny and her family are on the move, making their way around the parish.
Every day between now and Easter Sunday they will be in a different place. Keep an eye out for them and let us know where you think they are.
Easter Drama and Reflections
Every day from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday we will be posting extracts from our Easter drama, Company on the Road, written by Mary Gibson, here on the website and also on social media. Each evening we will post some questions to reflect on, along with the video.
Today is Palm Sunday.
The story of Jesus’ last week is told by his friends, disciples, bystanders and other key witnesses, from his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, to his death and the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Follow the story here and find us on social media:
Instagram – @badshotlea_hale
Twitter – @B_Lea_and_Hale
Facebook – @badshotleaandhale
Cycling virtually end to end for the Church and Dementia research
Farnham man Paul Eggleton (pictured below) has started his ‘cycle ride’ from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise money for both the parish and Alzheimer’s Society, but without leaving his house.
On April 1 he started the ‘journey’ on his exercise bike, ‘travelling’ about 20 km a day, so the 1,550km will take him approximately 10 weeks. Today, April 11, he reached Dingwall and will be in Inverness tomorrow.
He was also on the radio this morning, talking to Emily Jeffery of BBC Radio Surrey, and you can hear him at 3:45:45 here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09c8k8y
This is a peculiarly lockdown-style fundraising event. Paul says: “I started to use an exercise bike and thought this would be a good way of getting fit and raising money for charity, as we can’t actually get out and do much at the moment.
“I chose the two charities because I see Alzheimer’s as one of the biggest challenges for an aging population and finding a cure would immeasurably improve life for older people, and the St John’s Church tower has crumbling stonework which comes from being nearly 200 years old. It’s a lovely north Farnham landmark and we want to preserve it.”
Paul has set up a fundraising page and will divide all the money raised between Alzheimer’s Society and the fund for restoring the tower at St John’s. To make a donation visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/paul-eggleton-1
He is also tracking his progress on Twitter (https://twitter.com/EndVirtual).
Farnham Heath End reflects at St John’s
This week we welcomed students from Farnham Heath End School to St John’s on the National Day of Reflection on March 23, when they tied ribbons in the churchyard and lit candles in the church in memory of all the people who have died in the past year and in support of those who have been bereaved.
Eight students visited the church on behalf of all students in the secondary school on the day which marked the first anniversary of lockdown.
Leo, a year eight student, said: “It is important to remember that this disease has claimed so many lives and left so many families distraught. I don’t know if we took all the right actions to minimise the loss of life. If this was ever to happen again we should remember these times and try to learn from them.”
Dan Conquer, assistant principal at the school, said: “A year ago we could not have comprehended the loss of life on the scale we have seen and so many families affected. Our students were very reflective as we all considered the events of the past year. Being at the church was a really poignant opportunity to mark that. Our thanks go to St John’s for organising this event.”
St John’s was also open for the three days from March 21 to 23 so that people could visit to tie ribbons on the trees and light candles inside in memory of those who have died.
Adventurers – Palm Sunday
A story about Palm Sunday from Anne Boyman:
Have you been following the bible stories and activities online during the last year? Are you aged between 7and 11? Maybe you’d like to join the Adventurers group when we are finally able to meet again. We meet on Tuesdays during term time at the St Marks Centre from 5.30-7.00.
We enjoy stories, games, craft activities and cooking. You would be very welcome. See you there!
Anne
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 