Cranmer Kids – EASTER!

We hope that those of you who’d consider yourselves younger members of our Cranmer Group church family enjoyed our first Cranmer Kids Pinterest page last weekend, for Palm Sunday.

On the Cranmer Kids Pinterest page this week are – unsurprisingly! – the Last Supper, Good Friday and Easter Day creative ideas for getting stuck into at home.

As we said last week,  do please feel free to pass on the link to others – we love sharing resources with others.

Sunday Sermon – Easter Day, April 12th

Alleluia! Christ Is Risen!

Our Easter Day reading, sermon and prayers are now available on our podcast page. Do listen to them there, and celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

During the online service, if you would like to join in worship by singing the great Easter hymn, Jesus Christ Is Risen Today, do please pause the podcast where suggested; open up this fine Songs of Praise rendition of it; and sing along!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing Alleluia!
Unto Christ our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

For the pains which he endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky he’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

If you’d prefer to read rather than listen to the podcast, the sermon transcript, reading and prayers can be downloaded here:

Good Friday Meditation

Our meditation for Good Friday is a series of six reflections based on the Gospel accounts of the last hours of Jesus’s life:

Each reflection is accompanied by an image (see all images below) and a piece of music, to help you enter into the sensations and emotions of the protagonists of Christ’s final hours, and allow these to deepen your relationship with, and love for, him.

We would of course normally be together in one of our churches, to participate in a time of meditation on Christ’s Passion, between the hours of 2 and 3pm – his last hour on the cross. We’re only-too-aware that such a gathering is not possible today.

I’m afraid that we’ve also, following a re-emphasis of Coronavirus guidelines from our Diocese, had to shelve our plans to share in a Home  Communion, as I’d previously indicated we would do. I’m sorry that this is the case, but I hope you can understand that it’s imperative that we follow instructions precisely, to minimise risks to us all.

Nevertheless, in this strange time when our sense of the importance of connections is heightened, it’s my prayer that this Good Friday, you will feel more closely than ever the presence of  Jesus in your life, and that you will have a renewed sense of our shared fellowship in Christ.

Best wishes, stay safe, and God bless,

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group

E-mail: curate@stgilesparish.com
Mobile: 07946 526569


The images to help us reflect are here:

Reflection 1: Pilate. 
Luke 23:13-25

Eric Gill – Christ Before Pilate

Reflection 2: Simon of Cyrene. 
Luke 23:26-31

Simon of Cyrene Carries The Cross

Reflection 3: The Soldiers and the Crowd. 
Luke 23:23-27

William Blake – The Soldiers Casting Lots for Christ’s Garments

Reflection 4: The Good Thief
Luke 23:39-43

Bradi Barth – St. Dismas the Good Thief

Reflection 5 – Mary and Jesus. 
John 19:25-27

Mary and St. John Before the Cross

Reflection 6: The Cross. 
Luke 23:44-49

Rembrandt – The Three Crosses