Dear Scargillians
This comes with much love and prayers to you all as we move into Holy Week, journeying with Jesus to the Cross and then to the wonder and joy of his Resurrection on Easter Day. We pray that during this disorientating and difficult time we will all know the joy of the Risen Lord amongst us.
Please do check out our website for our Holy Week reflections and other livestreamed Easter events, if you would like to journey with us. On the website there is also information of events for Families and Young people, including a cook-along!
We will be having our usual Tea Party on Tuesday 30th March, and a special Tea Party on Easter Sunday 4th April – both from 3:30pm on Facebooklive.
The week beginning 5th April, the whole Community will be having a week of holiday therefore the Office will be closed during this time and re-open on Monday 12th April.
On the website you will see some post-Easter events for you to book onto: with Bridget and Adrian Plass; and (Zooming in from Sweden) we have Anna and Andreas Andersson. There is also an Enneagram 1 course (available to book now) led by Margi and Di, and on 24th April there will be a Zoom Quiet Day (watch out for further details to be released).
Here is Di’s Holy Week reflection on washing feet – enjoy!
Diane writes:
Over the last year in my reflections, I have written a number of words and included many paintings and poems but today I leave the words to a woodblock by Sadao Watanabe called, ‘Christ Washing the Feet of St. Peter’ and a poem entitled, ‘I Wash Your Feet Just Because’. Both surprised and challenged me – in a good way! I hope they will do the same for you.
This woodblock is said to be one of his best and reminds me of mediaeval book illuminations. The print, with its ‘harmony of colours’ has been described as ‘a bold and impressive rendering of John 13:6-11’. The strong lines, the elongated hands, fingers and toes plus the large eyes of Jesus highlight the importance of this symbolic act. For me, the surprise is the hovering Holy Spirit up in the corner – is Jesus being honoured and blessed as he honours and blesses others. I’ll leave you to find the surprise in the poem.
I WASH YOUR FEET JUST BECAUSE
In the middle of the meal –
not when they came in the door
not before the meal –
but in the middle of the meal
Jesus fell on his knees
and washed their feet,
not even looking up
to see which foot goes with which face!
He washed them all, one by one.
He washes the feet of all of us,
believers and unbelievers,
old and young,
saints and sinners,
women and men,
rulers and ruled,
rich and poor,
filled and hungry,
dressed and naked.
Can it be possible that Jesus washed
The feet not because they were dirty
but just because …
”I want to wash your feet
because I want to wash your feet.
For no other reason except
that I love you.”
[Author unknown, seen on A-MUSED]
We pray you have a blessed Easter.
With love and prayers