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ASKING PETER Vicar’s Blog
Q. Peter, what was it like praying with Jesus on the Mount of Olives just before he was arrested? A. Well, I fell asleep. The sadness so overwhelmed me that I simply fell asleep while he prayed. He sweated blood; I snoozed. Impressive. Q. Peter, when they arrested Jesus couldn’t you have done something about it? A. Actually I did do something about it— I cut off the ear of the servant of the High Priest. Did Jesus, the Prince of Peace, actually want me to do that? No he didn’t. But it seemed like a really good idea to me at the time. Q. Peter, weren’t you worried that they’d arrest you and crucify you as well? After all they were trying to kill both Jesus and Lazarus, surely your life was at risk too? A. Well, yes it was, and it continued to be. But I simply denied that I knew Jesus, I
even denied cutting of that man’s ear, I denied everything. And He knew I would. Q. Peter, what was it like to just stand there and watch the death of the Christ, the Messiah? A. Actually, I left. Others carried the cross, the women, they watched from a distance. I wasn’t there. Q. Peter, didn’t this apparent failure bother you? A. Well I had my OK moments, walking on water, but honestly, yes. At times I wept over it. But do you know what really bothered me? When I first met Jesus he changed my name from Simon to Peter, the Rock. A bit later I found out why - He said he was going to build the church on me. Really? Me? I would have picked someone a little more impressive, a little more consistent. But it seemed that ordinary men and ordinary
A B B E Y D I A RY EASTER DAY 6am Dawn Service 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Easter Celebration 6.30pm Choral Evensong women were part of His plan – and I was certainly ordinary enough. Most scholars recognise that St Peter in first century Rome is a primary source for the teaching of Mark’s Gospel. And in turn acknowledge Mark’s gospel as a major source for both Matthew & Luke. Peter has got to tell us how it was for 2000 years. And he says look at my ordinary life, look at my inconsistencies and my struggles and my regret and my pain; the dross amidst the glory. Look at my sinful life. But look also at my resurrected life, look at my restored life. Christ leaves nobody at the Tomb. As the old hymn goes: ‘Christ is Risen, we are risen…’
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer (except Monday) TUES 7th WED 8th THUR 9th
SAT 11th
2.30pm Prayer for Persecuted Christians 10.30am Communion 10.30am Time for Chat 2.30pm Funeral of the late Gerry Monk 10am The Meeting Place 7.30pm Wessex Concert Orchestra
NEXT SUNDAY: April 12th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship
ADVANCE Apr 24th BBC Election Hustings Apr 26th Vision Sunday & AGM
JOHN 20:1-18 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!’ 3
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped round Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
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Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’14 At this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ 16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means ‘Teacher’). 17 Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her. Additional Reading: Acts 10:34-43
DISCIPLESHIP 1.
Take 10-15 minutes to look closely at each of these five resurrection passages:
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Matthew 28:1-15
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Mark 16:1-8
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Luke 24:1-12
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John 20:1-18
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1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Note down who is featured in each passage, what seems to be being emphasised generally by the writer, and what single thing stands out as odd or truly remarkable. 2.
Consider the presence of Romans, women, and those not apostles in the passage.
3.
What do these 5 voices have to say to us today?
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 111 Song of Solomon 1:9-2:7 Mark 16:1-8 Tuesday Psalm 112 Song of Solomon 2:8-end Luke 24:1-12 Wednesday Psalm 113 Song of Solomon 3 Matthew 28:16-end Thursday Psalm 114 Song of Solomon 5:2-6:3 Luke 7:11-17 Friday Psalm 115 Song of Solomon 7:10-8:4 Luke 8:41-end
REGULAR GIVING If you would like to give regularly to the mission and ministry of the Abbey as part of your discipleship, please e-mail alan@malmesburyabbey.com.
V I S I O N S U N D AY
GERRY MONK
For your diary: on Sunday 26th April we will be having one single service at the Abbey at 11am on our annual Vision Sunday. Coffee at 10.30am, 11am Holy Communion with provision for young people, 12.30pm picnic lunch, 2pm Annual Meeting, including election of churchwardens and new church council members. 3pm Closing Prayer. A bouncy castle normally turns up at some point as well.
Our dear brother Gerry Monk passed away peacefully on Thursday morning. We give thanks to God for his life. Please remember Margaret, Jacqueline & Tim in your prayers. The funeral will be at Malmesbury Abbey on Thursday April 9th at 2.30pm with a reception in Crudwell afterwards, to which all are invited.
P R AY E R
EASTER CELEBRATION
Pray for persecuted Christians around the world on Tuesday 7th April at 2.30pm at Eilmer House. This month we will continue to focus on those national leaders leading countries where it is most challenging to be a Christian. More information from Mike Langtree.
Many of the Abbey will be finishing their Easter Day celebrations in The Whole Hog after Easter Choral Evensong at approximately 8pm. All are very welcome.
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH
NOTICEBOARD T H A N K YO U An unbelievably massive thank you to all members of our Abbey teams who have helped make the Holy Week Festival such an amazing event again this year. Brochure distributors, café helpers, ticket collectors, welcomers, the Garden Labyrinth team, artists, lockers up, unlockers, cleaners, car drivers, maintenance, singers and musicians, silent movie projectors, lighting, flower arrangers, our AV teams, and especially Foxley Road Nurseries who brought such amazing trees and plants into the Abbey during Holy Week. The hard work has blessed so many people and brought glory to God. THANK YOU!
ELEC TOR AL ROLL The Electoral Roll of Malmesbury Abbey is the formal list we keep of all those adults who consider the Abbey to be their normal place of worship. Those on the Electoral Roll can vote in our annual elections for churchwardens and church council members, and they are also eligible to stand for election themselves. We are currently updating the list, which is also useful communications data for us, and would really want to encourage everybody who isn’t on the Electoral Roll to fill in a cream form at the Abbey this Sunday. If you are reading this while away on holiday and would like to be added to the roll, please e-mail Sandie, office@malmesburyabbey.com, and we’ll make a note and catch up with the paperwork on your return. Many thanks.
Enquiries 01666 826666 // Box Office 01666 824339 office@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
CONTAC T ABBEY OFFICE Monday (10am-12noon) Tuesday-Friday (9.30am– 3pm) Tel: 01666 826666 sandie@malmesburyabbey.com
CAFÉ HOURS Tuesday-Saturday (normal) 9am– 3.30pm Sunday & Monday closed all day clare@malmesburyabbey.com
www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH