Easter is late this year, almost as late as it can get! In fact it’s so late that the following weekend we are into the beginning of May and another holiday weekend, with the Royal wedding holiday on April 29th and the May Day holiday on May 2nd. Why is this? Essentially because Easter is what’s called a ‘moveable feast’, which means that it is not fixed according to the civil calendar. In fact the date we celebrate Easter each year was determined almost 700 years ago at a special Church Council in 325AD, which decided that Easter Day should fall on the first Sunday after the full moon following the northern hemisphere’s vernal equinox (March 21st.) So the date of Easter can be any date between March 22nd and April 25th. This year Easter Day is on April 24th, so it can’t get much later. But at least this means that the holiday weekend should be a lot warmer than it might be otherwise! The clue lies in the theme of our Easter publicity for this year with that little word HOPE. What gets you out of bed in the morning, apart that is from the alarm clock? We all need something that motivates us – something we look forward to. Something we live for. Hope is a precious commodity. It lifts our spirits; it helps us through hard times in our lives. And it fills every moment with potential and anticipation. For Christians, our hope is perfectly expressed in the Easter story. The death and resurrection of Jesus are the foundation of our faith. Paul, the apostle, writing to some believers in a place called Corinth, said this: “I passed on to you what was most important: Christ died for our sins, just as the scriptures said, He was buried, and was raised on the third day, just as the scriptures said.” And, he adds, he was seen by lots of different people – including me.
Paul goes on to talk about the resurrection of Jesus in relation to Christian faith. “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins . . . And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” But then he adds this bold and confident assertion: “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead!” * If hope is what you need, what you are looking for right now, you will find it right here in the Easter story. As we will once again confidently assert together on Easter Sunday morning:
‘Christ is risen; he is risen indeed, alleluia!’ Many in our church family have discovered and continue to discover that this is true, and it has transformed their lives. We’d love to welcome to our Easter celebrations (see back cover) this year. You can be assured of a warm and friendly welcome. And who knows, it would be the beginning of a whole new life – full of fresh hope. If you would like to find out more about the Christian faith, we plan to run a short Christian basics course called START after Easter in June/July. If you would like further information about this, get in touch using the contact details on page 5 * Quotes are from 1 Corinthians 15 vs. 3, 4, 17-20, New Living Translation
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We have a wonderful Health Service; a longer life expectancy; water on tap and a good sewage service; lights at the touch of a switch T.V. and radio; food from all over the world ; inexpensive clothing etc. etc. We hear and read of those who earn or own incredible amounts of money. I read today about the Getty family, one of the richest in the whole world. What unhappiness and misery they endured. Wealth doesn’t necessarily bring peace and happiness, indeed it often causes untold misery and jealousy. A poster seen in Dublin recently read, “Greed is the knife, and the scars run deep”. St. Paul wrote,
Is it greed that creates discontent? The ten rules that Almighty God gave for mans` well being and happiness includes this “You must not covet”. Genesis chap. 20In the book of Proverbs 28 verse 14, it says, y”
What a joy it must have been for those who were friends of Jesus.. Speaking to his disciples, Jesus said, This does not just apply to the disciples, for St. Paul reminds us in Romans chap. 5 verse 11 that Think about that! A friend of Almighty God! Have faith, have hope. Be happy whate’er betides. Every Blessing.
1 Make this tasty gift to give as an Easter present. 200g dates 100g marzipan
caster sugar 25g chocolate
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 2
.Slit the date neatly and carefully remove the stone. Roll small pieces of marzipan into shapes like the stick stone just taken out . Coat each marzipan shape in sugar and slip inside a date. Break the squares of chocolate into cup. Put some hand-hot water into a bowl. Put the cup of broken chocolate into the bowl of water. This will melt the chocolate, but be careful not let any water splash into the cup, or the chocolate will go cloudy. Use a teaspoon to pour a little chocolate over each marzipan date. Leave to set. ENJOY! Building bridges between church and community
in hospital as well as welcoming new life – seeing new babies arrive at our Friday morning ABC Toddler Group and preparing for baptisms and weddings a bit later in the year. As I said it’s a job that covers the highs and the lows of life as well as lots more ordinary stuff.
other special Easter events I’m really looking forward to. Especially good for families is
For older folks in our community we have a quieter service of As I write, the sky is blue and And the sun is shining in – it really there will also be services on feels like the start of spring. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday I’m looking forward to and, of course, on Easter changing the clocks this coming Sunday. See the back cover for weekend and to lighter, brighter more details. evenings and longer – and hopefully warmer – days ahead. I really hope you can join us as we celebrate Easter this year at In my job as Curate, I find my- At church, we’re in the season St Margaret’s. Come and say of Lent, a time of spring clean- ‘hello’ or contact me with any self with a role to play in ing our lives and ourselves people’s lives in the happiest questions etc in the Parish ready for the big Easter celemoments as well as in the Centre at St Margaret’s on brations in a few weeks’ time. toughest moments. So, in Tuesday and Friday mornings As well as our usual Sunday recent months, I’ve taken or by phone 0161 445 8874 or funerals, and visited people who services, there are a couple of email: Caroline.Throup@ntlworld.com haven’t been well at home and
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Christians in Burnage from the different traditions, meet for a series of Lent Studies and a Good Friday Walk of Silent Witness. We choose a different route to walk in the parish each year.
this year will start and finish at St Bernard’s RC Church on Burnage Lane. From St Bernard’s we will walk south along Burnage Lane to Green End Road where we turn right and continue to the shops at Kingsway. Then we will walk south down Kingsway, This year the Lent studies are being held turning left at Glenhurst Road, then at St Margaret’s on the theme of right at Overlea Drive until it meets “Exploring God’s Call”. They are on Green End Road. We will turn right at Wednesday evenings, 7.30 till 9pm, on Green End Road to Burnage Lane, left the 16th, 23rd and 30th March and onto Burnage Lane and back to St 6th and 13th April. Bernard’s for a short open air service to remember and reflect on Jesus’ death.
Baptisms None Weddings None 4
Funerals Dec 17 2010 Jan 12 2011 Jan 19 2011 Feb 1 2011
Irene Storr Stuart Nicholson Norma Wilde Ian Walker
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Or you could picture it like a seaside theme park featuring:
If you’ve got questions about life and the Christian faith and are looking for answers, then why not make a
full of ups and downs always spinning, going nowhere great,but doesn’t add up to much you watch the world go by.
In response, the local Baptist church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding with petitions and prayers. Work progressed right up until the week before the grand reopening when lightning struck the bar and it burned it down to the ground.
After this, the church folk were rather smug in their outlook, bragging about the “power of prayer” until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church “ was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means”.
The judge read through the plaintiff’s complaint and the defendant’s reply and at the opening hearing he commented
In its reply to the court, the Church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building’s demise.
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Our Love Burnage Messy Church programme looks something like this: Tea, coffee, juice and snack from 3.30pm :: Lots of craft activities from 4-5pm :: 5 - 5.15pm in church for songs (actions songs), story and prayers : Back to the hall for a family tea (eg jacket potatoes or sausages and mash with fruit) We know that not everyone can come to church on Sundays, so Monday is our Messy Church day. We held our first Messy Church on Valentine’s Day and our second in mid-March. The next one will be . There will be lots of Easter-themed crafts and activities to come and have a go at – hopefully something for all ages to join in with, though I know from those who
Can you find the words of this verse from St John’s Gospel? “ God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “ 6
have come along so far that it’s the families with children under the age of about 12 or 13 who have really got stuck in. We’ll have about 20 minutes in church to sing songs, hear the Easter story, and say some prayers. And then we’ll finish with a delicious meal together. Messy Church is free! It doesn’t cost anything at all (though donations are always welcome to help with the costs of crafts and food) so come along and see if it’s for you. Future Messy Church dates will be: 16 May and 13 June, also starting at 4pm. If you want to find out more, the Messy Church leader is the St Margaret’s Curate, Caroline Throup. Please feel free to phone 0161 445 8874 or email caroline.throup@ntlworld.com with any questions.
E K B O T W S C N G
V R I L S H O U L D
E G I S A O A L M D
R P S V N E O T X E
L Q E X A V H D T N
A T V R E E L T H E
S Q E D I R T I N W
T N I Y O S M E F H
I N L W S G H R E E
N B E O O X W G C M
G O B U T T A M S H
G L T D G O R S P E
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Well not quite. We happen to think its a bit more meaningful than that. That’s because millions of people all over the world believe that Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, then He rose again three days later, on Easter Sunday.
Just think….. when you give someone The Real Easter Egg, you’re not just giving them a delicious chocolate treat, you’re giving them something much more meaningful.
The Real Easter Egg will be on sale at St. Margaret’s Church from the beginning of Actually many believe that chocolate eggs April - & you can pre-order the Eggs by represent the boulder that sealed his tomb. contacting Pam & Gareth Corps on And with eggs being widely thought of as a 0161 445 0632. symbol of hope and new life, the custom grew where people exchanged gifts of They will also be sold by some of the chocolate eggs at Easter. So now you supermarkets, so do watch out for them. know!
Some pretty eggs to colour Building bridges between church and community
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United Reformed Church 10.15am 10.30am
Mass :8pm
United Reformed Church 7pm 10.15am 11.am
Stations of the Cross: 10. 30 am The Lord’s Passion, :3pm , Easter Vigil Mass: 8pm Holy Mass: 10am
,: An Agape Meal and Meditation 7.30- 9pm “At the Foot of the Cross” Service 2-3pm Holy Communion 8.30am All-age worship and Holy Communion 10.30am
Easter Reflections 2pm Holy Communion 8pm Meditation 10.30am Holy Communion 9.00am All-age Family Communion 10,30am Easter Sunday evening worship 6.30 pm
10.30am
Got a problem? Like someone to talk to? In spiritual help or advice? For pastoral help and support, telephone our Helpline and someone will get back to you 8
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