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Dear all

First, a big thank you for all the kind comments about the services. I’m afraid I couldn’t write back to all of them this week because there were so many and I was on holiday. But I did read them and am very grateful.

Linda has provided this week’s service – another first for us. It’s available as usual in the Online Services section as a Morning Worship service. Or you can download it as usual here.

I look forward to being back with you next week.

Matt

At Easter in 2005 whilst I was at Easter School in Salisbury as part of my Ordination training, 
I was privileged to hear the first airing of a new Oratorio entitled 'The Resurrection' 
by Simon McEnery; Words by Jeremy Davies. 
This is part of that work; the words I find deeply meaningful each Easter as I read them again.

Easter Morning

Alone in the garden of Eden, God spent himself crafting a race
Yearning for some selfless creature, to show in reflection, his grace.
Where justice and peace flowed like rivers, compassion like fruit on the trees
He made his companions just like him,Like lovers he wanted to please.

But right at the heart of creation God purposely fashioned a flaw
Deliberately giving free choices to creatures demanding yet more. 
The outcome of such trusting goodness might have drawn love in return
But pride lit the tinder of evil and God watched his universe burn.

But God who is love does not waver, he will not abandon his own
He follows them to the far country, though lonely, they’re never alone.
His love like a mantle enfolds them, he brings them home time and again.
He died on a cross on a Friday, enduring humanity’s pain.

And then in a garden on Sunday when the world again started to turn
God walks in the cool of the morning and waits for his children’s return.
He wonders if they will recall him, remember him after this time;
His hands, feet and side deeply wounded, his face still disfigured with grime

And then like the dawn of creation a loved one returns to the scene;
She seeks for the grave of her Master to weep where his body has been.
He murmurs her name like the dew drops, she turns to him, falls at his feet
Her love is the one thing he’s longed for, it heralds the cycle complete.

Though the garden of Eden’s grown over with tumbleweed, bramble and briar 
The gardener returns as he promised, the phoenix is raised from the fire.
The embers return to cold ashes; a new fire now bursts into flame 
 A new Alleluia is sounded. For Jesus, old Adam’s new name