"Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"

1 Peter 1:3

As I write it is Good Friday. Normally, there would be a couple of services in church today and rushed preparations for a big service on Sunday, but we are in lockdown. Worse than that there are an increasing number of people dying from the Coronavirus daily and more and more people who know someone who has succumbed to the horrible disease.

Yet, Good Friday is all about death - the death of Jesus. His of course was a death that was the ultimate act of service (Matthew 20:28), he died as a ransom for many. He died in our place, to save us from our sins and give us life. That is why it is Good Friday. It is also why it is right that we praise the sacrificial service of all those in the medical profession, who are working harder than ever and at great risk of exposure to the illness in order to save others. In a very real way they are following the example of Christ as they do that.

But, as Christians in a world where our mortality feels more real than ever, we also have hope. A hope secured not by our own actions, but by the death and resurrection of Christ. Even if we are to succumb to the virus, we know that it is not the end, because Jesus defeated death. That is the wonderful news of Easter. 

Indeed, for both these reasons we can celebrate Easter with joy even in the midst of lockdown: Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

This Sunday: For our opener to this week's service it would be great to have a response. I'm going to say, "Alleluia, Christ is risen!" and I want to show as many people as possible responding: "He is risen indeed, Alleluia!"

So, please if at all possible send me a very short video of you (and family) saying, "He is risen indeed, Alleluia" by Saturday noon. I will then try and include them in the opener. These short videos can probably be sent by email, but you can also Whatsapp me on: 07769 871520.

Last Sunday: If you missed last weeks talk on A Gentle Earthquake (Matthew 21:1-11), then you can  listen or watch here .

Good Friday Meditation: Over the last week a series of 6 reflections on Matthew's account of Jesus's passion have been released. If you have missed them and would like to use them for a Good Friday meditation(traditionally 12noon - 3pm), then all 6 are now available on the Easter Reflection Webpage.

It's been great to have so many people involved in our online services. I really feel this has been a key to their success. However, one aspect of Sunday meetings that we are still missing is the ability to interact with each other after the service.

Many churches are using Zoom to help them do that. It enables many people to be in a video conversation at one time and its free to use. You can use it on a computer, phone or tablet. These will obviously need to have a video camera and microphone for it to work. 

Below is an invitation to a zoom meeting for 11:30am this Sunday. If you want to join us then the easiest way is to click the 'Join Zoom Meeting' link and follow the instructions. This Sunday will be a bit of an experiment. If lots of people join us, then we may need to think about setting up a number of smaller meetings. However, please give it a go if you can.

You all have the opportunity to see me on Sunday. It will be great to be able to see you!!

Paul Worledge is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: St. Luke's Easter Zoom Meeting
Time: Apr 12, 2020 11:30 AM 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/5418753952?pwd=YmNpc21haTZaSEhVdnF0MFUzOG9zdz09

Meeting ID: 541 875 3952
Password: Luke

Be assured I will do my best to check that people are happy for the requests to be shared before including them.

•  For Joy Smithers. Give thanks that her health is improving. She has moved twice this week - first to Deal hospital and now to a care home in Folkestone. Pray for her as she adjusts to all the changes.
  
•  For Gordon Warren still hoping to have Chemo arranged, but there are problems finding hospitals that can do it in the present circumstances.
  
•  Give thanks that Bernard (Venna's brother) who was seriously ill with Covid-19 in hospital is now home and recovering.
  
•  Please pray for Peter and Nicky Shakeshaft's friend, Geoff Humphrys who is seriously ill with Covid-19.
  
•  For Boris Johnson that he will fully recover and for the rest of the government that they will have wisdom in the big decisions they need to make.
  
•  For all NHS staff, paramedics and care home workers. For safety, resilience and strength as they are called on to work harder in these emotionally draining circumstances.
  
• For those whose businesses and jobs have been adversely effected by the present crisis.
  
• For those parents and carers looking after children at home during these restrictive times.

A prayer for Good Friday:

Eternal God, in the cross of Jesus,

we see the cost of our sin

and the depth of your love:

in humble hope and fear

may we place at his feet

all that we have and all that we are,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Ramsgate Food Bank: For the latest information on donating to Ramsgate food bank or if you know someone who needs help, then check out the Ramsgate Churches Together website.

Easter Pictures: Many thanks to all those children who did pictures for our Easter service. I hope to include them all in Sunday's service and to put them on the website at some point over the weekend

Check out this great video reflecting on the meaning of Good Friday and Easter with words of scripture and other reflections:

See you online on Sunday!

Yours in Christ,

Paul.