E A S T E R 2 0 1 6

RISEN Vicar’s Blog

1

The phone rang. It was the BBC. The television! Now it’s not uncommon for local clergy to have the pad and pencil of a local reporter in front of them. When that happens I have an inner dialogue that kicks off where one voice is saying ‘don’t say something stupid, please don’t say something stupid!’ and the other voice is replying ‘he only ever says something stupid; oh, too late!’ Last weekend I was Graham Rogers’ guest in the studio for 30 minutes during the BBC Wiltshire breakfast programme. Yes, 30 minutes! For the first 20-30 seconds the Neill filter worked, and then after that, broadly, whatever came out, came out. So back to the man from the TV. He asked me what my Easter message was going to be. My answer was

2

pretty prompt: ‘that Christ is risen from the dead, stupid. ‘ Actually I didn’t say the word ‘stupid’ at the end of the sentence, but I thought it so loudly I was slightly concerned that he would have heard it down the phone. He didn’t. Which is good. I try to be nice at times. Most Easter Days I have the privilege of climbing up into the Abbey pulpit at our 10.30am Communion. And here’s the deal, if I ever, ever don’t mention that Christ is risen from the dead, form a queue and you can all slap me around the head after the service. Anyway, I pointed out gently to the journalist that for 2000 years the ending of the Holy Week story hasn’t changed. Jesus is alive. He appeared to his friends and followers. He walked on the

    A B B E Y D I A RY

EASTER DAY 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Family Celebration 6.30pm Choral Evensong

MIDWEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer WED 30th 10.30am Communion THURS 31st 10.30am Time for Chat FRI 1st 10.30am Creative

Response SAT 2nd 10am The Meeting Place

SUNDAY APRIL 3rd 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship (with

video etc. for children)

3

Emmaus Road and broke bread. He cooked a fish breakfast. He reinstated Peter to his ministry after his abject failure. And after 40 days he ascended in glory. 2 billion Christians worldwide are just about to reacquaint themselves with that narrative, which the church is bold enough to say is the reality that should shape the world. Malmesbury Abbey wasn’t built on the rocks and soil of Wiltshire, it was built on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We would all do well to take a similar approach. Alleluia. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

MIDWEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 4th 2pm Thanksgiving – Anne

Harrison WED 6th 10.30am Communion THURS 7th 10.30am Time for Chat FRI 8th 1pm Wedding SAT 9th 10am The Meeting Place 7.30pm Wessex Concert

Orchestra

LU K E 24:1 -12 Easter Day

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”’ 8 Then they remembered his words. 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. Additional Reading: Acts 10:34-43

J O H N 20:19 -31 April 3rd

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’ 24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ 28 Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29 Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ 30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Additional Reading: Acts 5:27-32

4 P M C H U R C H WA R D E N CLOSURES

B O O K S H O P D I R E C T O R S E A S T E R D AY

1 2 t h C E N T U R Y B E A U T Y 2 1 s t C E N T U R Y C H U R C H

Lesley Wilson has served wonderfully and faithfully as our Abbey 4pm Churchwarden for the last 4 years. She now feels it is the right time to step aside, so if you worship at 4pm and feel that sharing the oversight of a Christian community with Neill and the team might be what God is calling you to please contact Neill or our 10.30am churchwarden, Diana Crowe, for a chat in April.

Dan, Holly, Stella and the team are having a brief and well deserved Easter break after a very busy Holy Week. The Abbey Kitchen reopens on Tuesday 29th March as usual. The Parish Office will be closed on Monday March 28th and Friday April 1st.

Malmesbury Abbey Bookshop has a couple of vacancies for directors. If you have some understanding of business or Christian literature or tourism this might be a role that you could undertake. Abouut 3 or 4 brief meetings a year and the opportunity to support our great Bookshop staff and an important ministry to 60,000 tourists.

On Easter Day you might like to begin by putting your clock forward by an hour, if you haven’t already done it. Then join us for shouted Alleluias at 9am (BCP Holy Communion), 10.30am (Holy Communion), 4pm (Family Celebration) and 6.30pm (Choral Evensong). After a day of joyous celebration together many of us will gather at the Whole Hog at 8pm in the evening. All are very welcome.

P E R S E C U T E D C H U R C H GLORY !

PCC A B B E Y A R T S

1 2 t h C E N T U R Y B E A U T Y 2 1 s t C E N T U R Y C H U R C H

Join us as we pray for persecuted Christians on Tuesday 5 April at 2.30pm at Mollie's home. Come and support our Christian family who are struggling and suffering so much in their faith around the world.

Our next Glory! prayer meeting will be on Tuesday April 12th at 7.30pm. After a time of extended contemporary worship led by John Monaghan our focus in prayer will be the Global Church, using new material from Open Doors.

There are three vacancies to serve for three years on the Malmesbury Abbey Parochial Church Council. This is a very important body that works with the vicar and churchwardens to oversee the ministry and mission of the church, the maintenance of our property and our sound financial management. 6 Saturday mornings a year. Please speak to Neill or Diana after Easter if you might be interested in getting elected.

Becky Saunders, our Abbey Arts Manager, is looking to appoint a new Abbey Arts Administrator to work closely with her, Sandie and Neill. Initially one morning a week with the potential for development. Please speak to Becky or Neill if you think you might be interested.

NOTICEBOARD

The disciple chosen to lead, is in pieces.

P S A L M 6 6 : 1 -11

T O N Y N E V E

A P R I L D A I LY R E A D I N G S

BVM Psalm 40:5-11 Isaiah 7:10-14 Luke 1:26-38 April 5 Psalm 8 Exodus 15:22-16:10 Colossians 1:15-end April 6 Psalm 30 Exodus 16:11-end Colossians 2:1-15 April 7 Psalm 28 Exodus 17 Colossians 2:16-3:11 April 8 Psalm 61 Exodus 18:1-12 Colossians 3:12-4:1 April 9 Psalm 84 Exodus 18:13-end Colossians 4:2-end April 11 Psalm 96 Exodus 19 Luke 1:1-25 April 12 Psalm 98 Exodus 20:1-21 Luke 1:26-38 April 13 Psalm 105 Exodus 24 Luke 1:39-56 April 14 Psalm 136 Exodus 25:1-22 Luke 1:57-end April 15 Psalm 107 Exodus 28:1-4a, 29-38 Luke 2:1-20 April 16 Psalm 110 Exodus 29:1-9 Luke 2:21-40 April 18 Psalm 103 Exodus 32:1-14 Luke 2:41-end April 19 Psalm 139 Exodus 32:15-34 Luke 3:1-14 April 20 Psalm 135 Exodus 33 Luke 3:15-22 April 21 Psalm 118 Ex 34:1-10, 27-end Luke 4:1-13 April 22 Psalm 33 Exodus 35:20-36:7 Luke 4:14-30 George Psalm 5 Joshua 1:1-9 Ephesians 6:10-20 Mark Psalm 148 Isaiah 62:6-10 Acts 12:25-13:13 April 26 Psalm 19 Numbers 11:1-33 Luke 5:1-11 April 27 Psalm 30 Numbers 12 Luke 5:12-26 April 28 Psalm 57 Num 13:1-3, 17-end Luke 5:27-end April 29 Psalm 138 Numbers 14:1-25 Luke 6:1-11 April 30 Psalm 146 Numbers 14:262-end Luke 6:12-26