'Pulse X-tra', March 2010 - Chaplain's Chat

02/03/10

Chaplain’s Chat

As Mary and I were driving this morning, at the beginning of March, from our temporary home in the hill village of Kouramades to Holy Trinity in Corfu town, I was moved to comment to Mary what a wonderful sight was unfolding as the Spring flowers begin to blossom. The olive groves are already carpeted with big daisies and other more exotic flowers which I cannot yet identify in all cases. The days are progressively more sunny and we are no longer taking cover from the frequent torrential downpours of Winter.

Ironically, just as the Spring flowers are adding colour to our lives, Lent is upon us and the tradition in some churches is that all colour is removed from the church and in particular flowers may no longer decorate God’s house. Some, entering Holy Trinity, might be surprised that our church remains colourful even at this penitential time of year. Phoebe and others continue to bless Holy Trinity with wonderful floral decorations, making use of the plentiful supply of Spring blooms. Are we being contrary in ignoring the tradition followed by some? No, this is a conscious decision which is in keeping with our purpose of gathering for worship Sunday by Sunday. It was the Roman Emperor Constantine who was responsible for changing the Christian day of worship from the Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday. His reasoning was that we should gather for worship on the day of resurrection – the day of the week when our Lord conquered sin and death and came back to offer us resurrectioin life. If we gather each Sunday to worship our Risen Lord then we have good reason to celebrate with gladness and what better symbol to use than the new life represented by the flowers of Spring.

We hope, this year, that our Mothering Sunday Service will be a particularly colourful occasion as the extended family of Holy Trinity come together to give God thanks for our Mums. Mothering Sunday falls on 14th March – the second Sunday of the month, and so we are moving the Family Service from the fourth to the second Sunday. We are planning that there will be something appropriate for all ages at this special celebration, and of course there will be a bunch of Spring flowers for every Mum in the church.

Nevertheless, we do need to recognize that Lent is a time of penitential preparation
for the annual celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning. Lent is a time
of taking stock of our lives. Traditionally Christians give up something for Lent, but
perhaps we should be more concerned about filling our lives with what we can be
doing for God. We all know that clearing a room of rubbish is a waste of time if we
then allow worse rubbish to accumulate afterwards. If we fill the room with
valuable items then there is no room for rubbish. This thought brings to mind Jesus’
words: Mat 12:43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid
places seeking rest and does not find it. Mat 12:44 Then it says, 'I will return to the
house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in
order. Mat 12:45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked
than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is
worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

Every time we celebrate the resurrection of Christ at a Communion Service we share
In the new life, the new covenant, that Jesus offers to us. We turn our backs on the
old life and embrace the new. Our celebration of Communion is in obedience to
Jesus’ instruction at the Last Supper, when in the company of His disciples, Luk
22:19 He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
"This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Luk 22:20 In the
same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant
in my blood, which is poured out for you.

The Last Supper was itself in obedience to the Jewish celebration of Passover and so our Communion Service grew from the Jewish tradition of Passover. We plan to celebrate a Christian Passover for the church family of Holy Trinity on Maundy Thursday evening. It is a celebratory and dramatic meal for all the family and we pray that it will illuminate, in a new way, our understanding of the Communion Service.

Their will be opportunity for the darkness of Good Friday to be meditated upon, from mid-day until 3.00 pm, and then the glory of the resurrection will be celebrated on Easter morning when there will be the choice of a Service at 9.00 or 10.30.

I hope that every member of Holy Trinity, young and old alike, will share in the unfolding drama, passion and glory of Easter.

May God bless you this Lent and Easter time

Yours in Christ

John Gulland