Holy Week Service Times and Message

Tuesday 30 March 7:30pm Psalms and Darkness

Thursday 1 April 7:30pm Maundy Thursday

Friday 2 April 9am Good Friday

Sunday 4 April 9am Easter Sunday – Note end of daylight savings

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

These simple words sum up the message of Easter.

In a world where death can seem to have the final word, Jesus lives. And because Jesus lives, human beings can live with hope – a hope that not even death can destroy.

For the last two millennia Christian people have been proclaiming the message of Easter. We have been making the claim that although Jesus died, his tomb is empty – and we have been inviting all people to test the historical evidence for this claim.

But more than this, for the last two millennia Christian people have been handing on the promise that God freely offers his mercy and forgiveness in Jesus. We have been inviting all people to share in the gifts that God has made available through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Christians today experience the power of the Easter message: as we receive the gift of forgiveness; as we trust that we our future is secure in God; as we grow in understanding that all people are important to God, we experience the joy and peace that comes from the fact that nothing - not even death - can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Our prayer this Easter is that God will bless all the people of Bendigo with peace as they relax and celebrate over these festive days.

God’s blessing to you all!

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 28 March - 10am

For all the complexities of life, some simple questions can help us gain insight into where we stand spiritually: Do we want God’s help, or not? Do we want forgiveness from God, or not? Do we want God to help us to live well, or are we doing just fine on our own? The way we answer such spiritual questions will show itself in the ways we think, speak, and act in our everyday lives.

This Sunday we will hear a reading from the Bible that talks about the help that God gives – especially the help that God gives in forgiving our sins and protecting us from the assaults of evil. As we think through what this means, we will consider how God frees us to welcome him into our lives, and to share his mercy and peace with others.

This Sunday we will meet at 10am for a service with Holy Communion. We will be celebrating baptisms, a first communion, and a welcome into membership as part of the service.

God’s blessing to you all,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 21 March - 9am

When we’ve hurt someone we love, sometimes saying ‘sorry’ doesn’t feel complete. Sometimes we want to show our apology with an action of generosity and devotion that assures the person we have hurt of our love and trust.

This Sunday we will be hearing about the generous act of devotion that a woman named Mary did for Jesus as he prepared to die on the cross. As we think through Mary’s action, we will consider how we too can show our devotion to God. We will also consider how God, in receiving us with love and generosity, frees us to be people who work at restoring relationships with people we have hurt.

Sunday 14 March - 10am

Some of the bitterest conflicts in life happen within families. It’s not uncommon to find, for example, two brothers who cannot be in each other’s company for more than a matter of minutes before a fight breaks out. Even at important occasions, such as weddings or funerals, we can feel tension as family members meet each other after years apart, and start up where the conflict last left off.

This week we will be hearing a parable that Jesus told about conflict within a family. As we think through the parable, we will consider how God softens our hearts by freely forgiving us, and welcoming us home. We will consider how God gives us the strength and the desire to be peacemakers in a world marked by conflict.

This week we will meet at 10am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

God bless you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 7 March - 9am

When we see or hear that disaster has struck other people, we can sometimes wonder if they have somehow deserved it. Even if young children are caught up in a disaster, we can still be tempted to think that they are suffering because they belong to a community that is blameworthy in some way.

This week we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that deals with the way we interpret the suffering of others. As we listen to Jesus’ teaching, we will consider how God is calling us not to judge others, but to turn away from our own wrong actions. We will also consider how we can place our trust in God’s forgiveness, and so have the strength to be merciful when others suffer.

This Sunday we will meet at 9am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am.

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor