A dear friend of mine describes the early years with babies and small children as “the parched desert of early parenting”. It’s a rich, beautiful time, to be sure, but those are also years where reading The Jesus Storybook Bible may be as close as a parent gets to a devotional. 
When getting up before the kids is impossible and bedtime signals the expiry of self-discipline, many of us find ourselves clinging to illustrations and words about a “never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love”. They’re all we have that just about convince us of the prayers we say over the tiny people we’re tucking in. This isn’t a post about improving your quiet time routine. 

The idea of finding ourselves in the wilderness (and the wilderness has many ways of finding us - the baby haze is just one of them) denotes a stripping away of the familiar and safe. We may feel disoriented, anxious and alone. We may grieve a time when we didn’t feel this way. And we may discover that God is still here. 

God is here when the things we thought we needed in order to assure God’s presence are stripped away. Laid bare, we may discover that we no longer have the time and energy to put up with religious nonsense. 

That can propel us to make decisions that are a bit radical. Maybe we decide that we’re no longer happy to remain silent in the face of injustice when it calls itself love. We might accept that we don’t “do” small talk anymore when what we really want is to communally connect with a God willing to touch every part of us and to put us in touch with every part of ourselves. 

When I became a mother, I spent a long time beating myself up for not reading the Bible more, praying more, going to small group more and generally serving the church more. The truth was, I was tired and my baby needed me so much, and I needed to melt into that for a while. I thought the doubts that were starting to surface were because I wasn’t doing the things I “should” rather than because a major life change was gifting me the space to question. I regarded doubt with alarm. She was an unwelcome visitor, best banished with repentance. 

Gradually, I began to realise that I was afraid of asking too many questions of The Church because of the way I imagined God. The God I saw didn’t have time for my uncertainty. He was impatient, authoritarian and, above all, emotionally distant. I knew what we read and sang about Him but I couldn’t shake this image. However many times I heard that He loved me, it couldn’t touch me.

Then, in the parched desert of early parenting, something in me cracked and allowed love to rush in. Surely God was a mother nursing me at Her breast, allowing me to latch on in ways lay Her vulnerable, that brought me close enough that we could feel each other’s hearts, skin to skin. If I loved my children by listening to them, surely She did the same. Feeling nurtured by God, and therefore newly safe with God, made me realise that the questions were there because I needed to have better conversations about God. 

So many of us find this in the desert, whatever takes us out there. We reach a point where we’re no longer satisfied with exhortations to forgive that go ahead of acknowledging trauma. We lose patience with talk of God’s healing in communities that aren’t equipped or interested in spending time with suffering. The idea of prayer feels shaky without the tools for discovering where the noise is and for taking apart our addictive reliance on people, roles and possessions. 
​
In short, we yearn for conversations about God that go deeper and wider - to together touch something real. And that’s because God is so willing. The Divine heart is pressed against our battered little hearts, explaining gently but firmly that if that’s what we want, we’ll only get there if our conversations include everyone. 
____________
This blog was written by Adele Jarrett-Kerr. Adele and her family attend All Saints, she is a writer, home educator, breastfeeding counsellor, feminist, and Christian. Her frequently updated blog is a great source of support to families thinking about home-schooling, and also a place where ideas are shared for simply encouraging family well-being. You may also like to take a look at soulfarm.co.uk which is Adele and Lawrence's community supported farm that helps growers and the community work in partnership to develop sustainable local agriculture.

Pilgrimage – still relevant?
 
Over the last eighteenth months, I have been walking the Cornish Celtic Way as a pilgrimage, in 22 stages. The ‘Way’ is a walk of about 128 miles starting in St Germans and finishing on St Michael’s Mount, wrapping its way around Cornwall and taking in much of the Celtic heritage of Cornwall. I walked the ‘Way’ in sections accompanied by two very close friends, and it was a really special experience.
Special because walking in this way – an outward journey with an inner purpose – somehow connects us with something ‘other’. 

Pilgrimages first came to the fore in the Middle Ages when they were a widespread and accepted part of spiritual life, be it for seeking healing, deepening relationship with God, or as a penitential journey. The impulse to go on a pilgrimage has never really gone away but it is definitely enjoying a resurgence at this time in Britain and Europe. Record numbers are visiting Walsingham in Norfolk and undertaking the ‘Camino’ – a long pilgrimage route to the shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela. The ‘Camino’ has many routes to the same destination, with one starting in Cornwall!  

Today people walk for many different reasons. Perhaps a change in their life direction or relationships; or perhaps to mark a special birthday, retirement, or other occasion for giving thanks. It provides the opportunity to step aside of the busyness of our lives, to seek a time of quiet and reflection. It gives us the chance to ‘walk through’ those issues that we have on our minds, whatever they might be.
Along the Cornish Celtic Way, the scenery is stunning, the going sometimes easy and sometimes strenuous, but the impact of doing this walk is somehow more than the sum of its constituent parts. Perhaps of particular significance on the Cornish Celtic Way is that it allows us to reconnect with our cultural heritage and the natural world. The beauty of the ever-changing landscapes throughout the walk is breath-taking and certainly feeds the soul. But equally the reminders of, and encounters with, some 90 Celtic Saints, in the form Celtic crosses, chapels, holy wells, and the names of very many villages make their impact too.  Reflecting on how much we owe to those who brought Christianity to this beautiful part of the world helps us connect with the long Christian history here in Cornwall.

Walking with others adds a different dimension to pilgrimage. Of course, there are times – particularly when struggling one of the many ‘ascents and descents’ one encounters – when the walker is living in their own head, with their own thoughts and reflections. However, at other times when the going is easier or when one stops to catch breath or for refreshment then conversations and sharing can happen. Sharing such an experience can deepen friendship, and it also always adds to one’s own pleasure to share those breath-taking views or the beauty and peace of a chapel.
 
Another really special part of this walk is the experiencing of hospitality and welcome offered by many of the churches and chapels along the route. On a really hot day with many fairly arduous miles behind us there is nothing better than to enter a cool church to be welcomed by the offer of cool water or squash and a biscuit; or, to be provided with a place to shelter from the rain for a while. We met so many interesting people along the way, shared experiences and tips, were helped when we had inadvertently strayed from the correct path, and given encouragement. I found parts of Cornwall that I didn’t know at all and probably would have never found had I not been doing this walk.  

As I walked, I reflected on the fact that Jesus and his disciples walked everywhere they went. They too would have experienced the pleasure of sharing a journey, of being offered hospitality, of having time to think, reflect and talk together. They too perhaps struggled when the way was arduous, or when the heat became intense. They too would have known the joy of a cool drink of water from a well. Their journeys always had a purpose, they were driven by a desire to bring a message to God’s people but I believe these journeys were probably essential times, times of preparation and teaching, of working things out and time to think. And, of course, we know the significance of the walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus for two of Jesus’ disciples who encountered the risen Jesus on that walk (Luke 24:13- 35).
​
 Defining pilgrimage as an outward journey with an inner purpose seems to exactly how I have experienced my own experience of walking the Cornish Celtic Way. Stepping away from daily life intentionally and taking myself away into some beautiful but sometimes isolated places, combined with exercise and exploring Celtic Christianity strengthened my faith and inspired me. It felt a special, set-aside time for God during a time of transition as I reflected on my journey towards ordination. For me, the psalmists sum up the essence of walking this pilgrimage – “You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11), and, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me” (Psalm 25:4).
 
 

The news of the last few weeks has been full of examples of different public opinions clashing. We have been reminded of the protests in Tiananmen Square with the haunting images of that sole protestor walking defiantly in front of the rolling tanks, something now silenced and erased from China’s history and its’ people’s memory, but still very much remembered across the rest of the world. A brave yet costly stand against communism and a fight for the rights of ordinary people brutally crushed! Here at home, we have seen antisemitism raise its ugly head once again with careless words going global because the person who said them thought it was off the record! Views on Brexit remain as polarised as ever, and party politics remain personal often reflecting behaviour of the school playground. The visit by Donald Trump has sparked very diverse responses to both the individual and the office that he holds and there are challenges over differences on China and climate change which are counterbalanced by the role of the allies in the D Day Landings. And now we have entered a leadership contest where respect and dignity are in short supply.
Everywhere we look, whether on the global stage, in domestic politics, in our pluralistic society with all its diverse heritages and cultures, religion, we find a spectrum of opinion which creates a rich tapestry of what it means to be human. However, what we appear to be in danger of losing is the valuing and embracing of such a wealth of conflicting ideas, beliefs, traditions and voices which can be the seed bed for real creativity.  We only need to watch Question Time to see how people talk over one another, take delight in putting down others, project their view as the only possibility, get their point across by being the loudest voice and become personal and belittling in their comments.
Some-how we seem to have lost sight of the fact that there is a great nobility in accepting and respecting that which is different. Statesmanship appears to be a dying art. Being able to  freely express points of view courteously, to listen attentively as well as to speak passionately, to consider that the other may, in fact, be right and have something of real value to add to the debate or discussion, to have sufficient humility to concede that our own views may be flawed or that there is a better way of doing something takes far more skill and discernment and affords far more respect than entrenchment that must win out at all costs. Focussing on what is right and true should take precedence over partisan lines but above all honouring the other as a fellow human being no matter what their opinion, might just make way for mutual consensus and accountability and it may just ease the road to compromise  and the greater good. The deeper we regard one another as fellow human beings, and dare I say it, even friends, and the greater the respect we foster for one another the higher the expectations we have of each other become. We learn to see beyond the opposing opinion, to the story that informs it, and the experience that shapes it. The more we see, learn and understand others’ opinions, the more we grow and the greater and more encompassing our vision becomes.
 Jesus spoke a lot about what it means to be a good neighbour, about caring for the weak, the marginalised, the foreigner and he gave a us a pretty challenging commandment to love each other as He loves us. In this Easter resurrection and ascension tide we think about His kingdom and its values where the ultimate outcome and agenda is already set by Christ Himself, and where all have an equal standing. In this kingdom childlike squabbling has no place and diversity in all its wonder is cherished. Whilst paramount to this kingdom is social justice, in the acceptance of difference comes unity. Perhaps it is only when we accept that we are all different, and that we truly begin to value and appreciate our uniqueness and treasure our diversity that we will begin to discover the wonder of unity, the strength of wholeness and the creativity of completeness.

Note to reader. I included this story in an article I wrote for the Contact Magazine back in 2017, and on here for an Advent reflection in 2016. I like it because it helps me understand the love that inspired the Incarnation, and why we should celebrate Christmas. I know… its June… just bear with me.

A grandfather found his grandson, jumping up and down in his playpen, crying at the top of his voice. When Johnnie saw his grandfather, he reached up his little chubby hands and said, “Out, Gramp, out.” It was only natural for the Grandfather to reach down to lift the little fellow out of his predicament; but as he did, the mother of the child stepped up and said, “No, Johnnie, you are being punished, so you must stay in.” The grandfather was at a loss to know what to do. The child’s tears and chubby hands reached deep into his heart, but the mother’s firmness in correcting her son for misbehaviour must not be lightly taken. Here was a problem of love versus law, but love found a way. The grandfather could not take the youngster out of the playpen, so he crawled in with him.

The only problem with this story is that it is unfinished. At some point the grandfather must leave the playpen, and Johnnie must grow up, learn from his mistakes and move on. So, you’ll be pleased to know I’m not 6 months behind, I’m not calling for a second Christmas to be added to our calendars, no matter how much I love the Australian tradition of a good BBQ on Christmas Day. Instead I’m suggesting we make more of the Ascension of Jesus in our lives. 

The Church marks and celebrates the Ascension this year on the 30th May. We do so to remind ourselves that Jesus is indeed still with us, whilst knowing that it is now our task to mature in faith, and to take our role as Christians in the world seriously.
I agree that Ascension Day is an obscure Christian holiday. It celebrates an event that is difficult for the modern scientific mind to take literally, and the truth that Jesus ascended to heaven when he could have stayed, is quite unhelpful to Christians more generally. I mean let’s be honest – if the resurrected Jesus was still with us in person, spreading the Gospel would be a whole lot easier. He’d be very popular on YouTube for a start. Jesus ascending into heaven was like our best player being substituted off the pitch in extra-time, at the very moment we needed him the most. 
Despite this, we declare in church that the Ascension is central to our faith. 
​
We publicly state it every week in our creed. Why? Well, its because we know we must grow in our faith, grow in life, remain dependent on the love of God in Jesus but free to exercise our faith in the world. Here are three reasons why should keep the Ascension high up in our lives.

The Ascension is a call to worship.
In Acts 1:9 it says that Jesus was ‘lifted up’, he didn’t get taken up on some divine hoist, or sky elevator. He was lifted up. The first thing to note here is that the original Greek text conveys an earthly perspective not a heavenly one. It literally means the world ‘lifted’ Jesus toward his Father, which conveys the ascension as a moment of glory. The Ascension is therefore a call to worship. When we meet in church and remember the Ascension, we lift Jesus to his rightful place as having authority in our lives.

The Ascension is a reminder that it is good for us that Jesus returned to the Father. One way of seeing the Ascension is like it’s Christmas in reverse. God comes down to be with us, and then God returns, to remain in us.  Teresa of Avila writes, ‘Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ is to look out on a hurting world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless now.

The Ascension was the moment the Church became the Church. One of the many privileges of being vicar of All Saints Highertown is my seeing all the amazing people that are involved in community run projects, such as resident’s associations, community choirs, and the many support groups that use the church. I am proud that they are part of our life, and that the body of Christ is rich and varied. And this is the point. The Church is not a community organisation, it is not an institution, it is not a religion. The Church was always meant to be body of Christ, the person of Jesus to the rest of the world. In so many ways we have lost our way, but there are equally ways in which we have lived out this identity with all we can offer. And so here is the task we are reminded of on Ascension Day. Our greatest task of all is to be what we are meant to be. To be like Him who saved us. 

​Revd Jeremy Putnam

This week's blog is written by Adele Jarrett-Kerr. Adele is a writer, home educator, breastfeeding counsellor, feminist, and Christian. Her frequently updated blog (link below) is a great source of support to families thinking about home-schooling, and also place where ideas are shared for simply encouraging family well-being. You may also like to take a look at soulfarm.co.uk which is Adele and Lawrence's community supported farm that helps growers and the community work in partnership to develop sustainable local agriculture.
​https://beautifultribe.co.uk/how-do-we-share-our-faith-with-our-children-respectfully/

​Here at the grand crescendo of the Christian calendar, Easter, I thought I’d talk about how we communicate our spiritual beliefs, and perhaps our religious traditions, in ways that respect our children’s autonomy.
​
In the past, when I’ve mentioned that we read Bible stories or that we go to church, I’ve been asked by various people whether I was worried about indoctrination. If you’re one of those people, this post truly isn’t aimed at you and there have been quite of few of you. If I bristled when you asked, it was because you touched a nerve.
I’ve been on a real journey with this. There are many things we did in times past that we wouldn’t feel comfortable doing now. Both our faith and our parenting have evolved and in a sense, now the time is right for me to share what we’re trying to do because I feel at peace.

Encourage them to ask questions
Curiosity is powerfully wired into us. It can drive us to seek out the beautiful, the divine. It motivates us to listen to people who are different from us. It is energetic, creative and always in motion.
And children are naturally curious. They have questions about everything. We honour their questions by listening to them and actually grappling with them. Consider whether a prepackaged answer is designed for the adult’s convenience and whether it simply makes you feel safer.
Welcome their questions. Allow them to arrive at answers you don’t agree with. Nothing is too sacred to question.

Ask your own questions
When you read or hear something together that doesn’t sit right with you, take time to say so and explain why. Ask them what they think. This is how we model critical thinking. It can be done in an age appropriate way.

Consider “when”
If you think your child isn’t yet able to look at a story or a concept this way, perhaps it’s worth saving it until they’re older. I wound up having to pass on a “child-friendly” translation of the Bible I’d bought my eldest because it dangerously oversimplified some very complex theological ideas and, looking through it, I realised that so much of the Bible is not age appropriate. Here I feel the respectful choice is to wait until she asks for it.

Don’t pretend you have it all worked out
It’s OK to say that you don’t know. You don’t have to hold all the answers to provide security. In demonstrating gaps in your own understanding, you admit that you and your child are on an even playing field rather than setting yourself up as the authority. If they’re in a space where they need more certainty, offer to help them find answers that they find satisfying.

Let them see your spiritual practice
The gentlest and most effective way to communicate what we believe is to simply live it. This might mean actively finding ways to help others. It may look like speaking intentionally about our choices. Taking time for silence and contemplation and allowing this to transform us speaks louder than any “shoulds” we choose to share.

Be inclusive in your choices
Read books with diverse protagonists. Veer away from a white Jesus. Having grown up as a person of colour with almost exclusively white Christian imagery, my perception of what was holy always came in lighter shades. Everyone benefits from seeing diversity early on so we can see where we all fit in God’s story. A favourite in our house is Matthew Paul Turner’s When God Made You.
I also think it’s time to consider moving beyond gender in our pronouns for God. My children understand that God is not a man. They’re comfortable with saying “He” or “Him” but they’re not phased by me saying “She” or “Her” or simply using no pronouns at all (“God calls us to God’s self”). I realise that this may be challenging for some but, if it is, perhaps it’s worth asking why? Many of us would say that of course God is beyond gender but if so, why then only use male pronouns? Is there something about the way this imagery has impacted our core beliefs about masculinity and femininity?

Recognise other beliefs
Whether other religions come up in our history lessons or we rub up against different world views in our friendships, we aim to always talk about what others believe, wanting to avoid demonising the other person for seeing it differently. For us, this is a natural outworking of where we are with our own way of seeing. We want to remain open-hearted in our stance, ready to learn from others and seeking to understand where they’re coming from.
We don’t always get any of this stuff right and I hope that if our kids look back and find we were off the mark that they’ll feel able to tell us so. If they do, that’s a perspective we’ll need to learn to be open to as well.

As we continue to celebrate this season of Easter, we are reminded about the promises of renewal and daily resurrection. New life can come out of death, hope out of darkness and joy out of despair. Recreation becomes a theme across all of life and reordering priorities and values feels appropriate.
We have recently been redecorating in our house and in order to do so we have packed everything into boxes in order to clear the room to paint and lay new carpet. This is not an enviable task and I have been amazed at just how much clutter we have hoarded, indeed like many, we still have packed boxes in the garage from when we first moved in over seven years ago! I realised that we have so much storage space to accommodate stuff we never use, stuff that hasn’t seen the light of day for years, stuff that we are unlikely to use again but which may be needed by others, or could be remade into something with new life. I have discovered five clocks, family heirlooms, none of which work! So, it has been time to sort out all the things clogging up the cupboards and repair, donate, recycle or reuse. I have images in my mind of the recent flood victims in Africa huddled on strips of land in makeshift shelters, their only possessions those they could carry on their backs. What a contradiction!!
 I am so glad that there are movements afoot here in Cornwall to become more aware of how much of a throw away society we have become. I was excited to learn of the new repair café that is to be trialled here at All Saints Church organised by Lindsey Southcombe the former City Mayor, on 22nd June. The idea is that people can bring items in need of repair to a group of skilled volunteers and get them fixed over a cup of coffee for a small donation. I am pleased to be part of this new initiative and look forward to not only doing sewing repairs but also to teaching people how to do simple sewing tasks, giving them the skills to repair and upcycle for themselves. The Monday craft group at All Saints are also exploring how we can recycle garments and curtains etc. to recreate craft items to sell in aid of the Church 10/10 Life House project. One of our team has been recycling pyjamas covered in winter penguins into Christmas tree decorations. Others are using scraps of fabric to make dolls clothes and a team of knitters are using up all the odd bits of knitting wool they can find to make hats, toys, blankets and even key rings!
 Likewise, we are looking forward to sharing in the Green Truro event later in the summer where we will have a stall again teaching people how to sew, repair, renovate and upcycle clothing and household items to give them a new lease of life.   I hope that this is the beginning of a major culture shift. I think we are moving away from the stigma of ‘second hand’ clothing and embracing the concept of re-using, recycling and upcycling. Charity shops and clothing banks are brilliant ways of encouraging us to value the surplus things we no longer need, but wouldn’t it be great if we could all be more creative with the stuff that we are so ready to give away. The opportunities for creativity and renewal are endless.

(Mary Magdalene's experience of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Resurrection experience combining John 20:2-18 and Luke 24:1-12)
​
I’ve been hanging out with a guy who I thought the world of. He’s no ordinary guy, people love him, he has this way about him that attracts normal people like you and me.

You see I’ve not lived the best of lives, I’ve done things wrong, I was pretty well off coming from a fishing village but at one point I was really troubled with bad spirits. They messed with my head and made me think bad things and do bad things. Not many people wanted to be near me but this guy

This guy....

This guy he was different...

He healed me. 

My mind and my body and I became better again.

So I followed him, I invested in him, time and money along with my friends Joanna and Susanna

We went with him wherever he went and we saw amazing things.

He didn’t just heal me, he healed so many people, I saw blind men see again, this man who was lowered into a house on a makeshift bed as there were so many people around they couldn’t bring him in the door. He couldn’t move got up but this guy told him to get up and then he started walking about. 
It was like having on the ancient prophets with us, but even better. 

He even brought people back to life, this little girl, a young man and my new friend Lazarus. 

We thought he was he messiah we’d all been waiting for.

We thought he’d come to overthrow the Romans, be our warrior but he was different. 

We loved him but the priest and leaders of the temple weren’t so enamoured with him.

They didn’t think some guy from Nazareth could be God’s son so when that’s who he said he was they were not too happy. 

Plus, he did things they REALLY didn’t like, it was bad enough when he started doing things on the Sabbath, like healing people, I mean what can be more important, healing people or observing the Sabbath. 
Well the priests had their opinion that’s for sure…

But then he started telling people their sins were forgiven…
Talk about taking their job from them… 

Plus, he started getting lots of followers and it threatened their ‘jobs’ so they started plotting to kill him. 

They started by trying to catch him out with tricky questions but I’ve never seen anyone be able to answer questions like him.

But then not long ago when he came into Jerusalem he came on a donkey and the people went crazy, treating him like a crusader, a warrior, someone come to save us from the Romans. He knew what he was doing but I think that was the last straw for the Jewish leaders…

And the unthinkable happened. 

They got to one of our friends. 

It was the best way to actually catch him as up until now they never managed it. He always slipped out of their grasp… To many people around who loved him to protect him.
They needed to get him when there weren’t so many people around…

They got to Judas. 

He was a good guy but never really got away from the pull of money. He used to look after the money for us so they offered him money to betray him and one night he did.

This guy was being weird the few days before.
It’s like he knew what was going to happen.

He started talking about dying and how he was going to be betrayed but we didn’t believe him. 
We didn’t want to believe him.

To us he was Gods son, our messiah. 

And lots of people thought so too.

But Judas did betray him, over the time of the Passover of all times, he told the roman guards where they could find him and with all things a kiss he showed them who he was. 

And they took him away.

That’s when people starting walking away and disappearing.

The next few hours got tough…

Our friend Peter denied him. I mean Peter! He was right there during EVERYTHING. Even this time when he went up a hill and they said Elijah and Moses appeared. You don’t get closer than that…
But while this guy was being questioned the people outside recognised Peter but he denied even knowing him.

He said that would happen too. 
I mean who knows the future?

But then it all went totally pear shaped.

He went from Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate.

They both found nothing to charge him with, but in that short time the leaders and priests managed to rile up the crowd who had to gathered.

I don’t know how it happened, it makes no sense, but before we knew it they were calling for him to be put to death.

Pilate said no and tried to appease them by flogging him.

It was awful, we couldn’t leave him, but it was horrific to watch and they seemed to enjoy every moment.

These people who days before were cheering for him. From Hosanna to Death in days.
What was going on. It was all going wrong. This man I’d invested my life in. 
It was going, just so badly.

But the flogging wasn’t enough.

Death, Death, Crucify, Crucify.

And they got their way.

He was exhausted, they had kept him up all night, questioning him, flogging him, mocking him.

Then they made him carry his own cross, and not just to outside the city on the road, they took him to a hill where everyone would see him. 
And to make the point that they thought he was a guilty they crucified two criminals with him.

It was the worst day of my life.

This man who I gave up my life for, I saw him struggle and die.

As he took his last breath he said ‘it is finished’

For us it was.
I felt my heart break
I fell to the floor
I felt physical pain throughout my whole body.
We managed to get the Romans to agree to let us take his body down so he was not hanging on the Sabbath and we laid him in a tomb which was given to us and rolled a stone in front of it.

Those of us that were left, we went into hiding but we had to go back, he was laid in a hurry before the Sabbath so me and some of the other women prepared the embalming spices and took them to the tomb.

The men didn’t come, I think they were too scared but we knew it needed to be done. 
He might not have been who we thought he was, as how could the son of God, the messiah, have died? How could he have left us?
But at the very least he was our friend and he deserved to be treated as we would anyone else.

It was the right thing to do.

Summoning up all our strength and courage we went, knowing the Romans and the Temple Elders were still on the lookout for his followers.

As we got near I knew something was wrong, there was a sense in the air and from a distance I could already see the stone was rolled away, but how? Why?

Could this get any worse?

We ran to the tomb and looked inside and the body was gone?

But the tomb was not completely empty, the cloth we wrapped his broken body in was there, neatly folded. Surely if someone had stolen his body they would take the cloth? Who would want to carry a naked dead body through the city? And even if they did who would take the time to fold the cloth and lay it so neatly with the smaller amount we carefully wrapped his head in at the top?
But there was something else in that tomb though, two bright figures, dressed in shining, dazzling white, 

They scared the life out of me and were so bright I couldn’t even look at them.

Then they spoke. Their words made me jump.

They told us he had risen from the dead.
I remembered how he brought Lazarus back and my heart began to lift, could it be possible?

Who could raise themselves?

But these figures told us to remember all he had told us before.

Those words came back like a crashing flood. All those times he said the Son of Man must die, the Son of Man will be handed over, the Son of Man will rise again.

The Son of Man will rise again, on the third day.
Friday, day one, Saturday day two...
Sunday… Could it be?

The other women they ran home, but my heart and mind were buzzing, so many thoughts so many fears, wishing it to be true but I saw him die, I saw his body broken and now his body wasn’t even there.

When the girl rose we saw the body wake up, same with the young man.

But his body, where was he?

I needed time, I needed space. So, I wandered the garden where the tomb was.
Eyes, fuzzy with tears and confusion I saw a man. I asked him if he knew. If he knew where this man was.

He said one word to me. 
‘Mary’

My heart flooded with joy. My friend, my saviour, my messiah. 

It was true, he was alive. 

This guy… this guy.

Jesus was this guy. THE GUY!

THIS GUY, THE GUY, JESUS!

He WAS and IS the son of God, and what he had said would happen had happened.

He came to this earth, born just like you and me, saw life in its rawness, felt it, touched it, lived it…
Then went to the cross, not for what he had done, but for what I had done.
He forgave my sins, he forgave many sins but we all knew sin needed sacrifice which hadn’t been made, but he was that sacrifice…

A sacrifice once and for all. 

He told me to go and spread the good news, the news that he was alive and risen from the dead.

To begin with the others didn’t believe what I and the other women had told them, 

Some of them ran to the tomb themselves, that was good enough along with that we told them.

For others, they were still a bit sceptical but then the impossible happened.

He appeared to us, in a locked room. Then disappeared.
Then he appeared again, then to hundreds.

Our Lord and Our saviour, IS alive.

He died and is alive.

Life has changed forever.

He changed my life, he healed me and many others.

He’s not here on this earth now in bodily form, but he sent his spirit of love and truth and grace and mercy so you can share in him too.

I’ve never known anyone who gives without expecting much back. But he does.

He just wants you to know he loves you. That’s all he ever wanted. 

And when you know that, when he touches your heart you change.

Don’t ask me how it works, I don’t know. It just pure deep love that changes you from within.

He died on that cross so we can all have it.

This guy, THE GUY, Jesus.

He loves you SO much.

Uncertainty is something we can all relate to, but living well includes the acceptance that we live momentarily. Not just in the sense that life can feel fleeting, but in the sense that all we ever really know for sure is what we experience now, in the moment. Yesterday is a memory that begins to change from the moment it ends, and tomorrow is only ever imagined and hoped for. This moment, the one we live in now, the one that includes you reading this, is all we ever experience. This moment is life, the rest is uncertain, so live it. 

Uncertainty is the experience of realising that tomorrow will be different from today, and we have no way of knowing how different it will be.

Sadly, in the last few years the word ‘uncertainty’ has been synonymous  with Britain’s proposed exit from EU. The question over how much ‘uncertainty’ continues to impact the UK economy has been reported in the news on an almost daily basis. Journalists, politicians, business leaders, financial advisors, professors, and local government leaders have all had their say over what it will mean. Despite their collective wisdom we are still left with… yes you guessed it, uncertainty. What will it mean? How will it affect us? What will it do to the economy, how will it affect our relationship with the other EU states, what will it create, or what will it destroy in the UK? So many questions. It seems the only thing we can be certain of is that it will definitely be different.

In medieval times cartographers used to write the words ‘beyond ‘ere be dragons’ at the edge of their maps denoting the threshold of unexplored lands and seas. Its effect was to ward off travellers and seafarers from the unknown. Don’t go there! 

You may, like me, wish we had never even considered leaving the EU in the first place. Nevertheless, the fact remains, there is still a great deal of uncertainty. 

You might be surprised to hear that for Christians this social anxiety about the future is not felt any less than it would do for anyone else. If anything, the concern is felt more acutely, since the Christian duty is to care more intently for the wellbeing of people and the common good. Christians care about the same things as others do, especially when it comes to things like Brexit. Christians worry about the same things, fear the same things, get angry about the same things, and celebrate the same things as most other people. 

However, there is a profound and important difference. Christians have a special ‘hope’ that shapes how we respond to uncertainty. Not knowing what tomorrow will bring is a necessary part of the Christian life. Christians aren’t any more certain about what tomorrow looks like than anyone else. But Christians do find their hope in the one that is. Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Christian hope originates in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is profoundly life changing for anyone who accepts him. But faith in Jesus, and our commitment to follow him doesn’t mean that we can kick back and enjoy the ride and not care about tomorrow. In fact, it is quite the opposite. 

It is because of what Jesus has done for us that we find we can’t sit back. On the contrary, we are compelled to step out in faith, to go out in to the world in order to see it transformed. 

Christians have a special ‘hope’ that shapes how we respond to the  concerns of today and tomorrow. By reading the bible we are reminded that the author of time, who became human, who was born of Mary in Bethlehem, is with us. And because of this, no matter what we face in life we do not face it alone (Matthew 28:20 – Jesus saying “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."). One of the greatest and most important truths of the Christian faith is written in the letter to the Romans by the Apostle Paul, (Romans 8:38-39) "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We might want to add nor ‘leave’ nor ‘remain’ can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The truth that nothing can separate us from the love of God is at heart of our Christian hope, and it is what energises the Church to keep on. So, in this season of uncertainty I want to encourage you to consider Jesus and the hope that comes from knowing him. I want to encourage you to believe wholeheartedly that our heavenly Father, who can see everything about tomorrow, and the next, will always love you and will always be with you. 

Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
​
May the blessing of God be with you this month and always.
Revd Jeremy Putnam

Today Friday March 15th young people all over the UK and here in Truro will walk out of their schools to protest about the woeful lack of action on climate change. The protests have been controversial but these young people will bear the brunt of the coming climate change and rightly see it as a catastrophic problem that is worth missing school in order to try and effect political change to avert disaster. It can be difficult for those of an older generation who have known the environment as stable and still with plenty of resources to take seriously the risk we face today. As Christians however, we have a duty to protest when we see the world and political or other powers behaving in a way which threatens God’s creation and the well- being of others, particularly the poor who bear the brunt of climate change around the world.

Being followers of Jesus means that we should be working to bring the full reality of the Kingdom of God into being: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10. The Kingdom of God is not “of this world” meaning that it is not part of, or subject to, the political and cultural powers of any place or time but it is very much of the created world and God’s plan is for the care and redemption of the whole creation.

The Jewish religion honours the fragile created world, and the Old Testament speaks of the need for Sabbath and regular rests for the earth and the 50 year Jubilee, where land was rested: “but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. “ Leviticus 25:4-5.
​
There is actually a long history of Christian campaigning and care for the environment which has only become more muted in recent years, some would say because of a fear of association with “pagan” or “New Age” religion within the Green movement. However, abuse of God’s creation is a sin. God created the world and sustains it moment by moment, he loved it so much he became incarnate within it in the person of Jesus. Therefore it becomes a Christian duty to protest when this creation is under threat. As Pete Enns says:
“We are humans living here and now under systems of government, but we are also living in and trying to embody here and now our deeper “heavenly” citizenship. ….. I take it as non-negotiable that the Christian’s first allegiance is to God and God’s kingdom. Doing so is why we are “saved” in the first place—not to escape this world but to help transform it.”

For those who are looking to join in with today's protest it begins at 9am from Lemon Quay, Truro and travels to New County Hall at 1100 followed by: 
1200 Open letter read to government and a platform for youth to voice their concerns 
1230 Study session 
1300 Q&A with Sue James and hopefully other members of CCC
1400 End
Please make sure you have spoken to your school or college about your desire to join the march before attending it.