The voice of Jesus

Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield, Sunday 26th April 2020

This was not the Sunday we had planned. Instead of an extended weekend in Belfast around our wedding anniversary, we have isolation in Huddersfield. Instead of this being a report of a church we have never attended before, it is a report of a virtual service from Holy Trinity. Instead of arriving at church a little hungover due to celebrating the night before we … yes, I was still a little hungover, just because we were at home didn’t mean we could not celebrate. We even dressed up for the occasion.

The service, on our YouTube page can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPo2r-Y0teg6_HHSvycr–w/playlists what follows are my impressions having watched it once and taken notes.

Resurrection is the theme of the sermon series, looking at people who met Jesus after the resurrection. Mary Magdalene was that person, her name meaning Mary from Magdala, in the same way as you could say Wayne from Warrington, said Wayne our Youth leader, who led this service. The sermon was by Bev and the parts that struck me are as follows: It is in two voices, that of Mary Magdalene and also of Bev’s own experiences.

She loved him. Not in a romantic way but with a love that went beyond. She owed so much to him. She was free. So she supported him in his journeys, watching as he preached and healed the sick. Then it started going wrong:

He was arrested. She wept and howled as they nailed him to that horrible cross and as they took his body down. All she was sure of was she loved him. She had one last thing to show her love at the tomb.

I had a Damascus Rd experience, said Bev, Really loving Jesus. Then a decision was made in the church which I disagreed with. I was in a state of shock anger and pain. Did God not love me? I was grief-stricken, Church became the last place I wanted to be.

We react differently in grief-stricken parts of our life.

Mary went to the tomb expecting to find a body to embalm and found the tomb was empty,  — who could have taken the body? 

Two men wearing white were there. “They’ve taken my Lord,” she told them, “And I don’t know where he is.” 

Another man asked why she was crying, “If you have taken him, tell me where he is.”

“Mary.” cane his reply. This was unbelievable truth. There he was, alive and speaking her name.

I was not pleased to see our Vicar come to see me. But he came in and prayed. He asked Jesus to come to see me. “Look up,” he said. I did, Jesus was there. I had really heard my name. Here was Jesus, saying kike he said to Mary, My father and your father my God and your >od

Many of us feel afraid, at this time of lockdown and coronavirus pandemic. Can we trust our leaders or trust in the science?

I was looking in the wrong place, Jesus is not in the grave. Jesus was right there beside me. The result was the same but different My response was to get out there and start a drama group. Mary is sent to tell the disciples what she has seen and heard. Her vision had been clouded but is filled with life and hope.

After my fresh encounter, I wanted to walk with an Easter bounce. We stop hearing the voice of Jesus, we do not see him for our pain. We need to practice listening to him.

Jesus knows us and he loves us. Say this prayer with me…

Jesus, you know us by name, how you love us. Help us to hear your voice.

-oOo-

You can contact Holy Trinity Church in several ways;

Website: https://www.holytrinityhuddersfield.com/
email: office@holytrinityhuddersfield.com
Facebook: HolyTrinityHuddersfield
Twitter: @holytrinityhudds
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