When the disciples witnessed the Crucifixion they thought that it was the end their world.  All their hopes for the future and what they thought Jesus would do were dashed to pieces.  For two days they were in the depths of despair wondering what on earth to make of the things they had witnessed.  Their Lord dying on a cross was not part of the plan.  What do they do now? 

What they hadn’t realised at the time was that God’s plans can be very different from our own and that he works in ways that we least expect.  This was certainly so of that first Easter.  The disciples were astonished at the news of the empty tomb but they soon came to realise that rather than things coming to an end, there was in fact a glorious new beginning taking place.  A beginning that would eventually take the message of the Gospel across the world.

In life we are surrounded by endings and beginnings.  We have a saying, “When one door closes, another one opens.”  And when doors close and open, when we look back we can see the hand of God at work, sometimes powerfully in our world. 

You will have read in last month’s magazine that Joy is going to retire at the beginning of December (Advent Sunday) this year.  She is not leaving us.  Joy will still be very much a part of the St. Mark’s community, but her formal ministry among us is ending.  We shall still see her “up-front” and doing some things, just as we do with most “retired” clergy!  But as one door closes, so to say, another one will be opening for us at St. Mark’s.

At the beginning of July we shall be welcoming a new Curate, Jonathan Smith, who will be training with us.  It’s a real excitement for me personally to be involved in the training another Curate.  We look forward to all that Jonathan and his family will bring us.  More details about Jonathan and his family will follow in another issue of The Voice, but in the meantime please put Sunday 1^st July in your diaries.  This is the date of Jonathan’s Ordination at Coventry Cathedral at 4.00pm, and it would be good for us to show our support for him as he begins his ministry by getting as many St. Mark’s folk there as possible.  So, another door opens and there is a new beginning.  

Endings and beginnings remind us that life is always moving on, that nothing really stays the same forever.  What is true of life in general is mirrored in our church life too.  That does not remain static, it too moves on and develops.  The death and Resurrection of Jesus show us that nothing stays the same and that God leads us on and brings us to the place he is leading us to in Jesus Christ; us his pilgrim people to our “Promised Land.” 

Wishing you all a holy and blessed Easter. 

Tim