Fritz von Uhde. Der Gang nach Emmaus (1891)
Last Sunday I mentioned reading about an uproar in England, over the National Trust rebranding the Easter weekend event on its over 300 historic properties from ‘Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt’ to ‘Cadbury Egg Hunt’. Many Christians expressed dismay and even anger about dropping ‘Easter’.
Beyond wondering how Christian is the symbol of the ‘Easter egg’ itself, I was amused to read also that John Cadbury, the founder of Cadbury in 1824, was a Quaker. As a committed Quaker, John would probably have had little interest in the current uproar – he did not believe in ‘Easter’ himself, or any special Christian day for that matter, because he believed that every day is one on which to encounter and celebrate the Risen Lord!
At St. Andrew’s, we certainly not limit Easter to one Sunday. With many other Christian traditions, we will celebrate Easter as a season, lingering before the mystery and the joy of the Resurrection, continuing the celebration for 50 days all the way to Pentecost.
This Sunday we begin with the wonderful story of the two despairing disciples walking away from Calvary whose hearts and lives are renewed by a stranger who accompanies them (Luke 24: 13-35). The sermon title is taken T.S.Elliot, The Waste Land (lines 359-365)
Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
I do not know whether a man or a woman –
But who is that on the other side of you?
If you are in the area, have a look at the Order of Service, and join us. There is even a congregational pot luck afterwards, with always lots to share with visitors. There is ample parking on the streets around and in the public surface lot just behind the church off Queen Street. And during the service there is a nursery offered for children and a programme for children five and over.
