REV David Greenwood led the service on Easter Day (Sunday, April 9) when his theme was “Alleluia! Christ is Risen”.

Each Sunday in Lent the Lenten Cross had been decorated with items associated with the Easter story.

On Sunday items were taken away – transforming the Lenten Cross of suffering into the glory of new life in Christ.

Firstly, the bowl of water and towel were removed – remembering the homeless.

Then, the money bag was removed – remembering those who are enslaved. Next to be removed were the crown of thorns and the purple robe remembering those who are outcasts.

Then, the nails were removed – remembering those living with violence. Finally, the palm branch was removed, remembering those facing grief and loss.

The congregation then brought up flowers to decorate the cross, transforming it from death to life – turning it into a symbol of life, colour and hope of the resurrection.

The well-known reading from John 20 features three people.

The disciple whom Jesus loved arrived at the tomb first. We are not told his name, but some scholars think it could be John. We are told this disciple was present when Jesus was hung on the cross.

He looked into the empty tomb and immediately believed. This disciple had absolute and immediate faith.

Peter, the Rock, was the second person to arrive at the tomb. He was filled with grief and guilt, having denied Jesus three times and having run away too frightened to watch Jesus’s death on the cross. He tried to work out what had happened and was confused and would spend hours in debate trying to come to faith.

John Wesley once said: “Preach faith until you have it”. The third person was Mary Magdalene. She was there when Jesus died and

she went into the tomb and found two angels who gave her a strange message.

She saw a figure and assumed it was a gardener and only realised it was Jesus when He said: “Mary”.

Mary had experience of the risen Christ.

David spoke about Archbishop Anthony Bloom who in his youth was an atheist but who came to faith after experiencing the actual presence of Christ.

Jesus is alive in 2023 and we, too, can be transformed by the presence of God.David told a story of an American rag man who gave new rags for old.

He came across several people whose lives were changed by meeting him and he taking on their problems.

It was obvious that the rag man in the story is the risen Christ who transforms people’s lives. “Christ is alive and comes to bring good news to this and every age”.

David prayed that we can become Christ’s light in this town.

Bronwyn Nott