The Heart of the Matter

There’s a silly game which features on the teatime show on the radio station I listen to called ‘Bunch of 5’s.’ I sometimes hear it as I’m driving home. The contestants are given one minute to answer 5 random bunches of 5’s. It might be something like 5 things you would see at a sporting fixture, or 5 things that might feature at a barbecue, or 5 girls names beginning with S, or whatever. The presenter describes it as ‘the easiest, trickiest game on the radio’ and you hear contestants freezing at times in the quick-fire nature of the questions. The prize, if you manage to get 3 bunches of 5’s in the allocated time, is a Sara Cox show mug, and these are much sought after!

Maybe it’s the religious nerd bit of me, but I was fascinated to catch the quiz one day last week when the contestant was asked to name 5 things they associated with Easter. They came out with things like bonnets, eggs, chocolate, roast lamb and Easter cards. There was no religious reference whatsoever. Nothing about churches, crosses or Jesus, nothing about tombs, hope and resurrection.

On one level, it reminded me that there are lots of people in the world who are not religious. There are many who realise there are bank holidays or school holidays, but have no connection with the events that lie behind them. Many will welcome a few days off work, time with the family, perhaps a bit of warmer weather, but that is all Easter represents to them.

If you have grown up in an environment where church and faith are important, you will be conscious of traditions like fasting or giving up things for Lent. You will be aware that churches have special services and events connected with this time. There might be Holy Week services, Bible holiday clubs, pilgrimage walks, observing the stations of the cross, dawn or sunrise services, and other events depending on your particular denomination or tradition.

One of the things which interests me greatly is how do we bridge the gap between these two worlds? How do you invite those who have no knowledge of these events around Jesus’s death and resurrection to an event which explains them? It might be a service or a concert. It might be a film or a TV series, or a book or a course? How do you put yourself in the shoes of someone who knows nothing of these things when they seem to you to be among the most important things you know about?

And what if people actually come, how will they find it?

Holy Week services, being honest, are not the easiest of experiences for the uninitiated. They outline key events in the last week of Jesus’s life and reflect on their significance for us today. Services like Tenebrae, or the stripping of the altar show us what human beings are capable of in terms of how they tried and crucified Jesus on trumped up charges. Nothing is spared in terms of the detail of the mocking of Jesus, how he was beaten and nailed to a cross while two thieves hung on either side of him.

In our context, we have been thinking about discipleship and what it means to follow Jesus using his teaching in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 over the past 6 weeks and, in this Holy Week, we have invited diverse guests to share what following Jesus looks like for them in 2026.

I think they will be very different and very interesting to hear but, in reality, there will be many for whom this coming week will pass by like any other week.

If you do have some curiosity about these events, Holy Week and Easter take us to the very heart of the matter. Yes, some of it is very harrowing to think about, particularly the suffering and death of Jesus. Its difficult, also, to be reminded of our sinfulness, or the way our lives and behaviours turn away from God’s desires for us and for our best interests. We have an instinct or tendency to live independently of Him and that has created so much heartbreak in our personal lives, and on a bigger scale in terms of wars and conflicts.

Please know you would be welcome at any of our services and events and, if you are a person of faith reading this, why not invite a friend or neighbour to see why these things are important to you, or tell them as you share a coffee, Easter egg or even a roast lamb dinner with them!

The blog and podcast will be taking a break for a couple of weeks and, don’t forget, if you want to simply visit a church and sample the atmosphere, ours is open for prayer from 7am-7pm on Good Friday. There will be an art station at the back if you want to bring your children and have a few minutes peace while they colour or draw a picture or write a prayer.

Look forward to speaking again soon.

Much love to everyone,

Jono.

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