Dear Friends,

So, were you, like me, one of the 9.6 million viewers who tuned in last Sunday evening to watch the first episode of series 6 of ‘Line of Duty’? I have to admit that I’ve been hooked right from the very beginning: Superintendent Hastings (Ted), DI Fleming (Kate), & DS Arnott (Steve) – AC 12’S finest – they are family. Believe me, this show is ‘go to television’ & its on the BBC so no extra subscription needed. And if you are not yet a fan, then BBC iPlayer has all 5 previous series there for you to catch up…its worth it…Its often said that ‘the truth is stranger than fiction’. Well, I don’t know about ‘stranger’, but as we approach Holy Week, we are about to revisit an unfolding drama that is every bit as gripping as any TV Blockbuster. And it doesn’t lose its appeal even though we’ve shared in it on countless occasions. From the moment Jesus enters Jerusalem on what we know as ‘Palm Sunday’ to the sealing of the tomb on the evening of what we know as ‘Good Friday’, the tension builds – relentlessly, remorselessly – as events conspire to produce the inevitably shocking outcome. Hopefully, this year, in spite of Covid restrictions, we will still be able to ensure that through our services during the week, we will be able to recreate that sense of the dramatic retelling of the story…The Christian faith is based upon a story, or rather, a collection of stories that when brought together form one epic story. But the Christian faith continues to be informed by stories, your story and my story among them. What makes the story of Jesus so powerful in its telling is its ability to engage directly with our own particular life story. No one is left untouched by the story of Jesus. The miracle that is the Christian faith is that it is fashioned in terms of a never-ending story; a story in which we are invited to play a part…The Jewish Festival of Passover provides the backdrop for what happens during Holy Week. At Passover, there is always the retelling of the story of the Israelites being delivered from the oppression of the Egyptians in order that a promise given to their forefather, Abraham – who is described in the ritual of Passover thus, ‘A wandering Aramean was my Father’ – could be fulfilled, possessing the land of promise. That is why when we meet together during Holy Week, what is at the heart of our worship is the retelling of the story…And in so doing we allow the story to reshape the story of our lives. This year Holy Week will be celebrated in the aftermath of 12 months of living with the Pandemic. Last year, we were denied the opportunity to celebrate Holy Week having just been plunged into Lockdown. Now, there is a different emotion abroad; one of cautious optimism? Of hope filled realism? The belief that maybe, just maybe things are about to get better; that the future is promising; the prospect of being able to make plans; the suggestion that the worst is over. But at what cost? We cannot afford to forget what we have lived through; or worse still to live as if it had never happened…There is no happy ending to Holy Week. We do well to remember that. It was finished, as Jesus had Himself said when dying on the Cross…It was Friday, but, Sunday’s coming…Enjoy, ‘Line of Duty’…

‘Line of Duty’