Trinity Church Abingdon

Trinity is a joint URC / Methodist church. It is an active member of the Church in Abingdon – a thriving ecumenical project.

Letter from the Minister

Dear friends,

I used to sing in the church choir of my home church and in April we would often sing the anthem “All in the April evening”. It’s a lovely little anthem and the choir always enjoyed singing it. Perhaps the imagery of sheep and lambs and Easter together painted a picture of joy and serenity after the awful crucifixion.

There are of course two images in this piece: the sacrificial lamb of God together with the joy, wonder and indeed bounce of new lambs. Its refrain is this: “All in the April evening I thought on the lamb of God.” Perhaps after the long days we are enduring we would be wise to do the same: to think on the lamb of God and of our knowledge and experience of Him. Then we might turn to another hymn and think about counting our blessings.

This year April 1st lands on Maundy Thursday. Was there something foolish about Jesus inviting Judas to the meal – or indeed, including Judas among his friends from the first? I think it’s profoundly significant that Jesus knew his betrayal would happen, yet he still included Judas to the end.

For his part, Judas was conflicted, wanting Jesus to be someone or something that he was never meant to be. Jesus always knew that there were going to be people who would not like his message or purpose, and those people included even the friends he had chosen. Yet this did not stop Him, and he continued to love all of them as he made that journey to the cross.

This April I encourage you to “think on the lamb of God”, for the story we rehearse cannot be contained within the services we attend (whether in person or online) or in our favourite Easter hymns. As this gentle anthem recommends, take time on an April evening to let the story of Holy Week and Easter rest in you and in your thoughts, and let it seep into the depths of your being. For then we can glimpse the deeply profound power of Easter, and allow God to transform our lives.

Wishing you all Easter blessings

Ian (Revd. Ian Griffiths)