Slate wiped clean
Peter Willard
On Wednesday evening Gordon Cotterill asked: “what does Easter mean to you?” On Thursday evening Major Bev asked: “what does the cup taken by our Lord mean to you?” My answer to both questions was “everything” as it gives the opportunity for a new start with the slate wiped clean.
This Holy week has been more challenging than any I can remember. There have been times when I have questioned my faith, & whether I should be part of this Corp which means so much to me!
In the following ramblings I try to quantify my Holy week journey, & to start I wish to give thanks that God has been talking to me through the words & prayers of so many different people. I give thanks for them all. During this week I have been challenged by several things:
the whole question of Holy Communion;
the forgiveness of past conflicts with the C of E;
& the recognition that these conflicts are the reason that Sue & I are here today!
I have a daily readings book by Selwyn Hughes, & about two months ago the first reading took our corps’ vision text of Ezekiel 47 as its theme: When fresh water empties into the sea, the water there becomes fresh. The readings this week have been talking about hidden agendas & whether we are ruled by negative expectations, a hurt or a wrong assumption from the past. One of the texts used was from Romans 6:
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with”
And the prayer was:
“O Father, give me victory over all my enemies that may be within me”
On Good Friday I laid the last ghost of my conflict with the C of E, & this morning I attended the dawn service at the church where Sue & I used to belong. With the coming of the light, the joy of the risen Christ, & fellowship with others following the service, that prayer was finally answered.
For me this has been an Easter like none I have experienced before, & in trying to sum it up I could find no better words than those from the hymn:
“In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground”
But for me the culmination of this Holy Week is my declaration of commitment to become a Soldier of the Salvation Army!
God bless you all
& thankyou