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Witnessing Together

I note that churches have just marked Palm Sunday and are heading towards marking Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday, and I find myself reflecting on Holy Week as being the time of the year when the most amounts of Christians work together, whether that be through a joint Good Friday service and or walk of witness. What then is our experience of this coming together? Does it feel positive and enriching or far from that?  

I wonder if much of our answer to these questions depends on how much we prioritise ecumenism – a commitment to Christian unity or cooperation – and the fulfilment of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 for his followers, that they “…may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe…(NRSV).” 

Even if we have a heart for ecumenism one of the challenges is finding ways of doing the work of ecumenism in relevant and life-giving ways. In this regard, since moving to Ely last year, I have been encouraged by the way in which Ely Cathedral is both served by and serves so many people of different Christian denominations.  This is perhaps epitomised by the number and variety of people taking opportunities to view (and being assisted in viewing) two of the installations the cathedral currently has. The first, Joanna: A Woman’s Holy Week Journey is an Easter trail for people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the events of Holy Week, and Jesus’ attitudes towards women.  The second, The Last Supper exhibition by Silver Weatherall uses objects that have passed their function – smashed china, broken jewellery, or other things destined for landfill – to create thirteen life-size busts as a sculptural interpretation of Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper.  

My prayer is that the witnessing together that takes place this Holy Week will ignite a greater commitment to finding good and creative ways of ecumenically walking together, so that many more might come to know, love and serve the Risen Christ.  

(See also: Ecumenism: The Next Generation – a webinar to discover how 18 to 35s are shaping the future of unity work and to hear about the launch of The Bill Snelson Young Ecumenists Fund – Tuesday 25 April at 6pm https://cte.org.uk/april2023-snelson-fund/)

The thought this week was written by Gale Richards EBA Regional Minister