Passport to paradise

After our Good Friday Family Service at St Anne's, members of St James and St Anne's walked in brilliant sunshine behind the cross along Southwark Park Road to the Blue where we met up with our brothers and sisters from St Mary's for our traditional open air service in the marketplace.

There we sang, read the Scriptures, and prayed and I spoke on the story from Luke's Gospel of the two thieves who were crucified beside Jesus.

I had, I said, something in my pocket  that could get me access to any country in the world.

Brandishing my passport, I said there was something even more wonderful than a passport that could enable your entry into any country on earth, and that was a passport to paradise - which on the first Good Friday, Jesus gave to the second thief on the cross when he said to him 'today you will be with me in paradise.'

What had he done to deserve it? absolutely nothing.

And that was the point. He just turned to Jesus and Jesus gave him a passport to paradise.

For free.

From the Blue, members of the three churches walked to St James's for a lunch of homemade soups and bread before Jos led us in a meditation of words, music, and video for Good Friday, a wonderful conclusion to an excellent day.

Good Friday Lunch at St James