Breaking out

You realise just how big St James's Church actually is when 500 (admittedly small) people pour into it and there is plenty of room left over.

It was good to see them all there yesterday - 500 happy smiling faces from St James's School -  back from their holidays and ready for their beginning of term service.

So far as the country at large is concerned, Easter has been and gone, but the Church wisely savours the glory of the resurrection for a full six weeks, so we were in full Easter mode for our first service back.

They joined in the Easter greeting well, with a resounding 'He is risen indeed. Alleluia' and then there was time to think about the egg.

Have you ever wondered why we give each other eggs for Easter, I asked. And then we talked about chicks breaking out of eggs, and Jesus breaking out of the tomb into new life.

So, I said, next time you get an Easter egg, you can remember what the egg really stands for - new life that came when Jesus broke out of the tomb.
 

St James's galleries provide plenty of room for the Key Stage 2 children who can peer down at the younger ones from the elevated position at the west end of the church