Welcome to St Mary Magdalene's Church, Rusper

EASTER IN SURROUND SOUND AND 3D

Long before cinema was dreamt of the church knew how to engage worshippers in the experience of being not just an audience, but participants in a living drama.

Making movies is an expensive business. Every shot, every frame is there for a reason. The filmmaker is not going to leave in scenes that are not essential to plot and meaning. When the gospels were written papyrus was probably as rare and expensive a luxury as celluloid or whatever the modern digital equivalent is now.

The point is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote nothing in the Gospels that wasn’t significant, so we should pay attention to the tiniest detail. There must be a reason why they tell us for example that Jesus clothing, gambled for by his executioners, was a ‘seamless robe’ that could not be unpicked. Perhaps it can be taken as a symbol for the most important week in the Christian Year. We can’t tear Palm Sunday from Good Friday, or Maundy Thursday from Easter Day without destroying the whole thing. Last year Good Friday congregations doubled and those who came found it a real blessing. Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday congregations were up too and there was a powerful feeling of being caught up in the events portrayed.

Maundy Thursday, however, for some reason seemed to be sadly overlooked. This was a great pity, or to stay with the symbolism of clothing; it was like putting on smart evening dress, bow tie – but no trousers!

Maundy Thursday has so much. If Easter is the greatest movie ever made then Maundy Thursday must be the World Premiere, glittering with a preview of all that is to come. You may even, as it happens be going away from Rusper for Easter itself. You may not have been to church since Christmas or last Easter or longer. All the more reason not to miss the experience of Maundy Thursday. You are warmly invited to take your place at this very special service. It is an invitation and yet a compelling one. The word Maundy comes from Latin Mandatum. Which also gives us our word command. Jesus commands our presence not by order, but by his desire to be of loving service to us.