Here are a few pictures from our Good Friday and Easter Sunday services.
Last year we did a series from Leviticus and one of the things that comes through from a lot of the OT ceremonies is how they appeal to all of the senses.
And I think that in some church traditions too many babies have been thrown out with too much bathwater.
This Easter I thought I would make use of a wooden cross that I made a few years ago out of a long piece of decking. The cross piece swivels round 90 degrees to make it easier to transport when I want to use it in school assemblies etc.
The Christmas tree lights remind us that Jesus is the light of the world and their position on the cross links with the line from the hymn 'When I survey the wondrous cross' that says 'see from his head, his hands and feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down'.
During the service the lights were turned off and the lights and the material were removed and the cross was placed on the floor. By way of a response to the crucifixion we each literally nailed something we had written to the cross.
This may have been a thank you, or a sorry, or a hope or a dream. It may have been a prayer. But these were hammered into the cross. And so for a few minutes in the service there was the sound of hammering - and as people discovered: light taps with the hammer are no use if you want to get the nails into the wood. You need to take the hammer back and give the nail a really good blow to get it into the wood.
Later, after the service, and in preparation for Easter Sunday, each of the nails was removed. In the place of each nail mark a hole was drilled. Then the lights were fed through the holes from the back.
For those who were at both services, and who noticed the various connections between this cross and the how it was on Good Friday, I am sure this Easter Sunday image will have spoken to different people in different ways.
At it's most simple the lights were back on - Jesus is alive.
Then there is the visual reminder of how Jesus is able to take our weaknesses and our failings and shine through them.
Maybe you have some thoughts to add...
My training has now entered what is known as the taper. These are the weeks in the run up to a marathon where training starts to drop off. The bulk of the hard work is done, now is the time for the legs to recover and nearer the race for levels of things like glycogen storage to be maximised.
The main focus for this last week was my final long run. As you will have read last week this was going to be the third 20 miler with the option of going up to 21, and running the last five miles at marathon pace - depending on how I felt. Well, I felt rubbish! There was no way this was going to be pushed to 21 and there was no question of doing the last five miles anywhere close to marathon pace.
Although not ideal I'm not too worried by this because there are reasons / excuses:
1) First of all I had quite a bad cold and I guess that has to have an effect.
2) Then I started too fast. I've mentioned before that all my training is recorded and logged using my GPS watch - this means I can look back over different runs and compare. This run the first half was done much quicker than it should have been so although the overall average pace was good I was ready to collapse at about 18 miles rather than getting quicker and able to carry on beyond 20 miles. This is a reminder of the importance on the day of not going off too quickly - which is easier said than done in all the excitement.
3) The day before there was a 10 mile run that was done slightly quicker than marathon pace - which obviously won't be the case on the big day. This was also the end of a record 47 mile week and a record 181 mile month. My legs might have been a bit tired.
4) I had eaten too much chocolate, cake and crisps in the previous few days. This won't be happening again between now and after the race!
This final long run was also a chance to finalise 'fuelling strategies' - what to have for breakfast, how long before the start of the run, what to eat along the way, what to drink...This side of the run went well with no adverse effects!
The other runs this week went well and to plan. Five runs and 47.55 miles.
This coming week will still see five runs and the shorter faster runs stay in place, but the length of all runs begins to drop off. The long run this week is only 12 miles and total mileage of about 30 miles. The risk over these next few weeks is not to have confidence in the training that has already taken place and run either faster or longer than the schedule dictates.
Sponsorship is coming along with less than £300 to go now to reach the target of £2000. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far. I'm raising money for Christian Aid and you can sponsor me at www.virginmoneygiving.com/keithtarring
