The Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, delivers his Easter message this year from the entrance to the loft chapel at Aperfeelie, his home near Inverness.
The Primus, who is Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness, will declare “Alleluia, Christ is Risen” across a countryside that has fallen silent during the coronavirus epidemic, as people have hidden away from others out of fear of infection.
He says: “From this upper room I must declare the resurrection of Christ, just as the disciples went from that upper room in Jerusalem to declare their love, their belief and their joy at Christ’s resurrection. We, as people in a community which has got so used to things being ordinary and all right, now just have a slight taste of what it is to be frightened, and in an upper room, hiding away from others.”
He continues: “Christ is risen for all people, and calls on us to do what we are always called to do: to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to give drink to the thirsty. To be the people who care.”
The Easter Vigil on Saturday night is also led by the Primus, from St John’s Church and his garden at Arpafeelie.
The Vigil, which begins at 8.30pm this evening (11 April) can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIjNFWwcOKw and on facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/scottishepiscopalchurch/posts/10157686356863891 while the liturgy can be downloaded here: https://bit.ly/SECHolyWeekLiturgies
Those who follow the Easter Vigil will share in the lighting of the new fire, the marking of the Paschal Candle and the proclamation of the Light returning to the world. The Exsultet will then be sung by the Rev Canon Oliver Brewer, Vice-Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow.
At the conclusion of the service, worshippers are invited to make the loud proclamation in their own homes:Alleluia! Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Bishop Mark will begin the service by reading from the Prophet Ezekiel. This is the conclusion of a series of readings. To prepare for the service, a vigil of readings can be held in people’s own homes by using the Vigil Readings file here: https://bit.ly/SECHolyWeekLiturgies
