The Bishop of Penrith has recorded a special Easter message for people across the county as they remain in lockdown to combat the Coronavirus.

The Rt Rev Dr Emma Ineson chose to record her message from the garden of her home in Kendal, drawing on the comfort she has seen from signs of new life, how churches across the county continue to worship in new ways and the hope that Christians have through Jesus Christ’s defeat over death.

The video has been posted to the Diocese of Carlisle’s YouTube Channel and will be shared extensively on its Facebook and Twitter platforms. It can be viewed here.

Bishop Emma says: “This is a very unusual and strange Easter for everyone. Normally this week we’d be gathering in our churches to relive and to celebrate the events of Holy Week and Good Friday and then on Easter Sunday to celebrate the rising again of Jesus from the dead. Well we can’t gather physically in the way that we normally would as the restrictions that have been put in place to protect us from the spread of COVID-19 mean that we can’t gather physically.

“But although our church buildings are closed and we’re physically distanced from each other in our homes around Cumbria, the church continues to be alive and well, finding new ways to pray and to worship God together.”

Bishop Emma also reflects on the support being offered to front line NHS and public sector staff reflecting: “We have certainly seen an increase in neighbourliness, I think, and in different ways of connecting with each other. And we’ve seen an increase in appreciation for those on the frontline of our public services and our health care systems.

“Wouldn’t it be good if some of this love, and appreciation and good will continued after these dark days are over? What kind of people will we be in Cumbria when we emerge?”

She also likens the darkness of Christ’s three days in the tomb, with the darkness we currently face as a country, adding: “For now it does feel very much like we are in a dark place under the earth and the suffering of many is very real. But this Easter let’s not lose sight of the hope that we have in the good news that Jesus Christ has defeated death; that He lived and died and rose again, bringing out of darkness and suffering, peace and joy and life and hope. I hope you have a very happy Easter!”

Meanwhile the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Rev James Newcome, will deliver two special Easter reflections – both at 11am – on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. These will be live streamed via the Diocesan Facebook Page.

A full transcript of Bishop Emma’s Easter message follows:

“Here I am in my garden. Like all of us I’ve seen a bit more of it over these past couple of weeks than I might otherwise have done. Seemingly unaware of the crisis that’s befallen that rest of our normal life, all over shoots are springing up out of the earth, bringing with them the promise of new life and growth. Here in my greenhouse I’ve planted a load of beans about ten days ago but they haven’t begun to sprout yet. Even now though I have faith that there under the earth something is going on and I’ll be able to see growth and fruitfulness very soon and I look forward to a great crop of beans later on in the year.

This is a very unusual and strange Easter for everyone. Normally this week we’d be gathering in our churches to relive and to celebrate the events of Holy Week and Good Friday and then on Easter Sunday to celebrate the rising again of Jesus from the dead. Well we can’t gather physically in the way that we normally would as the restrictions that have been put in place to protect us from the spread of COVID-19 mean that we can’t gather physically.

But although our church buildings are closed and we’re physically distanced from each other in our homes around Cumbria, the church continues to be alive and well, finding new ways to pray and to worship God together.

I wonder what might emerge after these days of isolation are over and the restrictions are lifted, whenever that might be. What’s growing now in the dark and unseen places that will lead us into new life and growth in the years ahead? We have certainly seen an increase in neighbourliness, I think, and in different ways of connecting with each other. And we’ve seen an increase in appreciation for those on the frontline of our public services and our health care systems.

Wouldn’t it be good if some of this love, and appreciation and good will continued after these dark days are over? What kind of people will we be in Cumbria when we emerge?

At the heart of our Christian faith is the belief that after spending three days in the dark, alone and isolated in the tomb following his death on the cross, Jesus Christ was raised to new life. And in that He showed us that death is never the end and that we have hope for a new and better life in Him. When Jesus was buried in the tomb for those three days, his friends and family must have thought it was the end. But little did they know that out of the darkness God would bring something new and hopeful out of the pain and the suffering.

For now it does feel very much like we are in a dark place under the earth and the suffering of many is very real. But this Easter let’s not lose sight of the hope that we have in the good news that Jesus Christ has defeated death; that He lived and died and rose again, bringing out of darkness and suffering, peace and joy and life and hope. I hope you have a very happy Easter!”

ENDS

For further information please contact Dave Roberts, Diocesan Communications Manager, on 07469 153658, 01768 807764 or at communications@carlislediocese.org.uk.