Holy Week

March 23rd - EASTER DAY

'On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ''Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!'' ' Luke 24.

In the first light of dawn, about 50 people met in the Abbey to celebrate the rising of Jesus from the dead. One by one they renewed their baptismal vows, pouring water on their own head 3 times from the font and having the sign of the cross made in oil on their forehead by the Vicar. Then we all lit a candle and processed up to the altar - newly decorated in gold cloth.

After taking communion and celebrating the victory of Jesus over death, we walked out the Abbey into the cool morning air shouting...

ALLELUIA, CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED, ALLELUIA!

It has been the most amazing journey!

March 22nd - Easter Eve

A dark day in the story of Holy Week. The disciples, having seen Jesus die, are scared and scattered. But there is also a great sense of anticipation - tomorrow is Easter Day!

This morning was the first 'Healing in the Streets'. It started off as 'healing in the sleets' as the weather was less than ideal, but we set out our chairs and signs, and put the kettle on.

Rt Revd Bishop Mike of Bristol joined us and we gave out leaflets letting people know that for the next two hours we were waiting in Birdcage Walk happy to pray with anyone who wanted prayer.

We had a wonderful 2 hours, praying with over 20 people and enjoying a cup of tea and a chat with many of them.

Not only that but the Easter Bunny turned up!

So we took him inside to meet Bishop Mike.

From now on we will continue to be in Birdcage Walk in Malmesbury on Saturday mornings 10am-12noon to pray with anyone who wants prayer.

After 10pm evening prayer in the Abbey the lights were nearly all extinguished and the all night Vigil began at 11pm. About 16 people stayed all night - watching and waiting for Easter morning and the rising of the sun and the Son of God.

Every half an hour we met in a circle of chairs and light around the font for a Bible reading. Through the nightly readings we worked our way through the whole Bible story from Genesis.

Between half hourly readings we dispersed into the dark Abbey to think, pray, and the occasional snore was heard too! The 212 hour non-stop prayer continued in the prayer room, and many of us had signed up for one of the hours in there during the vigil.

From 3am more people began to arrive and by 5am our numbers had swelled to nearly 50, for the Service of Light which begins in the first light of dawn on Easter Day.

March 21st - Good Friday

Churches Together In Malmesbury joined together to carry the cross in a march of witness through the streets of Malmesbury. We then had an outdoor service in birdcage walk.

In the evening the choir gave a stirring performance of Faure's Requiem with readings from Matthew's gospel.

Tomorrow we meet to pray for healing on the streets of Malmesbury 10am-12noon. If you want prayer for anything - meet us there.

There will be an adult djembe drum workshop at 5pm,
Songs of the Cross at 7pm,
10pm Night Prayer
and then from 11pm till 5am the Vigil - where we will stay up waiting, praying and watching all night.

Till, as we see the sun rise on Easter morning, we celebrate the rising of the Son of God! At 6am we will then all renew our baptismal vows in a service of light and dedicate our lives again to God's love and service. So amazing and exciting!

20th March - Maundy Thursday, Gethsemane.

Today 100 children (years 5 & 6) from Malmesbury primary school walked the labyrinth, used the prayer room and looked at the art exhibition (which we used again for assembly in the secondary school). They had a great time on the labyrinth and covered the praise wall in the prayer room.

There was a great atmosphere again all day; and lots of prayer, cake, coffee and laughter.
After Songs of the Cross there was a simple communion service.

Then, mindful of how many people had walked the labyrinth, and how much they had been moved and helped by walking this sacred space, we prayed a psalm of lament, and gently and sadly dismantled it. Starting at the outer rings and moving inward the labyrinth was stripped at the same time as the altar - ready for Good Friday.



Ring by ring, in a matter of minutes, the labyrinth melted back into the floor.


As the last circles disappeared I shed a few tears! All that was left was an echo of chalk, but the impact this labyrinth made on hundreds of people will linger.


Once it was all gone we said a prayer of thanks and took the big candle, which has burned in the centre of the labyrinth almost continuously for nearly 7 days and nights, and placed it with the tea lights by the big cross - about half an hour later its flame reached its base and gutted.

This photo shows the stripped altar. Today we remember Jesus agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, tomorrow we remember his death - there will be no flowers, no coloured cloth in the church. All is stripped bare, everything is in mourning.

The day ended with the Gethsemane watch where we 'watched an hour with Christ - Matt.26:40' and then with night prayer.

19th March - late night music on the Angel Stage goes out with a bang.

Today we had lots of Brownies walking the labyrinth, some of whom stayed on for Songs of the Cross. We went into the primary and secondary schools in Malmesbury again using the stations of the cross art work in assembly and answering questions. It was also the final concert on the Angel Stage. Malmesbury School music teacher Chris Knibbs played guitar and sang with guest performers from the school. The 5 concerts have all been brilliant and we will miss them. Tomorrow the tone of the festival shifts as we move towards Good Friday.

Maundy Thursday 20th is your last chance to walk the labyrinth - which will be removed at 8pm when we strip the altar. Good Friday is the day we remember the death of Jesus and the church is stripped of all flowers, altar cloths and decoration and the labyrinth.

Join us on Thursday for 8pm Morning Prayer, 12 noon Midday Prayer, 4pm Evening Prayer, 7pm Songs of the Cross, 7:30pm simple communion, 8:30 Stripping of the sanctuary and labyrinth, 9pm Gethsemane watch (an hours vigil) and 10pm Night Prayer.

18th March - Holy Week continued...

Tomorrow (Wednesday 19th) is the last full day of the Labyrinth - so if you haven't walked it yet - get yourself down to the Abbey pronto.

Many of us have been in both the primary and secondary school - using the brilliant art work from Malmesbury School's A level students to tell the Easter story / Stations of the Cross in Assembly.

This piece shows the hands of Simon of Cyrene, carrying Jesus' cross for him, when he no longer could.

We were also answering questions about what it's like to be a Christian at the primary school. They had such great questions for us, really thought provoking and challenging - it was great fun!

This piece shows the hand of Christ (cast in wax) carrying his cross.

And this one represent the 3 crosses. Jesus in the centre and the two criminals either side - it shows how one of them turned to Jesus as they died and believed in him, whilst the other turned from him and cursed him.

Today we had the second of five 'Songs of the Cross' informal worship services.

Please join us for the next one, 7pm tomorrow, or anytime for a coffee, to pray or to see the art exhibition.

17th March - more fabulous Holy Week festivities!

Tonight's concert on the Angel Stage was as fantastic as ever! Opera singer Marilyn Archer delighted her audience with Elizabethan love songs and folk songs. Tomorrow John Hughes will be playing Bach Prelude & Fugue in E and Beethoven Sonata. Then on Wednesday Chris Knibbs returns to play blues and jazz with guest singers.

Today during Evening Prayer the Incense floated over the labyrinth in an amazing suspended layer, illuminated by sunlight! It had mostly gone by the time I photographed it, but you can see a little of it here.

We tried out our new signs ready for HEALING IN THE STREETS. On Saturday 22nd March the church will be leaving the building to see the love, compassion and power of God on the streets.

Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Mike Hill is with us as we begin prayer in Birdcage Walk each Saturday Morning, on the site of Malmesbury's ancient parish church.

If you need prayer for any matter, if you have great faith or none at all, come and have a seat and our trained, confidential teams are there to pray for you, 10am to Midday each Saturday.

The cafe continues to offer hospitality round the clock and be a great place to relax and hang out!

16th March - Palm Sunday.

Today, after another full night of prayer, we saw the first rays of dawn illuminate one of the Malmesbury School Art Student's pieces.

Many of the Abbey's congregation and youth groups had been walking the labyrinth during the night and early morning.

And the Praise Wall in the 24/7 prayer room is already getting rather full!

Do come into the Abbey at any time and walk the labyrinth, before it closes at 8pm on Thursday 20th March, and come along and take part in the Abbey's Holy Week Festival, which leads up to Easter Day on the 23rd.

15th March - first full day of HOLY WEEK!

Throughout the day people filled the prayer room, walked the labyrinth, met in the 'Compassion Cafe' and enjoyed each other's company in the great Festival surroundings.

We are now fully into our daily rhythm of prayer - similar to that of the Benedictine Monks who once lived in community in Malmesbury Abbey.

You are very welcome to join us at 8am Morning Prayer, 12 noon Midday Prayer, 4pm Evening Prayer, 7pm Songs of the Cross and 10pm Night Prayer in the Abbey.

Today there was a Djembe (African Drum) workshop for young people. And next Saturday 22nd at 5pm there will be another Djembe workshop for Adults.

For the Abbey's website go to www.malmesburyabbey.com.

14th March - Holy Week is GO!

On Friday 14th March at 8pm the Rt Rev Dr Lee Rayfield, Bishop of Swindon, opened the Holy Week Festival at Malmesbury Abbey.

It was very exciting to see so much hard work and creativity come together, and so many friends, relatives, Malmesbury towns people and the congregation of the Abbey gathering together to begin the festival.

Here was the art exhibition of A level pieces from Malmesbury Secondary School, just before it opened.

And here it was moments later as it filled with people.

The 24/7 prayer room also opened at 8pm, with the first hour of prayer being undertaken by 14 of the Abbey's youth group.

If you are reading this before 4pm on the 23rd March, you can be sure that right now - day or night - someone is in that room - praying for us!