The World Council of Churches (WCC) held its Conference on World Mission and Evangelism from 8 to 13 March. Simon Peters, Project Manager for Walking the Way: Living the life of Jesus today, the United Reformed Church’s focus on lifelong Christian discipleship, represented the denomination and shares his experience. 

For followers of Jesus, Good Friday is always present says the Revd Richard Church, Deputy General Secretary (Discipleship) for the United Reformed Church.

Today in public spaces all over the United Kingdom groups of people will gather around temporary wooden crosses, to the bemusement of onlookers. Often such a gathering will have been preceded by a walk through the streets behind the cross. In many places, Christians will set aside their denominational identities to walk together. We experience sorrow in solidarity.

It is in following Jesus that we find him, says the Revd John Proctor, General Secretary for the United Reformed Church, in his Easter Day reflection.

The ending of Mark’s Gospel is abrupt. It stops too soon. Of course, that depends on how the Gospel does end. But if you stop at verse eight, this does seem too early. Jesus is off stage. He has vanished.

Certainly, the scenery speaks. The grave is empty. The stone is rolled back. The place where he lay is vacant. The silence of morning shouts loud for life. But Jesus is in the wings, on the edge, out of the picture, ‘not here’. 

The Revd Nigel Uden, Moderator-elect of the General Assembly, takes a fresh look at Maundy Thursday and Jesus’ new commandment to love – asking us what our response should be.

This is an ironic day. Just as Jesus experiences his followers’ denial, betrayal and abandonment, he gives his new commandment, ‘As I have loved you, you also should love one another.’

New? Was anything new about loving one another? What about Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan? Hannah and Samuel, Hosea and Gomer?