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Slides & Notes
“ Seasonal changes, new life & the Easter story. ”
This sequence of images is about the transformation that takes place in a garden in the Spring. It brings together themes touched on in other sequences – time, human creativity, natural gifts – suggesting that at Easter each of these is transcended.
The image of Christ on a flowering cross is from St Helen’s Church, Abingdon-on-Thames. It was painted around 1400 AD.
“ When we think of Autumn we think of leaves turning yellow. ”
“ Soon, though, yellow Autumn leaves turn brown and begin to rot. ”
“ Autumn turns to miserable Winter. The colourful flowers and green leaves growing alongside the waterfall at Langley turn into … ”
“ … a sodden mess. We wonder how long it will be before things start to revive. ”
“ Often the only colour in a garden in Winter is provided by the exposed bark of leafless plants. ”
“ Snowdrops appear while its still cold, often long before other plants begin to show through. ”
“ But time does pass and tender green shoots begin to push their way into the sunlight. ”
“ Spring sometimes comes with a rush and this sad scene… ”
“ turns into this. This explosion of greenness always happens around Easter. ”
“ At the end of winter the trees are bare and seem to shiver … ”
“ But with Spring the leaves return. Spring returns, year after year, but Easter celebrates something that is neither man-made nor natural. ”
“ Sometimes natural images are used to symbolise the way life triumphs over death – like the flowers on this cross. ”
“ But really Easter is about the point at which, through love, Eternity touches Time. ”
“ It’s about how God loves each one of us – and that is true every day of the year … and beyond. ”
Questions
The coincidence, in Europe, of the celebration of Christ’s resurrection with the beginning of growth in the annual natural cycle is both a blessing and potentially misleading. Of course, this is not problem (or a blessing!) in other countries, where the seasons are reversed (Australia) or where they don’t exist at all (the tropics). The Christian view of history is not cyclical, as it is in some major world religions (Buddhism, for example). The photo sequence celebrates the natural advent of new life in Spring, but also suggests something of the way new life in Christian thought transcends seasonal change.
Which is your favourite season of the year? Why?
What do you look forward to when the days begin to get longer?
Some plants only live for one year, some for hundreds (trees) but nothing lives for thousands of years. What does it make you feel when you think about this?
Plants have to look after themselves. But human beings need to be cared for in order to grow - which people have helped you to grow?
What signs do people use to show someone that they love them?
What signs does God use to show that he loves us?
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the richness of life on this earth.
Thank you that in the darkness of winter we can look forward with hope.
Thank you for the way things begin afresh in Spring.
Thank you for the sign you give us in the resurrection that you are with us however dark it may get.
Amen
