The Uniting Church celebrates Easter

Easter is the pinnacle of the Uniting Church calendar. Christ’s resurrection offers the promise of hope and rebirth. It is a reminder that life will triumph over death, that love and kindness will overpower hate and darkness. Congregations throughout the synod celebrated Holy Week in a number of ways, including feet washing ceremonies, reflective walks and Easter Day dawn services. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Christ and recalls Jesus’ last meal with his disciples before he is betrayed and crucified. A beautiful reflective service was held at Mount Martha Uniting Church to celebrate Maundy Thursday.

Photo by Paul Chalson

Congregation members from St John’s Uniting Church in Essendon remembered Jesus’ last supper with a meal and feet washing ceremony. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to remind us that we are called to serve one another.

St John’s Uniting Church also joined in an Ecumenical Reflective Journey on Good Friday with parishioners from Anglican, Baptist and Catholic churches at Queen’s Park in Moonee Ponds. Congregation members from Western Heights Uniting Church took part in a reflective walk in the streets of Geelong West. The walk provided an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice of Christ, who gave his life for the sins of humanity. The Easter Day dawn service is a tradition for many Uniting Church congregations and is often held in bush or beach settings. Brighton Beach provided a beautiful backdrop for St Leonard’s Uniting Church’s Easter Day dawn service. The congregation celebrated with fish and bread for breakfast and watched the sun rise on a new day.

Photo by John Sugunananthan

Down on the Mornington Peninsula, Western Port Uniting Church held a dawn service at Balnarring Beach to commemorate the resurrection of Christ. This was followed by a service at Crib Point Uniting Church. At the end of the service, flowers were added to the cross as a symbol of hope and love being shared with the world.