| Jesus
Forever the same |
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| Each
of the five prayer meditations that make up the final programme on the
video stands alone and can be used separately in worship. Alternatively,
the five meditations could be used as a sequence of prayers moving through
the stages of life, death and resurrection at the heart of the Easter
story. They are based on prayers written by members of the cast at a creative
writing workshop and are spoken by people involved in the Passion Play.
Each prayer meditation is prompted by one Act of the play. |
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| FRIENDSHIP
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| On
the day of the Passion Play Cheltenham's friendship park was the setting
for the Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of the 5000 and the challenge
of Jesus teaching. We followed in his footsteps as he healed a woman in
the crowd, and offered the water of life to the Samaritan Woman at the
well. Anne Kish, a nameless woman in the crowd, focuses our prayers on
a world of hunger and the
need to break down barriers of faith
and religion, of culture
and gender
, of politics and race. We are
invited to extend the hand of friendship across the divisions that are
so damaging in today's world. |
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| CONFLICT
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| All
that Jesus stood for brought him into conflict with the religious leaders
of his day. The parts were played by the religious leaders of our town
... and that gave rise to all sorts of reflections on the relationship
Jesus has today with the religious institutions of the church. Steve and
Joan Osmond [a religious leader in the play and onetime secretaries of
Churches Together in Cheltenham] share a prayer meditation. They reflect
on the inner conflict those who belong to the Church sometimes have. |
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| BETRAYAL
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| As
our Passion Play took us through the streets of our town towards the betrayal
of Jesus by a friend, by the authorities and by the whole crowd, our next
prayer meditation takes the form of a prayer of confession and of prayer
of renewed commitment to our town. Peter Brown who played the part of
Judas prompts us to reflect on our own betrayal of Jesus, not least in
the lack of commitment we have to the community around us. |
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| DEATH
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| To
witness a re-enactment of the death of Jesus on the cross at 3-00 pm on
Good Friday afternoon, and then to share in the silence of a crowd of
2000 people is moving for all who experience it. One of those most moved
by the whole experience was Keith Dawson, one of the key stewards who
had helped to marshal the crowds through the town centre. He died only
a fortnight later. His wife, Wendy, had played the part of Mary, the Mother
of Jesus in the Passion Play - her prayer meditation reflects on the stages
of grief
we all share in times of immense sadness. |
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| RESURRECTION
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| On
Good Friday the fourth Act of our Passion Play came to an end in silence.
At 8-00 am on Easter Sunday morning there was an air of excitement and
expectation as crowds once more gathered for the final Act of our Play.
Matt Medhurst who played the part of Jesus shares a prayer reflecting
on the triumph of resurrection and the hope we can all have today, tomorrow
and forever. |
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