Lent to Easter in the Whitsundays

In Proserpine during the weeks of Lent, we gathered in the garden where the St James Church used to be. The garden has become a focus of conversation with the surrounding community as each week they have seen something different taking shape in the garden.

Our weekly meditations covered the events of Holy Week so that people were able to make their own connection with the Jesus through the story. Each week an image was added to the visual display in the garden. We sang, we prayed, we witnessed to the faith that binds us together.

Together we remembered and shared what we believe:

Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.

On Maundy Thursday we walked from the garden to the upper room (the church hall) and shared the Lord’s Supper. After singing a hymn we returned to the garden, where the lanterns now glowed in the fading light and we listened to the prayer of Jesus prayed for the disciples and us.

Good Friday was shared as an ecumenical service at St Martin’s Cannonvale at 9am. Later that day we again gathered in Proserpine at 6pm to come to the cross. As the sun rose on Easter Day the images of the previous weeks told their own story as a new image appeared, the flowers of new life. People came by and took photos. Many reported how they had had conversations and been asked about what we were doing.

The message of Easter being lived and shared by the Easter People in the Whitsundays.

I can only imagine what will eventuate as we celebrate Whitsunday (Pentecost).

Contributed b y Rev Suzy Sitton, Proserpine Whitsunday UCA