Dear Friends
Resurrection Hope: Dawn will come
The Gospel writer, John, describes the first Easter over 2000 years ago: “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark . . .”
The first day of the week. The first day of something new. At this stage, Mary Magdalene, who arrives at the tomb, does not realise just how transformative that something new will be. “While it was still dark” – notice how the language points us to the bleakness of Mary’s grief and lack of understanding.
Let’s home in on Mary’s point of view: She was there at the foot of Jesus’ cross. She was there as his mother and the other women wept. I imagine she was there as the body was taken down, wrapped in cloths, and sealed up in the tomb. What did she feel as the stone was rolled into place? Can you imagine? Can you imagine the terrible darkness?
It is the darkness that eradicates hope. A suffocating, creeping darkness that erodes any belief in the future. It’s the darkness of death. It’s the darkness of illness. It’s the darkness of struggle. It’s bleak. It’s desolate.
And yet . . . there is a competition going on in, in this first line:
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark . . .”
Darkness dominates, but we are also alerted to the fact that dawn is coming – a powerful thought. Yes – darkness might surround Mary and each one of us at times – but with God, dawn will break through. Dawn always comes, following even the darkest, most desolate nights. Yes – the night hours are hard and long, but nothing can stop dawn.
Just as with Mary at the tomb, in our lives and across the world, there are many situations and experiences which are deeply painful and frightening. Ill-health, grief, isolation, poverty, racism, ongoing wars, the climate crisis, all can create darkness and despair.
And yet, God calls us to trust that even when we cannot see or feel it ourselves, God never, ever leaves us. God is right there with us, going through it all with us. God is with us, nurturing new life from the very seeds of pain and fear. This is an utterly transforming hope which we can hold onto, and share, in the darkest times and places, at Easter and beyond.
Nicola
| CALENDAR | |||
| APRIL | |||
| 2nd | Thursday | 9.00pm | Tenebrae led by Rev Geoff Ellis |
| 3rd | Friday | 9.00pm | Good Friday Service of Tenebrae at Stainbeck URC |
| 4th | Saturday | 10.30am | Easter Saturday Coffee Morning |
| 5th | SUNDAY | 10.45am | EASTER DAY. Morning Worship, including the Sacrament of Holy Communion, led by Rev Phil Chilvers |
| 12th | SUNDAY | 9.30am | Morning Worship at Headingley Methodist Church |
| 14th | Tuesday | 12.30pm | Guild Lunch |
| 19th | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Morning Worship led by Rev Phil Chilvers |
| 26th | SUNDAY | 10.45am | 60th Anniversary Service. Morning Worship led by our Minister, Rev Dr Nicola Robinson |
| 12 noon | Anniversary Lunch | ||
Saturday 4th April, 2026
10.30am – 12 noon
You are warmly invited to our Easter Coffee Morning. For those of you who are creative, do bring along a decorated egg, hat, garden, anything Easterish! Hopefully we shall be joined by our friends from the Partnership and Churches Together in Headingley.
Headingley St Columba 60th Anniversary
Sunday 26th April, 2026
As part of our Anniversary celebrations there will be a buffet lunch immediately after the service. Please add your name to the list in the small hall if you are able to come. Alternatively let Susan Bollon know at susan.bollon52@gmail.com The cut off date for numbers is Wednesday 8th April.
LENT PROJECT – SELF HELP AFRICA
‘At Self Help Africa, our mission is to alleviate hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change’
- Nutritious food
- Decent incomes and employment
- Clean water and basic services
- All while sustaining natural resources.
PLEASE GIVE YOUR DONATIONS TO SUSAN BOLLON BY THE 19TH APRIL
MEET THE TEAM – REV GEOFF ELLIS
Jackie and myself discovered the United Reformed Church in 1982. After a warm welcome at St Andrew’s Roundhay we became members. Our daughters Hannah and Ruth were baptised by Revd Eric Allen. In 1993 I was encouraged to answer a call to be an Elder. This was preceded by an experience that was preparing me for a pastoral ministry. I drove my mother-in-law to visit her sister who was coming to the end of her life in an Oban hospital. She told us no one had been to pray with her. We prayed with her. As we had to travel back to Yorkshire, I made a promise to remember her in my daily prayers. It was a time when I was being challenged and being drawn closer to God in other ways too.
After 3 years on the Eldership I embarked on Workshop – a one year Christian Discipleship Course. Then came the call to train as a lay preacher, and later I was encouraged to test a call to be a Minister.
In 2004 I was ordained and inducted as a Non-Stipendiary Minister at Beeston Hill United Free Church. This congregation had previously encouraged me on placement as a trainee preacher. Jackie and myself had an amazing time there working with such a faithful group of Christians. The church hosted Kidz Klub Leeds on Tuesday evenings, supported asylum seekers who joined the church, worked together with local churches, and welcomed all who came through the church doors.
The experience of leading worship in the Leeds URC churches gave me new insights into ways of being church and doing mission. I developed an appetite for closer working together across our churches and with other denominations. I have preached widely in URC, Methodist, Baptist and Anglican churches. I took semi-retirement in 2008 from my paid job in industry, and responded to an intitiative by Revd Kevin Watson to encourage Leeds URC Ministers to work closer together and support all our churches in local mission.
I was active in discussions that followed in our Mission and Care Group. I served as interim Minister at Headingley St Columba and then at West Park URC. Finally in 2022 our Leeds URC Partnership of 8 churches was formed with the induction of a Ministry Team in a joint service at St Andrew’s. From 2012-2024 I also worked as a Methodist Homes Chaplain at the Assisi Place care scheme in Hunslet.
We each respond in different ways to Jesus’ call and each has a unique part in sharing God’s love. We can help each other in that. My story and call have been supported by many friends from across our churches. Thank you. You have encouraged me to share the faith we are all part of.
Our family includes 2 daughters, 2 sons-in-law and 4 grandchildren. Ask me and I’ll tell you more about them. Ask me about my hobbies and how I relax, and I’ll tell you about gardening, walking in the mountains, painting in watercolours or acrylics, and playing classical guitar. We have good memories of long distance walks including the 200 miles Coast to Coast and the 150 mile Pilgrim’s Way from Winchester to Canterbury. We now take shorter walks on well-trodden paths, sometimes high in the Swiss mountains.
Every blessing
Rev Geoff Ellis
Doreen Sowden expressed her deep faith not only in her kind and thoughtful deeds but also in her love of words and particularly poetry. Many of her poems centred on the great Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter. The poem below, although entitled ‘Calvary’ also carries the hope and joy of Easter.
CALVARY
Grim place of pain, a darkened sky, a lonely cross upon a hill,
Where my dear Lord was caused to die, the image haunts the memory still,
Recalls a man born just like me, but kind and gentle, wise and strong.
Who healed the sick, the hungry, fed; taught peace and love, and righted wrong.
A man . . . but more than man is this, this Son of God, this Lord of all.
Betrayal by a traitor’s kiss, made hearts to break and tears to fall.
But death could not a Saviour hold, the grave could not His prison be.
The Lamb is in His Father’s fold. An empty cross on Calvary.
Where once were thorns upon His brow, our Lord is crowned with glory now.
Doreen Sowden
Guild Lunch
Doreen was a loyal member of ‘The Women’s Guild’. I still hold the books containing her comprehensive committee minutes and details of meetings. I am sure that many of you will have fond memories of friends who were members and friends of our church and attended The Guild or The Wednesday Evening Group and the Outings and Socials the church arranged and they will be to the fore as we celebrate our 60th Anniversary. Sadly, we now hold fewer events but we still hold our monthly lunch under the name of ‘The Guild’ and would like to remind you that this is really a ‘Church’ Lunch.
In April we meet on Tuesday, 14th – at about 12.30pm for lunch at 1 o’clock. All welcome!
