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St Leonard's Church News

Three Churches Good Friday Service 19 Apr 2019 The traditional service in the square, attended by over 150, heard our Baptist Pastor Biro as Pontius Pilate sacrifice truth.

Well over 150 people from the three Eynsham Churches, many in sunhats, sunglasses and with sunshades, gathered in the square on Good Friday at 1000 for the traditional Good Friday service.

Rev Duncan Fraser, vicar of St Leonard’s, welcomed the crowd to remember that on this day almost two thousand years ago “through darkness and bleakness God accomplished something glorious for the planet – the awesome sacrifice of Jesus to rescue us, thereby showing the depth of his love”.

The reading from the Bible recalled Jesus’s words to the Roman governor, Pilate, that “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11). In these few words Jesus summed up that God was and is the one from whom all government derives its authority and thus to whom all governments are accountable.

Rev Zoltan Biro, the Baptist Church pastor, pictured, then introduced himself as Pontius Pilate the Roman governor. He traced his ten year tenure as governor of Judea and his failed attempts to win alliances and any support from the people. The climax came at the trial of Jesus when Pilate still sought both public support and favour with the Roman Emporer by condemning Jesus to death and freeing Barabbas, the thief.

Faced with the truth, Pilate denied the truth (that Jesus was innocent) and compromised his own integrity. It did him no good as he was later sent into exile to what is now France.

Songs and then prayers led by Fr Mark Lagorio from St Peters Catholic Church followed. Regrettably the talk and these were interrupted by loud music blaring from open upstairs windows in a house next to the Red Lion (whose landlord kindly silenced its own music during the half hour service).

Rev Duncan Fraser closed with prayer for God’s blessing on Eynsham and its homes, after which coffee and hot cross buns (plenty) were served at the Baptist Church.

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