Saman med mange hundre kristne feira me Langfredag i Leicester city centre i dag. Det var skriftlesing, bønn og flott lovsong. Eg vart svært velsigna av den kjende songen "Oh Happy Day." Lovsongleiaren og koret hadde ein eigen vri på teksten der Langfredag var det lukkelege dagen då Jesus tok våre synder bort. Eg måtte jubla og syngja høgt: Oh Happy Day! Dette må vera det rette namnet på denne historiske dagen. Lat oss jubla og vera glade medan me feirar påske og takkar for alt Jesus har gjort for oss.

We are in England celebration our daughter Hanna and our granddaughter Sunniva Isha who are having birthday today. There is nothing strange with this birthday celebration. We started to celebrate in the morning and will continue to celebrate all day. I am very thankful to God for my wonderful daughter and granddaughter. They both make me proud and happy, causing me to praise God and give thanks for them both. They are both outstanding in their own special way. As far as I remember this is the first time their birthday actually happened to be on Good Friday. This makes this day even more special. We have so many reasons to celebrate today.

But I am not having any ”Good Friday feeling.” We were taken to the Leicester city centre to attend a joint Christian open air Easter Celebration. To my surprise the city was full of people shopping on Good Friday! All the shops seemed to be open and very busy. I have never seen anything like this on a Good Friday. At home in Norway all shops are closed on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Only a few food shops are open on Saturday. The cities are almost empty of people. It is quiet and peaceful. I think I prefer the Norwegian way, but now I begin to understand the surprise I have seen in our British friends visiting Norway at Easter time.

A good number of Christians were gathered in the city centre. I am so happy for each and everyone that came to celebrate our crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ. There was a big stage in a broad walking street. From the big loudspeakers the good news of Jesus dying and being raised again was broadcasted to all the busy shopping people in words and music. It was great to join our British brothers and sisters in Celebrating Jesus Christ on Good Friday at the city centre. As we sang “Oh Happy Day” I could rejoice and dance. I am so thankful for what Jesus accomplished on the cross on the first Good Friday.

For the first time in my entire life my wife and I are celebrating Easter in England. We miss the wonderful Easter Conference at Stord this year. Easter is a good time to come together to celebrate Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World. The cross and the empty grave are wonderful symbols of our faith. Through his death and resurrection Jesus reconciled men to God. He opened a new and living way into the presence of God. He tore down the dividing walls and united humanity in himself.

Easter is at the centre of our Christian faith. It is a time of joy and celebration. It is a time of holy convocations. We were all united in Christ and are partakers of his triumph over sin and death. 

This year we are visiting our two daughters in England and their wonderful families. We are having a different celebration. On Good Friday our daughter Hanna and our granddaughter Sunniva are celebrating their joint birthday. We expect it to be a good Friday indeed. These first days of the Easter week we spend with our daughter Ruth Kristin and her Jonathan in York. 

Yesterday Jonathan and me went to town. We ended up in a Christian book store. I came across some excellent second hand books that I could not resist buying. I am still a lover of books. When we returned home I told my wife that I had bought some wisdom. She knew that I had bought books. Books contains wisdom. This year Easter is a time of reading and celebration. The insights I find in books that I read at the right time gives me great joy.

 

Jesus, du som vart fødd i fattigdom,

Jesus, du som kom for å gje liv og fred,

Jesus, tømmermannen frå Nasareth,

Miskunna deg over meg!

 

Jesus, du som er venn med dei fattige,

Jesus, du som mettar dei som svelt,

Jesus, du som gjer sjuke friske,

Miskunna deg over meg!

 

Jesus, du som velsignar alle folkeslag på jord,

Jesus, du som bryt ned murar og skilje mellom folk,

Jesus, du som er vår felles menneskebror,

Miskunna deg over meg!

 

Jesus, du som er prøvd i alt,

Jesus, du som er kjend med smerte,

Jesus, du som har vunne over vondskapen,

Miskunna deg over meg!

 

Jesus, du som kom for å tena og for å bli tent,

Jesus, du som til fulle har vist oss kva kjærleik er,

Jesus, du som tok vår skuld og straff på deg,

Miskunna deg over meg!

 

Jesus, du som er oppstoda og livet,

Jesus, du som har allmakt i himmel og på jord,

Jesus, du som bur i alle som trur,

Miskunna deg over meg!

Some work can only be done in winter time. This work demands a long and cold winter. After a long time of frost our lake is frozen. The ice is thick and safe. Therefore I was able to cut down some trees at the shore of the lake. They were kind of leaning towards the water and would fall into the lake if I cut them down any other time than in a cold winter.

This year the conditions were perfect. The ice has been safe to walk on for some while. When I used my chain saw the tree fell on the ice. Easily I could cut it in pieces as I was walking on the frozen lake. I like this kind of work. After cutting the tree into pieces I had to carry them to safe place on the shore. It was a heavy work. I used a full day to cut down two trees cutting them in pieces and bringing them to a safe place for drying.

After finishing this work my back was aching. When my wonderful wife called me for evening tea I left the work immediately to take a massage bath in our bath tub before enjoying time with my dear one.

For nokre dagar sidan fekk eg meg ein god arbeidsdag utanføre Huset i Skogen. Det er tid for å førebu seg for neste vinter. Eit stort oretre – older som dei seier på desse kantane – har eg lenge tenkt å fella og bruka som ved. Treet står ved vasskanten og lener seg utover vatnet. Eg kan berre fella det om isen er tjukk nok. Elles vil det verta for tungt å dra opp or vatnet. Takka vere ein lang og kald vinter var isen no trygg. 

Eg har nett fått motorsaga mi reparert av nokre gode venner. Eg fekk ikkje start på ho og har ikkje innsikt nok til å vøla ho sjølv. Gode venner kan hjelpa med alt. Dei fann ut at det var ei laus leidning som var årsaken til at saga ikkje starta. Det var visst nok lett å fiksa. Så stod eg der med saga i hendene og tok til å fella treet. Sidan treet stod på skakke og lente seg utover vatnet tok eg berre til å saga frå den andre sida. Det gjekk utruleg bra. Kona kom tidsnok til å filma det heile. Det er alltid ein bonus når den gode kona mi filmar det eg gjer, slik at vennene våre i Asia kan sjå kva ein forkynnar driv med i Noreg.

Som biletet viser velta treet lenge før eg hadde saga heile stammen. Vekta var så stor at det gjekk ned med eit brak og braut ein stor bit av botnen med seg. Inne ved land gjekk nokre greiner gjennom isen, men resten av isen ansa ikkje fallet.

Eg tykkjer dette er eit fascinerande og litt vemodig bilete. Det vert mykje god ved av dette treet. Ved av or brenn godt og reint. Slik vil treet verta til velsigning for alle som får varma seg av det neste vinter. Men no ligg det der og sagflata lyser mot meg. Eg kan telja årringane. Treet vart gamalt og stort. No er det over. Tresoga har fått ein ende. No er det vedsoga som tek til. Ei fase er over og ei ny har teke til. Stubben vitnar om noko som var vore. Stammen fortel om meir arbeid som kjem. Han skal delast opp i kubbar som skal splittast til mange vedskiver. Desse skal løast opp og turka i minst seks månader før dei er turre nok til å varma opp Huset i Skogen. Om det vil veksa opp eit nytt tre frå stubben som står att, veit me enno ikkje, men det kan kanskje skje.

At the House in the Forest the snowdrops (in Norway we call them snowbells) are the first sign of spring. They are penetrating the snow. They show no respect of frost and ice. They break through when others don't even try. As they put their head above the snow, they praise the Lord and proclaim that once again the forces of Life are stronger than the forces of death.

We have had a long and cold winter. We are longing for spring and summer. We want warmer weather. We have had enough of snow and frost. We are ready for a change.

That is why I rejoice when I see the snowdrops overcoming the snow. It is a sign of spring. Even if spring is late it will come. Snow and frost will have to give in. The snowdrops are the proof. They are a sure sign of change coming.