Service Highlights 2026

View videos of our services (not all are online yet, but they will be coming soon!) at:

YouTube: tinyurl.com/NUnitarianYouTube
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Here are some recent service highlights:

29 March 2026, Rev, Paul Walker, ‘Disentangling the Myths of the Easter Story’

On Sunday 29th March 2026 Rev Paul Walker led this service, discussing the importance of the Easter story in Christianity, highlighting how it centres around a healer and preacher who was crucified and later rose from the dead. He noted that while Christmas music is well-known, Easter hymns are less familiar despite having an equally rich musical tradition. Paul began his service by playing his favourite Easter hymn and mentioned he would later question some assumptions about the Easter story while acknowledging its foundational role. Paul discussed the significance of the resurrection story in Christianity, emphasising its historical impact and the solace it provides to believers. He read
from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, which described the first account of the resurrection, highlighting discrepancies with the later Gospel accounts. Noting the differences in details about appearances and questioned the accuracy of certain elements, such as the story of Jesus appearing to 500 people simultaneously.

He continued by reading from Mark’s Gospel and John’s account, comparing these narratives to explore different perspectives on the resurrection story. Paul discussed the ending of Mark’s Gospel, focusing on the women’s discovery of the empty tomb and their subsequent fear in reporting it. He noted that later
traditions, including Matthew’s account, presented a more joyful response to the resurrection. Paul emphasised the powerful impact of the story, even if one doesn’t believe it literally, and highlighted the significance of Easter hymns like “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” in capturing the pensive and thoughtful nature of the resurrection narrative.

He explained that Mary Magdalene was consistently present in these accounts because she was likely the nearest female relative to Jesus, making her the most likely person to visit his tomb. Paul highlighted the recurring theme that the disciples did not initially recognise Jesus after his resurrection.

Paul discussed historical perspectives on the resurrection, noting that such claims were not uncommon 2,000 years ago and questioned the scientific likelihood of bodily resurrection. He highlighted the unique nature of Jesus’s teachings in the Gospels, emphasizing that despite the beliefs of some followers, there seems to be a disconnect between believing in Jesus as the Son of God and seriously engaging with his teachings about the Kingdom of God, which emphasised radical forgiveness, love for enemies, and a reversal of hierarchical structures.

Paul discussed the concept of the Kingdom of God from a religious perspective, focusing on how Jesus’s teachings about wealth and power contrasted with the later alignment of Christianity with powerful structures. He explained that Jesus’s message about the difficulty of rich people entering heaven through the “eye of the needle” was considered too radical, leading to the church’s eventual shift toward supporting oppressive powers rather than challenging them. Paul noted how the core message about creating a just world often gets lost over time. Paul reflected on Jesus’s final moments and the enduring power of his message, despite his perceived failure at the time. He led the congregation in a hymn about
joy and love, followed by a prayer for those suffering hideous deaths and for religious leaders to speak out for justice and fairness. The prayer also included a request for the country to learn to listen and understand different viewpoints, emphasising the call to love and forgive in the Kingdom of God.

“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anaemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Highlights written by Margaret Robinson at Stockton Unitarians.