The Wonder of the Cross – 40 Days with the Music of Vicky Beeching

Easter Day – Hallelujah What A Saviour

To Read: 

From the Scriptures:

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.     (John 20v1)

From Vicky Beeching:

Hallelujah What A Saviour

God of heaven, You descended
For all of our sin and shame
Hands so holy offer healing
For every scar and stain
And we bow down, we bow down

Holy King of angel armies
Hanging between two thieves
Holy feet that walk the heavens
Nailed upon a tree
And we bow down, we bow down

Chorus

Chorus

To Listen:     Hallelujah What a Saviour by Vicky Beeching

To Reflect:

A few final words as we need to be doing other things today (see below under ‘To Do’) and I really hope many of you don’t even read these words until later in the week.

Have you ever asked yourself how on that first Easter Morning the apostle Mary Magdalene found her way to the tomb?  John’s gospel, which has the three themes of ‘Light, Life and Love’ seems to go out of his way to deliberately mention darkness.  Something he also did a few days earlier towards the end of the Last Supper (John 13v29-31).  Mary had no street lights to guide her.  She had no one to walk with her to keep her from stumbling.  Frightened of the authorities she probably kept as much in the dark as she could.  And then, when she reaches her goal, she finds an even deeper darkness.  The gaping maw of an empty tomb from which no light shines.

And yet, soon afterwards the darkness is turned to an eternal dawn when she hears a familiar voice whisper her name ‘Mary’….  I sometimes wonder how Jesus spoke her name.  I’m sure it wasn’t a loud call.  I’m certain it was a gentle tender call, perhaps almost a whisper.  Much like the famous quote from 4-year-old Billy on the internet;

My beloved friends on this Easter Day, and every day, may you hear the gentle whisper of our Beloved calling your name and now that for now and for eternity you are safe.  And in that knowledge with Vicky sing ‘Hallelujah What a Saviour!’

To Pray:

To Do: 

• Eat Chocolate – see the link to ‘Light, Life and Love’ above.
• Eat Hot Cross Buns
• Smile and Sing

oooOOOooo

If you would like to find out more about Vicky and her work here is a link to her Wikipedia entry.  

For a fuller picture her autobiography ‘Undivided’ is highly recommended

Please Note:  These reflections are also published on my blog: suffolkvicarhomes.com  on Bluesky as @suffolkvicar.bsky.social, and on my public Facebook page  Suffolk Vicar – Rev Andrew Dotchin. 

If you would like them as a daily email please send a request to revdotchin@gmail.com

If you have enjoyed reading them please make a donation to The Clergy Support Trust  who provide generous grants to help clergy.

Acknowledgements:

These Reflections, ‘The Wonder of the Cross – 40 Days with the Music of Vicky Beaching’ are copyright © Andrew Dotchin 2026 and may be reproduced without charge on condition that their source is acknowledged.

All of the music on the video clips are from YouTube and are © Vicky Beeching.  

If you enjoy listening to her songs please consider buying her recordings.  A full discography and other information about Vicky can be found on her website vickybeeching.com.

Scripture quotations are from The New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.  Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Prayers are from A Diary of Prayer compiled by Elizabeth Goudge and are copyright © 1966 The Estate of Elizabeth Goudge.