Celebrate Easter with the Church of Scotland

Published on 9 April 2020

Easter may not look the same this year as it has in years gone by at your local church, but people across the length and breadth of the Kirk are working hard to ensure that we're all still able to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ as we approach Easter Sunday.

Man holding a cross outdoors at sunset
Many local churches will be streaming their Easter Sunday worship services online, and a televised service will also be shown on BBC One Scotland on Easter Sunday.

Here are just some of the ways you can stay connected over the Easter weekend:

Online

Television

BBC One Scotland's ‘Reflections at the Quay' will offer a half-hour televised ecumenical service featuring Rt Rev Colin Sinclair and Archbishop Leo Cushley at 12pm. You can catch up with the last episode on BBC iPlayer.

Drama Kirk's Passion Play

Rt Rev Colin Sinclair
Rt Rev Colin Sinclair will be featuring in the Easter Sunday episode of Reflections at the Quay on BBC One Scotland.

Drama Kirk might not be taking to the streets of Hamilton and East Kilbride as planned this year to share ‘The Passion of Jesus' with their local communities, but they have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure they can still bring The Passion to Lanarkshire – and beyond.

A smaller-scale version of the play has been recorded and will be broadcast on YouTube for everyone to watch for free on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.

‘The Passion of Jesus' will be broadcast on Hamilton Old Parish Church's YouTube channel on:

  • Good Friday (Friday 10 April) from 3:15pm until 4:15pm
  • Easter Saturday (Saturday 11 April) from 2:30pm-3:30pm

Drama Kirk hopes to have British Sign Language interpretation during the Easter Saturday performance.

Local church services

Many local churches across the Church of Scotland will also be streaming their Easter Sunday worship services online.

For a list of some of those who are regularly streaming services through video, audio or catch-up, please visit our Kirk Services Online page.

As many churches are new to offering online worship it is also worth checking your local church's website or social media channels to see what they are offering during this time.

Sanctuary First

Sanctuary First, an online worshipping community led by Very Rev Albert Bogle, is running the following events this weekend and over the coming weeks:

  • On Good Friday from 9pm-10pm: A live chat show, The Friday Night Review, goes out live on the Sanctuary First Facebook page. This is also streamed live to the Sanctuary First website.
  • On Easter Sunday from 3pm: Sanctuary First's Easter Sunday service will be available to stream live on their website.
  • Every day from 10am-12pm: The newly launched Virtual Coffee Shop is running. To find out more or how to get involved, please email Very Rev Albert Bogle.

‘The Internet Passion'

On Good Friday, Rev Dr Robin Hill, minister for Gladsmuir and Longniddry parish churches in East Lothian and member of the much-loved Heart & Soul Swing Band, will be hosting ‘The Internet Passion'; a combination of Bible readings, music and narration. Its purpose is to present St Mark's account of Holy Week in a new light.

Rev Dr Robin Hill playing a saxophone
Rev Dr Robin Hill, who performs with the Heart & Soul Swing Band, will be broadcasting 'The Internet Passion' on Good Friday. Photo © Willie Ewan.

The original intention had been to mark Good Friday with a large-scale event with the 20-piece Heart & Soul Swing Band, combining Bible readings, dramatic narrations and an original set of 12-bar blues instrumentals, entitled ‘The Blues Passion', before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their plans.

Now, Robin has come up with creative high-tech ways of combining contributions from a variety of musicians, sound engineers, singers and church members.

"It's been quite a journey," said Robin.

"Everyone involved in creating ‘The Internet Passion' hopes that listeners near and far will feel part of a wider congregation as, together, we walk the way of Jesus through the story of Holy Week."

‘The Internet Passion' will be available from Good Friday on the Longniddry Parish Church website.

Keep up to date with our COVID-19 guidance

For more information and advice, please keep up to date with our ‘Advice for Churches: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)' web page. This dedicated section of the website will be constantly monitored and revised as new guidance is issued from the Scottish and UK Governments.

We're always interested to hear what our local churches are up to, so if you'd like to share what your church is doing to support your communities during this time, please email Media Relations.

We can't promise we will be able to use your news, but we are always appreciative of keeping in touch with our congregations.

If there is something you would particularly like more information on let us know, too, and we will try to signpost you to the right place.