Show celebrates deeper meaning for Easter festivities

Easter is the most important Christian holiday and is about much more than bunnies and Easter eggs, says lay minister Meg Hartfield.

She and her husband, the Reverend Dr Jonathan Hartfield, have co-ordinated the Combined Churches Easter Exhibition at Wanganui's Community Arts Centre. It's on until this Sunday and Mrs Hartfield hopes it will at least sow a seed in people's minds about the events that Easter celebrates, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago.

The show at the Arts Centre includes several of Mrs Hartfield's hand-stitched banners and her self-illustrated booklet of poems, From Darkness Into Light.

It was printed in 2010 and chronicles Jesus's life from his Last Supper to his crucifixion, burial and resurrection. It's a story she finds moving.

She also made about 45 large and colourful banners. Some were hanging at Wanganui's Christ Church, some were in this exhibition and some were in other churches or brought out for special occasions.

They each had a message.

"In the old days, they had stained glass windows to tell the story. I like colour in the church, and visual art as well as words and music," she said.

The show also includes pieces from the members of about eight Wanganui churches, mainly on an Easter theme.

Some is from members of the Wanganui Arts Society and some is from children in Rei Hendry's art classes. This is the third Easter-themed show for the arts centre in the past five years.

The Hartfields said they were also involved with a three-hour Good Friday service at Christ Church, which included music, poetry and readings and also told the story of Jesus' final hours, death and resurrection.