Dear friends

Hallelujah !        Christ is risen !

A very warm welcome to you all for our Easter Day celebrations across the Langtree Team Ministry area. A special welcome to any guests and visitors with us for the first time, and those returning to visit family or friends. Please do come and make yourselves known to your minister.

On this day more than any other we stand in solidarity with Christians around the world, especially those who are persecuted for their faith.

We share the grief of the Coptic Christian community in Egypt who are defenceless against the mindless violence of those who believe that their god is served by death and bloodshed.

Leaving aside the question of whether it is the same God whom we serve, (and there is a debate to be had on that point) the resurrection of Christ is God’s way of saying “enough is enough” to the wickedness of a world which believes in violence and the finality of death.

On Easter morning, the love of God was revealed in Christ, and the most bloody and violent act of all was revealed to have been the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. As far as God is concerned, no more blood is necessary and has not been for two thousand years.

A reminder for your diaries that our next Team service will be on Sunday 30th April, at St Mary’s Whitchurch on Thames at 10.30am. This is a fifth Sunday, so there will be no other main morning services around the Team area on that morning – in two weeks time.

Hallelujah ! Christ is risen !

Let there be joy in the house of the Lord !

Your Rector                                                            Revd Canon Kevin Davies