Meet the Bishop

Dear friends,

This Wednesday (tomorrow)  you have an opportunity to meet and question Bishop Stephen Croft, Bishop of Oxford, at Shiplake Church, from 7.30pm. Whether you want to ask him about his priorities for the Diocese, the Christ Church affair, or how the economic crisis is affecting your church, do take this opportunity to have your say. Parking for the church is available in Shiplake College. The Bishop will be “on progress” through the Henley Deanery that day, and the evening meeting is an open house for all.

Worship Services for Sunday 22nd May

9.30am Holy Communion at St John’s Stoke Row with Revd John Blair

11am Holy Communion at Checkendon Church with Revds Kevin Davies and Emma Lowth. Come hear Emma share her experiences of working with refugees in London.

6.30pm-7pm. Together at Home. An online evening service with Revd Kevin Davies.  Zoom numbers 636 645 195 and passcode 000162. Music, prayers, and a word from Mark’s gospel.

Other service options for elsewhere in the Team can be found on the Langtree Team Ministry Churches website. Do join us for worship either in person, or online, or both. Don’t forget that you now can support both Checkendon  and  Stoke Row churches via dedicated and secure online card donation pages. Just click on the link. It is very easy! Thank you!

Sunday, 29th May

An important Team Service for everyone at St Leonard’s Woodcote, at 10.30am, led by Revd Linda Smith. There will be no services that day elsewhere in the Team, so lets make the most of the chance to meet together and raise the  roof with our praises on Sunday next.

It is the time of the year when gardeners eye the forecast, look at their tender plants, and “make a call”. Is it the right time to plant those carefully nurtured beans, or bedding? Or is there still a risk of a stinging late frost? Answers on a postcard, please! Of course there are other factors; sometimes the only available day is not the most favourable, and life once again becomes the usual knot of wavering compromises. The trouble is, too much compromise and wavering leads to inertia, and there comes a point when they just have to go out, and take their chances. A lesson for church and society too, I think.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. Thank you for your support for all our churches. Fans of Aled Jones will enjoy this version of John Rutter’s Gaelic blessing, sung with choristers from the Cathedrals of the UK.

Revd Kevin