Dear friends,

These are days of wonder. Bulbs and the early blossom give us welcome colour. A splash of warmth brings on the seeds in trays. What are you planting this year? Birds are still on the feeders; yesterday we had a pair of siskins, vibrant yellow streaks on wings and tail, the male with black head. It has been at least a decade since we last saw his kind.

Now that families (two households) can meet outdoors, spare a thought for those who are too far away, or who have no-one, or whose family do not want them.  Remember those for whom a “life in lockdown” is just the way it always is. God sees, and knows the broken hearted.

One of the joys of church is that, for many of us, our fellowship is our family. As God’s children, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. The bonds of the Spirit make us a family, no matter how different we are.

Our celebrations of the risen Jesus for Easter this year will once again be mainly online. Everyone is welcome.

Holy Week and Easter Day services

Maundy Thursday Team Service. Thursday 1st April, 7.30pm.

The Communion of the Last Supper will be on Thursday 1st April at 7.30pm, online. The zoom numbers are 879 0804 7954 and 107463. There’ll be contributions from across the Team, and the celebrant will be myself.

Good Friday Team Service. Friday 2nd April, 3pm

The Good Friday meditation will be led by Revd Linda Smith from 3pm. There will be scripture and prayers on the theme of the Way of the Cross. The zoom numbers are 863 8565 8688 and 865353.    Everyone from across the Team is welcome.

Worship for Easter Sunday, 4th April.

9am Short “live” service of Morning Prayer in Checkendon Church. Booking essential, please, with Revd Kevin.

11am Online Easter Celebration with Revd Kevin. 636 645 195 and passcode 000162. Some great Easter hymns and a eucharist recorded in Checkendon Church.

You will need the zoom app installed on your device (laptop, tablet, phone or PC) – download from https://www.zoom.us.  Just before the appointed time, run the app, click on “join meeting” and enter the meeting number and passcode.

Other online service options can be found on the Langtree Team Ministry Churches website.

You can support Checkendon church and  Stoke Row churches via dedicated and secure online card donation pages. Just click on the link. Please also Gift Aid your donation if you pay any income tax. Thank you !

Easter Holidays

There won’t be one of these mailings from me next week (6th April) nor will there be a service from me on Sunday 11th April.  Enjoy the break!

There are online service options available from the Diocese of Oxford (10am) or the National Church (9am) if you’d like to try something different on Sunday 11th.

The Lent Journey evening meetings conclude tomorrow. There’ve been between fifteen and twenty three of us meeting up every single evening throughout Lent. We started in the wilderness, made our way with Christ to Galilee, and journeyed on to Jerusalem for his Passion. We are bound with Him, and His story. It is this re-telling, and sharing, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, which binds us to each other. Here’s a song we discovered on the way; may it bless you too this Easter tide.

Revd Kevin