Easter Hope

There will be double celebration on Sunday, April 5th but it will also be my birthday! This is only the second time it has occurred in my lifetime, and I will have to wait until 2037 for it to happen again! This is because of the rather complicated way in which the date of Easter is determined. It is usually the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox. This is to make the connection between Easter and the Jewish festival of Passover, which is also based on a lunar calendar and the Spring equinox.

The Gospel narrative describes the events of Holy Week and Easter as taking place at the time of the Jewish festival of Passover. They are two separate events, but both celebrate God's redeeming work. In the Passover, God brings physical freedom from slavery in Egypt and offers a new life in a Promised Land. At Easter, through his Son, God brings spiritual freedom by defeating sin and death on the cross and thus offering a new spiritual life full of endless possibilities.

Knowing that God raised Jesus from the dead changes everything. There is nothing that God cannot do. The Israelites were in an impossible situation in Egypt, when God heard their cry and rescued them from their oppressive rulers. Through Jesus, we too can turn to God when we are in trouble, and through the power of prayer can transform even the most difficult situations with an offering of hope.

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then were they glad when they saw the Lord. Alleluia! (John 20:19-20)

Rev. Tony Rindl, Vicar of St. Leonard's

Eco Church

April is the perfect time to try to grow something edible, or if you are a seasoned gardener, to encourage someone else to try. Salad leaves or herbs are a great place to start. For greenhouses, try sowing salad leaf mixes. For outdoors, beetroot, lettuce, onion and pea plants are frost-resistant so can all be planted outside in April. As you sow, thank God for the opportunity to grow food, and pray for those communities that are facing food shortages and famine.

Dates for you diary

Our Folk

Please pray for those who are sick, housebound, or in care homes: Lesley Farndon, Ethel Gough, Marie Hartley, Shirley Mellish, Patricia Musgrove, Beryl Robinson, Rick Smallwood, Vicky Spedding, Rob Sale and Jim Williams. RIP: Shirley Evers, John Grove, Richard Thornett, Mike Turner, Avril Warwood. Baptism: Paul Edwards, Maxwell Edwards and Oliver Earl are all being baptised on April 12th during the 10:00 am service. We welcome your family int the Church's family. Wedding: Congratulations to Julia Calkiewicz and Joshua Ford, who are being married at St Leonard's on Friday, April 10th. Birthdays: Tony Baldwin(70), Sister Shirley(80), Paul Raymer, Rev. Tony Rindl. Belated congratulations to Val Griffiths, Rita Kendrick and John Halton, all 85. Happy Birthday everyone.

Community News

Heart of England Singers are giving a Spring Concert in St Leonard's on Saturday, April 23rd at 17:00

Marston Green Library is still temporarily closed until April 23rd, to allow for essential works to be carried out. A reduced library service will operate every Thursday at the Baptist Free Church, Land Lane, from 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00, including:

Marston Green 50 Plus

Andrew French makes a return visit on April 13rd to talk about 'Carry On' films; Mary Bodfish is the speaker on April, 27th. Her talk is entitled 'Beer, Bets and Bullbating', which sounds intriguing.

Literary Society

On Friday, April 17th at 19:30 in the Elmdon Lounge, the topic is 'A book by a Foreign Author'. Please bring own drinks and refreshments to share.

The Gardening Club

The meeting will be held on April 20th in the Parish Hall at 19:30 features a talk by Martin Cross: 'Walk on the wild side.' The monthly competition is a one stem Helleborus.