Dear FriendsWomen BishopsThe PCC had a good discussion about this, hearing views expressed at each of the Church Forums. We also debated a suggestion from the Forum at St Peters to hold a referendum of all those on the Electoral Roll. We decided against this, not only because those elected to the Council are required to exercise their own judgement on this (as in other) issue, but also because there had been reasonable opportunity through the recent round of Church Forums for everyone to express their views. The outcome of our discussion was to send our Deanery Synod... Read more...
Dear FriendsEaster is only just behind us, yet another exciting and important period lies ahead: both within our own churches and more broadly for the Church of England.OrdinationsMarion Pyke and Graeme Fancourt will be ordained priest at 10.30am on Sunday 26 June in Reading Minster. We have 70 tickets allocated to the parish and if you would like one please contact Caroline in the office. They will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.So the diary across the parish for Sunday 26 June will be:8.00 am at St Peter
Holy Communion... Read more...
Dear FriendsEasterI am constantly amazed how Christmas disappears from “The High Street” just as we should start singing carols. Easter hasn’t become quite as commercialised yet, but I fear it’s not that far away. Let’s remember that Easter Day is the start of a period when we celebrate the joy of the resurrection; and that right through to Pentecost we should proclaim “Happy Easter”.Easter Day ServicesI know we mustn’t get fixated by numbers; however all our churches were fuller than normal and fuller than last year. There really are people around here... Read more...
Dear FriendsHoly WeekI don’t know how your Lenten discipline is going, but whether or not you’ve kept it up there’s another chance to deepen your relationship with God around the corner: Holy Week. All the churches have their plans in place to provide opportunities to explore the wonder and the mystery, the passion and the pain of that Rollercoaster Week: from “Hosanna” to “Crucify” in five days. Who says the Christian faith has no understanding of what it means to live in the ‘real world’: we live our faith amongst ‘real’ human beings who are... Read more...
Dear Friends“Thank You” and “Sorry”I was brought up to believe that it’s never too late to say “Thank you” and always right to say “Sorry”. So, to those who have let me know that these letters are appreciated, can I say a most heartfelt “Thank you”; and to those who have reminded me that I said I would try to write them monthly, can I say an equally heartfelt “Sorry”!! I’d like to list a string of valid and wonderful reasons why I have been prevented from putting pen to paper, but I have none! It... Read more...
