From the Vicar

I hope everyone enjoyed a very happy, peaceful and blessed Easter – and, as I said at the

services on Easter Day, it was such a joy to be able to meet again in person to celebrate the

most important festival in the Church. I am writing this letter on the day when, across much

of Europe, Orthodox and Eastern rite Catholic Christians are celebrating Easter – and my

hope and prayer is that the joy and hope of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead will bring

great comfort, peace and hope in a very troubled part of our world.

For all of us, Easter is the rock and foundation stone of our faith as Christians – the faith that

we try to live out each day of our lives, in whatever circumstances or situations we find

ourselves. And just as the angels – those two figures dressed in white outside the tomb –

brought news of this wondrous and history changing event to Jesus’ followers, so too are

we, in our own ways, messengers (angels) to others of that good news.

A number of things have struck me this Eastertide – Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is being

rebuilt following the devastating fire in 2019, at Easter, and the rebirth of Churches and

worship and community life is taking place in many parts of Iraq, following the ravages of

the Islamic State terror of a few years ago. The worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic is being

brought slowly under control, in spite of new variants and outbreaks and restrictions, and

people are working day and night to bring about an end to the violence in the Ukraine, and

to try and deal with the displacement of people on a scale not seen in Europe since the

Second World War.

And in the midst of all of this it is Easter – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead – that

brings new life and hope to so many people and communities across our troubled and

divided world – and we can all play a part in the unfolding drama/story of our time, through

prayer and action, as individuals and as churches, as sisters and brothers of a worldwide

family, built on the strong foundations of faith, hope and love.

In our small part of God’s kingdom, much is happening – and in May we, with Bishop Julie,

will be welcoming Christina as our new Associate Minister, giving thanks for all Jenny’s work

as she comes to the end of her Curacy, and gathering together with Bishop Sam at

Rogationtide to give thanks for the beautiful countryside in which we live, and to pray for

God’s blessing upon the land and the newly planted crops. We will also continue to support,

through collections and donations, the work of assisting Ukrainian refugees in this country,

and further afield. In whatever we do, let us make it our business to ensure that the Easter

story lives and continues in us, acknowledging that it is our responsibility, and our deep joy,

to make sure, in every way possible, that we convey to those around us, near and far, that

the new life and hope of Jesus’ resurrection is both life changing and transformative –

definitely not “an idle tale” but very much “the most wonderful story ever told”!

May God bless each one of us in this coming month.

The Revd Alec Brown.

Vicar of Great Budworth and Priest-in-Charge of Antrobus.