A Happy English Easter

We have had a very good English Easter. We've been drinking in the signs of spring over the past several weeks, especially the ubiquitous bright yellow daffodils set against the green grass, and similar images that are not part of our typical experience of this time of year. This has enhanced the themes of "life" and "joy" that are so much a part of the Easter message.

Our Easter weekend began with our traditional family seder meal on Maundy Thursday evening, this year joined by our good friends Jon and Su from Coventry. Good Friday was also Michael's birthday, so we spent much of the day celebrating that, though we joined our temporary church family for the Good Friday evening service. On Saturday we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon and evening with some other good friends, Nigel and Michelle and their family from here in Birmingham.

Easter Sunday morning was filled with the sounds of church bells, announcing the high holy day of the Christian year. The children had their Easter hunt and spoiled their appetites for the day. For church we had decided to attend the local Methodist church instead of our usual one, and there we participated in a nice service which included some good old Methodist Easter hymns (part of the reason we went there!). After church we took some family self-portraits--in what seems to have become an Easter tradition--and here's one of our efforts.

All in all, a very good Easter weekend with family and friends, with many opportunities to remember and to reflect on the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection.