VICAR'S LETTER.

My dear People,-

With this month comes the great Festival of Easter. It is the chief Festival of our Church, and round the Doctrine of the Resurrection of our Saviour is centred our highest hope. As St. Paul writes, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain (or empty) and your faith is also vain." But we know the Christian Church had its birth in the preaching of Christ risen from the dead, preached by men who had seen Jesus alive. They were certain of this fact or they would never have preached it, for this preaching meant bitter persecution and for all but one of the Apostles, a death by martyrdom. Men do not lightly give their lives or even seek to incur suffering for a phantasy. The Resurrection is a great fact attested by history. It answers our problem of the deeper meaning of life. All of us have lost someone here we loved and all of us surely believe we shall meet again in the life beyond, purified, spiritualised, and glorified in an eternal existence. That makes the joy of Easter. As is my duty, I invite you all who are communicant to come to God's board at this Festival. The Church has not many fixed rules, but one rigid rule is that all her communicants shall partake of the Holy Communion at Easter. This is a fixed rule throughout the Church everywhere, not only in the English Church, but in every branch of the Universal Church wherever it is found.

All should come prepared in body, heart, and spirit. Lent ought to be a help for this. Good Friday, coming just before Easter, is a reminder of what Christ did for us by his death on the Cross. To know the meaning of Good Friday is to make Easter real. The Christ we receive in Sacrament is the living, ascended Christ, alive for evermore, Who imparts His immortal life to us thereby - a pledge of our own immortality.

So I invite you to come and wish you all a happy Easter in the confidence of the Resurrection of our Lord.

Your sincerely,

CECIL G. MUTTER.

SERVICES.

Holy Week (Monday to Thursday) -

Morning Service daily at 10 a.m.

Thursday Service at 7.30 p.m., which will take the form of preparation for Easter Communion.

Good Friday -

11 a.m. Matins, Liturgy, and Sermon.

3 p.m. Children's Service.

7 p.m. Evening Service.

Easter Day -

Holy Communion, 6.30, 8, and following the 11 a.m. Service.

Children's Service, with offerings of Lenten savings for Waifs and Strays at 3 p.m.

Evensong and Sermon at 6.30 p.m.

The Vicar will gladly give Communion to any persons who cannot get to Church if they will let him know.

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held in the Schoolroom on Easter Tuesday at 7.30 p.m. All parishioners are invited.

Business: Presentation of Annual Accounts: Election of Wardens, Sidesmen, and the Parochial Church Council. Come and show your interest in your own Church's work in Hartlip.

CONFIRMATION.

The Bishop of Dover comes this year to Stockbury Church for the District Confirmation. The date is the evening of May 23rd. Candidates should give in their names to the Vicar without delay. Classes begin the first week in April.

MARRIAGE.

March 9th - Sydney Charles Bowles to Dorothy Elizabeth Munn.

HIS MAJESTY'S SILVER JUBILEE.

May 6th, will witness the completion of twenty-five years of King George's reign. The chief act of the King and Queen will on that day be a service in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, there to give thanks to God for all His mercies and good providence. Following this for some days all sorts of rejoicings and jubilations will take place. All our Churches and Chapels are asked to have services so that the King's loyal subjects may be united with their monarch in prayer and thanksgiving. Hartlip will take its place.

A Committee for the village has been set up to make arrangements for our local celebrations on this memorable occasion. Full details of what can be done will be published later.