Dear friends,

Our Lenten/Easter book study on Archbishop Desmond Tutus’s book, “In God’s Hands” will conclude on Wednesday 27th April at noon with a ‘Lunch and Learn with Bishop Brian Germond’.

All participants in the study, whether they managed to attend every session or not, are invited to attend this final gathering in which Bishop Brian will answer questions that participants have been wondering about, or are curious about following their in depth reading of the book and the life and witness of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

One of the questions Bishop Brian will answer is about the nature of God’s grace and forgiveness and what happened ‘on the ground’ to foster an environment of healing and reconciliation following the darkness of the apartheid years and the violence in them. In his book, Archbishop Tutu writes about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and how South Africans chose peace and reconciliation over ‘rage and revenge’ thus averting a blood bath and a civil war. Yet forgiveness is never a straight line and reconciliation isn’t always easy. How can we learn from the example set in South Africa?

At the start of the book study in an online gathering Bishop Brian, who worked closely for a number of years with Archbishop Tutu, introduced us to the ‘Arch’s’ disciplined prayer life, the central role of the Scriptures in his ministry as a priest, pastor and prophet in apartheid South Africa and in the new democracy. In his teaching this Wednesday, Bishop Brian will tell us more about how to grow a Rule of Life and who some of his teachers in the faith have been.

The Zoom link will be sent out to all incumbents on Tuesday 26th April. Please check with your incumbent to obtain the link.

Looking forward to welcoming you all to this gathering in the second week of Easter.

+Anne