Dear Friends,
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Greetings from Baghdad.
First of all I want to express my sincerest best wishes and blessings to all who celebrate Pesach. Chag Sameach. May this season of liberation bring you freedom, peace and hope.
This weekend has been one of wonderful worship for our Anglican Community here in Baghdad. We have had several services in St Georges and a wonderful one in the US Embassy as well. Our Friday service had to be postponed because of the final election results. Once announced there was a huge amount of firing in celebration, when you fire in the air the bullets do have to come down.
The Palm Sunday service is always one of the most flamboyant and jubilant of the year. Our celebration today was the most incredible we have experienced. Six hundred palm crosses were waved alongside hundreds of olive branches. As part of our celebration we processed around our church compound, which is large, but even then the train of people went around the whole compound well before all had even left the Church! The singing as we marched was simply phenomenal; as was the rest of the service. The plea for G-d to save us now is so real here.
The likely political changes here have presented new challenges. We are viewing them all positively and there are many new opportunities. In the next few weeks I am sure I will be telling you a lot more about them. The next few days will be very significant regarding our inter-religious engagement work. Tomorrow we have a very key meeting with a command of US troops who wants to get some religious engagement underway before they leave.
My priority now is Holy Week as we prepare to commemorate leading up to the great day of Resurrection. For all of us in Iraq this is a serious week of fasting, prayer and worship. May all of you know the blessings of our crucified and risen Lord at this time.
Grace, Peace and Blessings,
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