General News of Sunday, 23 March 2008

Source: GNA

Easter - Cape Coast

Christians in the Cape Coast Metropolis on Sunday held church services, conventions and crusades to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ more than 2000 years ago.

Most of the churches were filled to capacity with extra seating arranged outside the church halls to accommodate the large congregations who were mainly clad in white to signify their joy and the new life the resurrection of Jesus Christ has brought to them.

In a sermon at the St Joseph Catholic church, Reverend Fr. Samuel Asantey, urged Christians to use the new life the resurrection of Jesus has brought into their lives and the world to be firm in God and whatever they do and eschew vices that would bring division and confusion in the society.

He said, the day should bring blessing, love, peace, forgiveness and the fear of God among Christians and urged them to change their attitude towards work and the service of God to enable them to be true followers of Christ.

"Let us begin this day with the new life Jesus revealed to us through his resurrection and let this new life reflect in whatever we do or say".

The occasion was used to launch the annual harvest of the church with a target of GH¢ 10,000 The Reverend Wilberforce Wireko, Presiding Elder of the AME Zion Church also said the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was to usher Christians into a new life and called on Christians to be guided with good conscience to do what is right and good for the betterment of society.

He said they should therefore, eschew lies, backbiting, acrimony, division, bribery and corruption and urged them not to use the occasion for only merry making but reflect on the main theme of love and sacrifice towards their neighbours. Rev. Wireko urged Christians to cultivate the spirit of tolerance and endurance to be able to love even political opponents, especially in this election year.

He also asked them to be circumspect in their speeches during political rallies and not to say things that would inflame passions and create disharmony.

"Our common desire is to build our country through different methods or approaches and we should tolerate one another even in the face of intense provocation in this post-jubilee-year. At the Cape Coast branch of the Victory Bible Church International, the head Pastor, Rev. Richard Ampedu-Duku also appealed to Ghanaians to use the occasion to foster peaceful relationship among themselves. He said the death and resurrection of Christ was to share love, peace and joy as well as reconciliation for the total deliverance of man. Rev. Ampedu-Duku, in that regard, urged all, particularly Christians to exhibit those virtues to help promote peace at all times.