Blessings from the Vicarage

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we come into Advent (the beginning of the Christian year) which looks towards Christmas, I often look back on the past year to recap how it has been for Mark and me personally, for the church and village, for our country and for the world. I do this in order to decide and plan how I would like next year to be, if possible. However, that is a bit like my prayer life – I go into the church in the morning and my final daily prayer is about what I have on for the day, asking for God to walk with me throughout it: Rather amusingly, when I return for evening prayer, I often say, “Goodness me, Lord, what a day!”

Well, what a year 2024 has been thus far…

Mark and I have striven to support our growing family – stretching ourselves between an elderly mother, our children and grandchildren (like so many people of our age); we have also tried to become more self-sufficient, becoming like Tom and Barbara Good by growing our own vegetables, which I am happy to say has been great fun and our first harvest was fabulous!

Church life has been full and frenetic as always. Thankfully we have had a churchwarden since April, which has enabled much updating of systems and getting a backlog of administration and actions sorted with our wonderful P. C. C., fabric committee and gardeners and all other volunteers. We have had wonderful weddings, energetic baptisms and thoughtful funerals throughout the year. We have had deeply spiritual and moving services throughout Holy Week and Easter, Pentecost, for Harvest, All Saints, All Souls, and Remembrance Sunday, for which I am truly grateful to our dedicated and incredible bell ringers, choir and organist. We have learnt diversely and incrementally throughout the year with our educational forum and through Bible Study. We have the pleasure of having a curate since 1st September– Rev’d Dave Camp – who is ‘learning the ropes’, as it were, and so far, has settled in very well and is amazed at all we achieve here. No less than 17 people were confirmed in the Christian faith in a joyful service in November. We have worked hard to fundraise to keep both churches going, and there is more in December with wreath making on 11th December in the evening at the Good Shepherd, and with the Vivaldi singers coming to sing Christmas Medleys at St Mary’s church at 6pm on Saturday 14th December. Coming up I’m doing ‘Stations of the Nativity’ for our Advent course on 28th Nov, 5th and 12th December at 7.30pm in St Mary’s church hall. I am so looking forward to the Advent carol service, Christingle, Carols at the RBL, the Christmas carol service, and the Crib and Midnight Mass services, and of course, I have something different but involving all, planned as always for Christmas Day!

Our country and the world have seen many changes in 2024 – mainly to do with leadership. After the national elections our government totally changed and the impact of this continues as different policies and laws come into action. The same has happened in America and we have yet to understand the outcome of this, especially regarding global interactions and the impact on future peace. After an investigation regarding long term unresolved sexual abuses by a Bishop in the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury has recently resigned, which will require great and prayerful discernment to choose his successor in order to steer the Church to encompass both spiritual and secular life in the future.

So much has already happened in 2024, and so there is more to be done now and into 2025 because the world seems so much less stable and less secure, and violence and wars so need to cease. We need to live in hope and work together, loving and caring for each other more and so I will continue to pray that God will walk with us throughout these changeable times, and that, at Christmas, we may learn from his Son Jesus Christ who came to us as a little child and taught us how to share the greatest love and hope of all…

With love and prayers,

Jane

PS. Looking to the future, I will be completing the ‘Stations of Nativity Advent’ course on 9th January, 7.30pm in St Mary’s Church Hall.

PPS: As we will be unable to have Holy Land pilgrimages in the future, I am organising a 5 day/4 night retreat at Ladywell, Godalming from 20th- 24th January inclusive. An interactive journey from Bethlehem to Galilee with all that happened in Jerusalem in between will be experienced. The cost will be £380 which includes bed, board and food. It will be both enjoyable and spiritual – see posters in church. Places are limited to 20. Please contact Rev Jane directly.