Sunday Letter

 

Benefice of St Mary’s Chard, Combe St Nicholas,

Wambrook and Whitestaunton

 

Trinity Eight 25^th July 2021

 

Hi everyone,

 

Rev Ann and myself worked out yesterday that we have written between us 68 weekly letters since we went into lockdown, we trust they have been in some small measure a fruitful resource, they have certainly seen us through some interesting times.

 

I am about to go on my Sabbatical which will last from 1^st August until 1^st Nov so this seemed a good moment to move from weekly to monthly letters, plus more of you will hopefully feel able to return slowly but surely to Church.

 

A Sabbatical, is part of the church’s provision for ongoing learning and theological reflection. It is not an extended holiday but rather a period of time away from the parishes, thereby creating a space in which the aim is to achieve a balance of rest, travel, study and reflection, it is an opportunity to discover fresh vision, to be surprised, I hope and to come back refreshed and sustained. I am going to spend time exploring Celtic spirituality in more depth and visiting some of our Celtic heritage islands to connect physically and spiritually with our forefathers in Christ, plus there will be spinning, and knitting involved too. I will continue to think and pray for you while I am away and look forward to sharing some of my experience with you on my return.

 

This Sunday we are hoping weather permitting to hold our Prayer and Praise Picnic in the field up at Ham, kindly given for the event by Mark Edwards.

When we organised it for this Sunday the reading from John wasn’t a factor in the date, so there is a certain parallel or symbolism in coming together, in sitting on the side of a hill, sharing bread and food together, hearing God’s word and praising him. We will not find ourselves short of food, for that we should be thankful, I hope that some of the earnestness that brought people to sit and hear Jesus will be with us, but each of us will bring that in our own unique way of journeying with Christ.

The Gospel talks about the feeding of the five thousand men plus all the women and children as well, this is a truly magnificent occurrence in the lives of those present and a miracle we have spent much time pondering upon down through the ages. The crowd were following Jesus looking for more outpourings of the many healings they had seen and received. They have begun to focus on proclaiming him a prophet, Jesus needs after the meal to go away, to be aside so they cannot achieve the short-sighted gain of making him a king on earth. He spends the time away alone, and returns after dark to the disciples walking across the water to the boat. It is such an awesome story of one day in the life of Jesus, it must have been such a privilege to travel with him whilst being the most scary and tiring experience too.

And yet we do travel with him, he is present amongst us, he will be there on the hillside, he will be present as we break bread, and eat, and talk, as we sustain each other in prayer, and comfort, and hope. Not just on the hillside but each day of our lives, when we meet in Church or over the gate, at the shops, on a walk. The bread of life sustaining and keeping us expectant of God’s love to be amongst us all, Jesus leaving the Lord’s prayer enabling and inviting us to look for the needs of the day, not tomorrow and only enough for the day, something we often forget to focus on.

 

When we see the way that Jesus treated people, one thing is clear. He liked them. He had compassion on them and cared for them. There were some people he had problems with, but only because they were religious hypocrites and thought better of themselves than everybody else, Jesus gave people time and effort and energy.

 

I love the beginning of our reading from Ephesians and leave it here as a prayer offering for us all.

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.    Be Blessed Rev Georgina

 

Each morning and each evening

let the peace of the Father, be ours.

Each day and each night

let the peace of the Son be ours.

Each dawn and each dusk

let the peace of the Spirit be ours.

Let the blessing of the three in one be ours;

both now and for ever. Amen. Carmina Gadelica

Wilder Churches at Whitestaunton

 

At Whitestaunton Church we are taking part in an exciting initiative run by Somerset Wildlife Trust and the Diocese of Bath and Wells, which is providing free online training and support to help communities take action for wildlife in their churchyard (or other church land or burial ground).

We are starting by getting to know what wildlife the churchyard already supports by doing a survey of the wildlife in the churchyard.  So plants can grow and attract wildlife to the churchyard, we are leaving a small plot of grass on the bank at the back of the churchyard unmown between May and August.   The rest of the churchyard will continue to be mown as usual by our voluntary mowing team (to whom we are very grateful).

We will give you updates on our progress and please do let Jane (details below) know if you spot any interesting wildlife when you are visiting the churchyard.

So far in the grassy bank we have spotted:  ribwort plantain, common ragwort, dandelion, lords and ladies, lesser celandine, hogweed, common cleavers and germander speedwell.  

We have also spotted honeybees and red-tailed mason bees near the path.

Please do get in touch if you have questions or queries by contacting Whitestaunton’s Wilder Churches Champion: Jane Harris at janeharris334@gmail.com

Find out more about Wilder Churches at www.somersetwildlife.org/wilder-churches where you can also watch recordings of the online events held so far and sign up to events.

Sunday Letter

 Trinity Seven. 18th July 2021 

Dear Friends

 It seems we are now enjoying some lovely summer weather and we are looking forward to Monday and the new freedoms it will bring us, even although they may be cautious ones. One great joy will be singing in church again. We have been living through a long winter, both physically and in our hearts and will we know what to do with this summer season? Summer usually brings vitality, connectedness, rest. The opposite of winter—where God and friends feel distant and death and darkness close at hand—in the summer of the heart, God and others draw intimately near, light and life surround us. The heart in summer is a taste of the kingdom of God, a savoury morsel of heaven, sweet and brief, where God, fully present, shines light day and night, and that light affects and blesses all those it touches. The prophet Zechariah describes the summer of the heart as a city, Jerusalem. He was writing to a people who are returning and rebuilding their lives after decades in exile, prisoners of war, and so we too are rebuilding our lives after what seems like an exile, and long also for a new summer of the heart. As I said, summer is a foretaste of the feast to come, a kingdom that is now but not yet. That’s summer. What are we to do, when we are blessed to find ourselves in it? 1 1. Do enjoy: play, rest, enjoy God and others, without reserve and without apology. Many of us carry a residue of Protestant angst, that makes us feel guilty when we really enjoy ourselves, yet, we have a Saviour whose first miracle was to turn water into wine for no greater reason than that the party might go on. 2. Don’t rush: Kingdom living is not hurried. Some of us may feel the pressure to rush around now arranging reunions and weddings and parties and holidays. This summer once we have been released from our long winter that may be a temptation too. To fit it all in. To say yes to everything we are asked of, whether we are called to it or not. But, in this summer of your heart, don’t be tempted to fill up your calendar, remember some of the slower pace of life which we became accustomed to because of the circumstances of the past 16 months and continue to find that peace in which the presence of God is vivid and real. 3. Delight in abundance: in the summertime of the heart, God’s blessings are clear and many and can fill you with joy. Delight in and continue to treasure the gifts of summer, in our gardens, parks and countryside. For consumerism—the sin always around the corner in our culture—will try to convince you, even in summer, to chase what you lack instead of enjoy what you have. But we are called to a form of living in summer that instead of craving and complaining, is about giving and thanksgiving. Delight. Give thanks in summer. 4. Finally, continue to hydrate: resting and playing are good in summer. But one thing any coach will tell you—it applies to sports as well as spiritual life - drink enough water! That is, nourish your life of prayer and the Word. As the psalmist says, ‘our souls thirst for the living God, and ask’ (even in summer) ‘when can we meet with God’ in prayer and worship, service and praise. Summer is a foretaste of the feast to come. The kingdom of God near, for a season. 2 And the beauty is when the hearts summer comes to you, recognise it, enjoy it, slow down, soak it up, delight in the abundance, continue to connect to God’s word. Give thanks for this season and the opportunity it gives us to praise God, enjoy his creation and open up our winter souls to the light. We need this more than ever. 

Every blessing Ann 

NB: Next week’s letter and sheet will be the last weekly delivery. We have been keeping these going every week for fifteen months now and feel it is time to reduce the regularity. We will continue to produce something each month which will be delivered in the same way and, hopefully, will include other things to keep you connected with your church family.

Sunday Letter

 Trinity Six    11^th July 2021

 

Hi everyone,

 

What a mixture of weather we have been having this week, we continue to remember in our prayers those who have lost home and possessions because of last Monday’s floods. The plus for us is the sudden growth spurt in the garden and trying to keep up with the fruit as it ripens.

 

The story this week from Mark brought to mind my childhood, do you remember when you did something that maybe you shouldn’t of and somehow your mum, or significant other in life, knew exactly what you had been up to! I never could quite work out how did she find out what I had said or done; it was a complete mystery. When I became a mother myself I discovered the secret.

 

There is also a saying isn’t there “be sure your sins will find you out” and I am sure that Herod had that quite prominently in his mind when he heard about the way Jesus was gaining a following. The stories of his disciples going out and proclaiming the good news and bringing healing to some of the afflicted. He was sure John the Baptist had come back, wonder if he was scared or just worried about what was to come?

 

The great historian Josephus recorded at the time, that the local population were quite indignant with Herod Antipas for killing John, whom they regarded as an honourable and true prophet of repentance. Then three years later, the father of Antipas’s first divorced wife, King Aretas of Nabataea, invaded Antipas’s western territory and massacred his army. The populace saw in this defeat God’s revenge on Herod for his crime. Everyone recognised that John died merely because he had spoken the truth: “it is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife”. But this was the truth that the powerful did not want to hear”.

The people had held the story of Herod’s actions and would have seen this as his comeuppance.

Prophets can condemn kings and rulers, as well as those who cheat on their wives. They are concerned about the life of nations, they will also condemn those who steal from the poor, or those who do not practice decent morals.  There is no point threatening a prophet and hoping they will go away quietly, God has empowered and compelled them to speak and all human power is redundant.

This is not Herod the Great who indifferently slaughtered his wives, his offspring, and Bethlehem’s babies, but his son Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee — Herod "the fox", according to Jesus (Luke 13.32).
His sin was to have married someone too closely related to him, a woman who was both his sister-in-law and his niece. The old Book of Common Prayer has a page on which is recorded 'A table of kindred and affinity, wherein whosoever are related are forbidden by the church of England to marry together.'

A man may not marry his

mother, daughter, father's mother, mother's mother, son's daughter, daughters daughter, sister, father's daughter, mother's daughter, wife's mother, wife's daughter, father's wife, son's wife, father's father's wife, mother's father's wife, wife's father's mother, wife's mother's mother, wife's son's daughter, wife's daughter's daughter, son's son's wife, daughter's son's wife, father's sister, mother's sister, brother's daughter, sister's daughter.    No chance for Herod and Herodias .
John the Baptist would not be silenced, he had his conviction and he was steadfast in proclaiming the need for everybody to be ready to meet with God.

God working his purpose out through those who would listen and hear and action in their lives.

 

Be Blessed Rev Georgina 

 

Be Blessed Rev Georgina