Dear Friends
Are you planning to give up something for Lent? I think I may have to give up mince pies! Yes, I know, Christmas was over weeks ago, but I made a lot of mincemeat and am still using it up. It’s curious, isn’t it, that the mince pies you can buy in the shops go on sale in the time leading up to Christmas, but they soon disappear from the shelves once we are into the new year. Hot cross buns, on the other hand, are now on sale all the year round. At one time you could only buy them on Good Friday, the day when Christians commemorate Jesus’ death on a cross. I wonder how many people these days understand the symbolism of the cross on these buns.
On Shrove Tuesday, some of us will enjoy pancakes. This day takes its name from the practice of being ‘shriven’, that is making confession of one’s sins and receiving absolution. Some people speak of ‘Pancake Day’ and may be unaware of its origins. In times gone by Christians were not allowed to eat rich foods during Lent, so pancakes were made on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday to use up the leftovers. Lent was a season of abstinence and austerity, with the purpose of entering a time of self-examination and penitence, as part of the preparation for the great festival of Easter. Lent was the fast before the feast. Even if we are less rigorous today in our observance of Lent, this is still a significant season in the Church’s year. We may go without something we enjoy in order to focus more on our prayer life and our relationship with God, as we move towards Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter.
The first signs of spring are always welcome, and never more so than when we have been through a harsh winter. Seeing the snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils lifts our spirits and brings a resurgence of hope. After the dreary dark days there is new life appearing all around. Even though March often brings cold and windy weather, we feel that summer is on its way. At the end of next month we shall celebrate Easter, and that is all about new life. Having gone through the anguish of Holy Week and Good Friday, when the focus is on Christ’s suffering and his death on a cross, we turn to the joy of the resurrection. The journey through Lent might be compared with those difficult winter days, and Easter to the glorious explosion of life and colour as spring bursts upon the world. As with many good things in life, the enjoyment and appreciation are all the greater if we have been deprived of them for a while.
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
Monday, 21 February 2011
Saturday, 15 January 2011
FEBRUARY 2011 - Vol. 33 No. 2.
Dear Friends
The King James Bible is a remarkable literary work which has had a profound influence on the English language. May 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of its publication. Events to celebrate this will include the Southwell Lecture on 17th June to be given in Southwell Minster by Frank Field MP, and an exhibition from 17th May to 19th June in the Minster. Members of our staff team are working on ideas for marking the occasion in the Benefice. Bishop Paul has drawn attention to a website http://www.kingjamesbibletrust.org/ and to the project ‘Biblefresh’. He is encouraging us to read our Bibles and one initiative to help with this is the E100 Bible Reading Challenge. You can find out more from the website www.scriptureunion.org.uk/You/BibleReading/E100BibleReadingChallenge/129240.id
I remember my first encounter with the King James Bible at the age of six. Beginning at the beginning, with the Book of Genesis, I didn’t get beyond the word ‘firmament’ before I gave up! I was very young, but even then, with my limited vocabulary, I sensed that this was a special book and I was stirred by the rhythm of the language. At primary school I enjoyed Scripture lessons and loved hearing Bible stories. At secondary school the teacher of Religious Instruction managed to make the subject abysmally boring! Years later I discovered what a treasure trove the Bible is, as a source of great stories, but most importantly as God’s word to those who believe.
When I first read the Bible in its entirety I was thirty something. I read the Good News Bible in a year, then I started on the New International Version, which took just a little longer. Some years later, when training for ordination, I turned to the Revised Standard Version, and these days I mostly read the New Revised Standard Version. We have various translations here at the Rectory and it is often useful to compare different versions. Whilst there is some wonderful poetry in the King James Bible, which is appreciated by many who have a love of the English language, many of today’s Bible readers will find a good modern translation more helpful. The Bible needs working at, whichever translation you choose, and Bible reading notes can help. There are also some delightful illustrated Bibles and Bible story books for children. If we are to read and gain understanding, we need a version of the Bible which is appropriate to our age, reading ability, and where we are in our journey of life and faith. So how about it? Make 2011 the year to discover, or rediscover, the Bible.
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
The King James Bible is a remarkable literary work which has had a profound influence on the English language. May 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of its publication. Events to celebrate this will include the Southwell Lecture on 17th June to be given in Southwell Minster by Frank Field MP, and an exhibition from 17th May to 19th June in the Minster. Members of our staff team are working on ideas for marking the occasion in the Benefice. Bishop Paul has drawn attention to a website http://www.kingjamesbibletrust.org/ and to the project ‘Biblefresh’. He is encouraging us to read our Bibles and one initiative to help with this is the E100 Bible Reading Challenge. You can find out more from the website www.scriptureunion.org.uk/You/BibleReading/E100BibleReadingChallenge/129240.id
I remember my first encounter with the King James Bible at the age of six. Beginning at the beginning, with the Book of Genesis, I didn’t get beyond the word ‘firmament’ before I gave up! I was very young, but even then, with my limited vocabulary, I sensed that this was a special book and I was stirred by the rhythm of the language. At primary school I enjoyed Scripture lessons and loved hearing Bible stories. At secondary school the teacher of Religious Instruction managed to make the subject abysmally boring! Years later I discovered what a treasure trove the Bible is, as a source of great stories, but most importantly as God’s word to those who believe.
When I first read the Bible in its entirety I was thirty something. I read the Good News Bible in a year, then I started on the New International Version, which took just a little longer. Some years later, when training for ordination, I turned to the Revised Standard Version, and these days I mostly read the New Revised Standard Version. We have various translations here at the Rectory and it is often useful to compare different versions. Whilst there is some wonderful poetry in the King James Bible, which is appreciated by many who have a love of the English language, many of today’s Bible readers will find a good modern translation more helpful. The Bible needs working at, whichever translation you choose, and Bible reading notes can help. There are also some delightful illustrated Bibles and Bible story books for children. If we are to read and gain understanding, we need a version of the Bible which is appropriate to our age, reading ability, and where we are in our journey of life and faith. So how about it? Make 2011 the year to discover, or rediscover, the Bible.
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
Friday, 17 December 2010
JANUARY 2011 - Vol. 33 No. 1
Dear Friends
Well, that’s Christmas over for another year. It will soon be time to dismantle the tree, take down the cards and put away the decorations. Then there are the “thank you” letters, emails or text messages to send and, for some, the tiresome business of changing items that aren’t quite right. Thinking of that line in the poem “Christmas” by John Betjeman about “hideous tie so kindly meant”, I wonder how many of us pretended to be pleased with a garment we’re never likely to wear, or an ornament that will only be on display when the giver comes to visit. With this comes a feeling of guilt because we know that a relative or friend has spent time and money on this gift and we should be grateful. Then there are the toys that are soon discarded or broken, and the gadgets that don’t work properly, not to mention the chocolates, biscuits or toiletries that come in handy for us to give to the person we’d forgotten to buy for, or which find their way in the new year to a charity raffle or tombola.
I’m sure most of us have, at some time, given or received a Christmas present that failed to please. Yet some people seem to have the knack of choosing just the right gift, which might be simple and inexpensive, but which shows an understanding of the needs and tastes of the recipient, and which is given and received with love. The greatest Christmas gift of all was just what the world needed, even if the world didn’t know its need. This gift, the child born at Christmas to be our Saviour, was given with love, by God. For those who have received that very precious gift with gratitude Christmas is not over after all. This is a gift for life, and a gift that gives life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
As we go forward into another year, the Church follows the story of Jesus Christ through his life, his ministry and his teachings, until we come to his death and resurrection and his ascension into heaven. Then we see how Jesus continues to be with his friends, through the gift of the Holy Spirit who empowered the first Christians to spread the Gospel message, and who empowers Christians today to live for Jesus and to share his love. Whether we gave and received many Christmas gifts or few, and irrespective of how much they were appreciated and enjoyed, there is a far greater gift which can be ours. Those who accept this gift and open their hearts to Jesus can know his presence with them, not just at Christmas and New Year, but always.
With love and prayers that God will bless you in the coming year,
Glynis Hetherington
Well, that’s Christmas over for another year. It will soon be time to dismantle the tree, take down the cards and put away the decorations. Then there are the “thank you” letters, emails or text messages to send and, for some, the tiresome business of changing items that aren’t quite right. Thinking of that line in the poem “Christmas” by John Betjeman about “hideous tie so kindly meant”, I wonder how many of us pretended to be pleased with a garment we’re never likely to wear, or an ornament that will only be on display when the giver comes to visit. With this comes a feeling of guilt because we know that a relative or friend has spent time and money on this gift and we should be grateful. Then there are the toys that are soon discarded or broken, and the gadgets that don’t work properly, not to mention the chocolates, biscuits or toiletries that come in handy for us to give to the person we’d forgotten to buy for, or which find their way in the new year to a charity raffle or tombola.
I’m sure most of us have, at some time, given or received a Christmas present that failed to please. Yet some people seem to have the knack of choosing just the right gift, which might be simple and inexpensive, but which shows an understanding of the needs and tastes of the recipient, and which is given and received with love. The greatest Christmas gift of all was just what the world needed, even if the world didn’t know its need. This gift, the child born at Christmas to be our Saviour, was given with love, by God. For those who have received that very precious gift with gratitude Christmas is not over after all. This is a gift for life, and a gift that gives life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
As we go forward into another year, the Church follows the story of Jesus Christ through his life, his ministry and his teachings, until we come to his death and resurrection and his ascension into heaven. Then we see how Jesus continues to be with his friends, through the gift of the Holy Spirit who empowered the first Christians to spread the Gospel message, and who empowers Christians today to live for Jesus and to share his love. Whether we gave and received many Christmas gifts or few, and irrespective of how much they were appreciated and enjoyed, there is a far greater gift which can be ours. Those who accept this gift and open their hearts to Jesus can know his presence with them, not just at Christmas and New Year, but always.
With love and prayers that God will bless you in the coming year,
Glynis Hetherington
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
DECEMBER 2011 - Vol 32. No. 12
Dear Friends
In the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday I decided to look on the internet for some prayers for peace. I typed in the word “peace” only to receive the message: “The search engine cannot find peace.” I think that, perhaps, the search engine is not alone in being unable to find peace. Many people are caught up in situations beyond their control, whether they are in war torn places or suffering the effects of the economic recession, or facing other situations that disturb their peace. Watching and listening to the news can be pretty depressing and the troubles in the world add to our anxiety levels. No wonder it is hard to find peace.
It was into such a world as this that God came as a tiny baby. Jesus was born to a poor couple far from home. The Holy Family became homeless refugees, fleeing from the wrath of a jealous king. The tale of the baby born in a stable, visited by shepherds who saw a vision of angels and wise men who followed a star, is a wonderful story, but in our telling of it at Christmas we usually stop short of the violence that was unleashed in the wake of these happenings. Even as the infant Jesus lay sleeping peacefully in his manger bed, the forces of evil were threatening to strike. Jesus came as light into a world of darkness, but the darkness was never far away.
It seemed as if the powers of darkness had triumphed thirty-three years later when Jesus Christ hung on a cross. Three days after that the light blazed brighter than ever, for Jesus was alive and death was defeated. It is through his death on a cross that Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God, taking away our sins and pouring out his forgiving love upon a sin sick world. Herein lies our peace.
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace; at Easter we celebrate his rising from the dead. Both Christmas and Easter are about birth, about new life – the Christmas story tells of the birth of Jesus and we celebrate this life and light coming into the world. At Easter we think of resurrection and we rejoice that the light still shines, as we celebrate the new life that goes on beyond death for all who are born anew in Christ. The two stories belong together and, indeed, they are part of the same story – the story of what God has done to save us from our sins, and to bring us back into a right relationship with himself. Through Jesus our Saviour we can have peace with God.
May you all find peace this Christmas.
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
In the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday I decided to look on the internet for some prayers for peace. I typed in the word “peace” only to receive the message: “The search engine cannot find peace.” I think that, perhaps, the search engine is not alone in being unable to find peace. Many people are caught up in situations beyond their control, whether they are in war torn places or suffering the effects of the economic recession, or facing other situations that disturb their peace. Watching and listening to the news can be pretty depressing and the troubles in the world add to our anxiety levels. No wonder it is hard to find peace.
It was into such a world as this that God came as a tiny baby. Jesus was born to a poor couple far from home. The Holy Family became homeless refugees, fleeing from the wrath of a jealous king. The tale of the baby born in a stable, visited by shepherds who saw a vision of angels and wise men who followed a star, is a wonderful story, but in our telling of it at Christmas we usually stop short of the violence that was unleashed in the wake of these happenings. Even as the infant Jesus lay sleeping peacefully in his manger bed, the forces of evil were threatening to strike. Jesus came as light into a world of darkness, but the darkness was never far away.
It seemed as if the powers of darkness had triumphed thirty-three years later when Jesus Christ hung on a cross. Three days after that the light blazed brighter than ever, for Jesus was alive and death was defeated. It is through his death on a cross that Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God, taking away our sins and pouring out his forgiving love upon a sin sick world. Herein lies our peace.
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace; at Easter we celebrate his rising from the dead. Both Christmas and Easter are about birth, about new life – the Christmas story tells of the birth of Jesus and we celebrate this life and light coming into the world. At Easter we think of resurrection and we rejoice that the light still shines, as we celebrate the new life that goes on beyond death for all who are born anew in Christ. The two stories belong together and, indeed, they are part of the same story – the story of what God has done to save us from our sins, and to bring us back into a right relationship with himself. Through Jesus our Saviour we can have peace with God.
May you all find peace this Christmas.
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
Saturday, 16 October 2010
November 2010 - Vol. 32. No. 11
The Rector writes:
Dear Friends
As we become older many of us are conscious that the memory isn’t quite what it used to be. We go into a room to fetch something and forget what we’ve gone there for; keys, diaries and spectacles are mislaid; we recognise a familiar face but cannot put a name to it. Even so, many older people remember things from years ago as if they only happened yesterday. For those who lived through the Second World War, the events will be forever etched upon their memories. One of my early memories is of stories my parents told of war time, but as a child I had little understanding of what war was. I still remember the shock of discovering that war brings death and destruction. I hope I never lose the capacity to be shocked and appalled when I hear of the horrors and atrocities of war. It’s a long time since the World War that my parents’ generation was involved in, but there have been many wars before and since. Uppermost in many of our minds now is the terrible waste of young lives in Afghanistan, as we continue to pray for our troops serving there, and for the ordinary people of that country caught up in the conflict.
Among those who observe the two minutes’ silence on 11th November, and those who join in Remembrance Sunday parades and services on 14th November there will be people who have lived through the horrors and deprivations of war. Some people taking part will be thinking of comrades and family members who died in wartime. There will be others, like myself, who know of these things at second hand, through the memories that others have shared through telling their stories. Younger members of the uniformed organisations who take part in parades may only just be starting to learn about what life was like in wartime, and about the courage of the men and women we shall honour in our Act of Remembrance.
This year it is Gotham’s turn to host the Parade and Service of Remembrance involving the Gotham and District Branch of the Royal British Legion. However, there will be services in our Benefice churches on Remembrance Sunday and all are welcome to attend. May all of us who take part reflect on the wicked waste of life and the terrible suffering that war brings, and commit ourselves to do all that we can to promote peace and justice. Let us pray that God will raise up more peacemakers, remembering that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
Dear Friends
As we become older many of us are conscious that the memory isn’t quite what it used to be. We go into a room to fetch something and forget what we’ve gone there for; keys, diaries and spectacles are mislaid; we recognise a familiar face but cannot put a name to it. Even so, many older people remember things from years ago as if they only happened yesterday. For those who lived through the Second World War, the events will be forever etched upon their memories. One of my early memories is of stories my parents told of war time, but as a child I had little understanding of what war was. I still remember the shock of discovering that war brings death and destruction. I hope I never lose the capacity to be shocked and appalled when I hear of the horrors and atrocities of war. It’s a long time since the World War that my parents’ generation was involved in, but there have been many wars before and since. Uppermost in many of our minds now is the terrible waste of young lives in Afghanistan, as we continue to pray for our troops serving there, and for the ordinary people of that country caught up in the conflict.
Among those who observe the two minutes’ silence on 11th November, and those who join in Remembrance Sunday parades and services on 14th November there will be people who have lived through the horrors and deprivations of war. Some people taking part will be thinking of comrades and family members who died in wartime. There will be others, like myself, who know of these things at second hand, through the memories that others have shared through telling their stories. Younger members of the uniformed organisations who take part in parades may only just be starting to learn about what life was like in wartime, and about the courage of the men and women we shall honour in our Act of Remembrance.
This year it is Gotham’s turn to host the Parade and Service of Remembrance involving the Gotham and District Branch of the Royal British Legion. However, there will be services in our Benefice churches on Remembrance Sunday and all are welcome to attend. May all of us who take part reflect on the wicked waste of life and the terrible suffering that war brings, and commit ourselves to do all that we can to promote peace and justice. Let us pray that God will raise up more peacemakers, remembering that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
Monday, 20 September 2010
October 2010 - Vol. 32. No. 10
Dear Friends
I watched a ladybird scurrying along a window sill. Its little legs were working at a furious pace. Part way along the ledge the ladybird opened its wings, took to the air, executed half a summersault and landed flat on its back. After thrashing about for a while it managed to right itself and set off to climb up the window pane. Whether there was any aim or purpose to all this activity, or if it was part of a daily exercise regime, or just a ladybird’s idea of having fun, I have no way of telling! The ladybird seemed to expend a lot of energy without making much progress. Then I thought about some of the journeys we humans embark upon, and the time and effort we invest in some of our projects, and I wondered how God views these things. The author of Isaiah Chapter 40 might have been pondering similar thoughts when he wrote in verse 22, “It is he (God) who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.” Whether we are like grasshoppers or ladybirds, these words from the Old Testament express how great and awesome God is and how little we are. We can be so self-centred, acting as though life revolves around us and our concerns. A reminder that this is God’s world helps us to get things into perspective.
Sometimes we set off on journeys or embark on projects which we fail to complete, or we achieve only limited success because we have made our plans without reference to God. Yet God loves us, wants the best for us and has a plan for our lives. In Ephesians Chapter 2 Paul writes of the good works that God has prepared beforehand for us to walk in. However small we are in the vastness of the universe, we are precious to God and we have a unique place in God’s world. If we can learn to listen and to discern God’s will, the effort we put into things is not wasted.
In 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 Paul writes about building on a foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – and how fire will test what has been built. This is a reference to the Day of Judgment and the image of the building relates to the Church in Corinth. We can also apply it to ourselves and our own Church. Those whose work will be profitable are like those who build with gold, silver and precious stones. Wood, hay and straw will not survive fire. Therefore, those who build with these materials accomplish nothing of lasting value. The foundation is Jesus Christ and all who build their lives on him can claim the promise of eternal life, but some of our work is for this life only. Those things that have eternal value are not the easiest to measure. For instance, if you help another person to come to faith in Jesus Christ, that may be unseen by everyone except God, and yet you are building for eternity.
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
I watched a ladybird scurrying along a window sill. Its little legs were working at a furious pace. Part way along the ledge the ladybird opened its wings, took to the air, executed half a summersault and landed flat on its back. After thrashing about for a while it managed to right itself and set off to climb up the window pane. Whether there was any aim or purpose to all this activity, or if it was part of a daily exercise regime, or just a ladybird’s idea of having fun, I have no way of telling! The ladybird seemed to expend a lot of energy without making much progress. Then I thought about some of the journeys we humans embark upon, and the time and effort we invest in some of our projects, and I wondered how God views these things. The author of Isaiah Chapter 40 might have been pondering similar thoughts when he wrote in verse 22, “It is he (God) who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.” Whether we are like grasshoppers or ladybirds, these words from the Old Testament express how great and awesome God is and how little we are. We can be so self-centred, acting as though life revolves around us and our concerns. A reminder that this is God’s world helps us to get things into perspective.
Sometimes we set off on journeys or embark on projects which we fail to complete, or we achieve only limited success because we have made our plans without reference to God. Yet God loves us, wants the best for us and has a plan for our lives. In Ephesians Chapter 2 Paul writes of the good works that God has prepared beforehand for us to walk in. However small we are in the vastness of the universe, we are precious to God and we have a unique place in God’s world. If we can learn to listen and to discern God’s will, the effort we put into things is not wasted.
In 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 Paul writes about building on a foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – and how fire will test what has been built. This is a reference to the Day of Judgment and the image of the building relates to the Church in Corinth. We can also apply it to ourselves and our own Church. Those whose work will be profitable are like those who build with gold, silver and precious stones. Wood, hay and straw will not survive fire. Therefore, those who build with these materials accomplish nothing of lasting value. The foundation is Jesus Christ and all who build their lives on him can claim the promise of eternal life, but some of our work is for this life only. Those things that have eternal value are not the easiest to measure. For instance, if you help another person to come to faith in Jesus Christ, that may be unseen by everyone except God, and yet you are building for eternity.
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
September 2010 - Vol. 32. No. 9
The Rector writes:
Dear Friends
I often meet people who believe in God, and who try to live according to the teachings of Jesus, but who rarely attend church services. These people have their children baptised and do their best to bring them up in the Christian faith. They would never dream of not coming into church for life’s significant events such as weddings and funerals. Some of them enjoy church services on the occasions when they do attend, such as Christmas, Easter and Harvest, but they lead busy lives and other things take a higher priority than regular church attendance. There are some who intend to come more often, but never quite get around to it. Some feel closer to God outside, and a response to God is awakened in them when they are enjoying the wonders of nature. That’s understandable because, after all, the natural world is God’s creation. Buildings – even church buildings constructed to the glory of God and made holy by the prayers of countless generations – are still buildings made by human beings.
However, church buildings were put there because believers need a place to meet. Yes, we can pray and praise God anywhere, any time. I have had as many meaningful encounters with God outside the church walls as within. Even so, I believe that there is something about collective worship and prayer that adds up to more than the sum total of all our personal devotions. Private prayers and corporate worship complement each other. We need time and space to be alone with God, and time to be together. It’s about belonging. Through baptism, we are brought into the family of the Church. Families that function best are those which meet together and keep in contact. Within a family we learn the meaning of love and we offer and receive support as we journey together through life. The Church family needs to meet to grow together in the knowledge and love of God, and to offer mutual support, as well as to pray for the world in all its need, and to reach out in loving service to the community. God doesn’t intend us to go it alone, and there is so much that we can do better together.
We hear about declining church attendances, and some of our rural congregations are very small. A few committed people work hard to keep our small village churches open. If other parishioners want their church to be there for their weddings, baptisms and funerals, and to remain as a focus for the Christian faith in their village, I would urge them to re-think their priorities before it is too late. However, if someone reading this decides to resume, or to begin, church attendance, I pray that this will not be a mere duty, but that you will find it a joy and that God will bless you .
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
Dear Friends
I often meet people who believe in God, and who try to live according to the teachings of Jesus, but who rarely attend church services. These people have their children baptised and do their best to bring them up in the Christian faith. They would never dream of not coming into church for life’s significant events such as weddings and funerals. Some of them enjoy church services on the occasions when they do attend, such as Christmas, Easter and Harvest, but they lead busy lives and other things take a higher priority than regular church attendance. There are some who intend to come more often, but never quite get around to it. Some feel closer to God outside, and a response to God is awakened in them when they are enjoying the wonders of nature. That’s understandable because, after all, the natural world is God’s creation. Buildings – even church buildings constructed to the glory of God and made holy by the prayers of countless generations – are still buildings made by human beings.
However, church buildings were put there because believers need a place to meet. Yes, we can pray and praise God anywhere, any time. I have had as many meaningful encounters with God outside the church walls as within. Even so, I believe that there is something about collective worship and prayer that adds up to more than the sum total of all our personal devotions. Private prayers and corporate worship complement each other. We need time and space to be alone with God, and time to be together. It’s about belonging. Through baptism, we are brought into the family of the Church. Families that function best are those which meet together and keep in contact. Within a family we learn the meaning of love and we offer and receive support as we journey together through life. The Church family needs to meet to grow together in the knowledge and love of God, and to offer mutual support, as well as to pray for the world in all its need, and to reach out in loving service to the community. God doesn’t intend us to go it alone, and there is so much that we can do better together.
We hear about declining church attendances, and some of our rural congregations are very small. A few committed people work hard to keep our small village churches open. If other parishioners want their church to be there for their weddings, baptisms and funerals, and to remain as a focus for the Christian faith in their village, I would urge them to re-think their priorities before it is too late. However, if someone reading this decides to resume, or to begin, church attendance, I pray that this will not be a mere duty, but that you will find it a joy and that God will bless you .
With my love and prayers
Glynis Hetherington
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