The summer solstice, the longest day, is upon us. Midsummer Day has always been celebrated; we are holding a concert in Glazeley Church as well a local history exhibition, as part of our festivities to mark 150 years since the church was rebuilt. In pagan times, Midsummer Day had particular significance for those who worshiped a sky or an earth God. Memories of the pagan significance were probably long lost following the conversion of this country to Christianity, but what was remembered was that the day was one to mark with a celebration.As far as I know, the Christian calendar is silent about Midsummer's day; we have no special service. But, by coincidence, the New Testament reading appointed for it is Jesus's teaching on worry and in this he uses a very appropriate nature image; "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these". Perhaps that is a sufficient thought for the day.
St Bartholomew’s Church, Glazeley is just off the B4363, approximately four miles from Bridgnorth (SO703 882), with Deuxhill on the same road, less than a mile further. The church which services both hamlets, was built in around 1875. It is a fantastic example of an unspoilt Victorian country church, designed by the renowned architect of his day, A W Blomfield. It is a grade II listed building and stands proud in the community, where there has been a place of worship for over 1000 years, with reference included in the Doomsday Book. Currently we have one service on the 3rd Sunday of each month; a Holy Communion held at 10 am led by one of the priests who serve the benefice. The precise style will depend on the leader, but generally it is broad-church held in predominantly, but exclusively, traditional style. The theology reflects the variety we have in the benefice, from evangelical to liberal; the worshipping community are happy to be challenged! Glazeley serves a very scattered community which has always extended beyond the strict boundaries of it and Deuxhill, the parish with which it is co-joined and this is reflected in our attendance, with worshippers from within the two parishes but also those with connections who come from outside. Glazeley has always attracted support from those with historic ties; we regularly have individuals from Bridgnorth, Kidderminster and Wolverhampton who make the effort to join us. The congregation will typically be around 15. We have a number of special services, the largest being Remembrance Sunday when we expect around 50. The War Memorial commemorates those from a number of neighbouring parishes. Due to concerns around Covid, this year we did not hold a carol service, but that will also attract a larger-than-usual congregation. Over the last few years we have hosted history talks and concerts in the church. However, our biggest community-building event are breakfasts, held at a local pub. These typically attract 50 or so people, from both our own and neighbouring benefices; those who are have strong faiths and those who are unsure or who have no explicit faith. However they all share a commitment to the work that we do at Glazeley and see the value of it. We have strong links with surrounding churches, in Chelmarsh, Billingsley, Middleton Scriven and Chetton; a set that spans three benefices. This reflects former benefice arrangements but the ties are certainly one of our strengths; we work as part of a wider missional community that transcends organisational boundaries. The church uses ACNY for its main website; it also has a page on the Billingsley website. News of, and reports from, church events are posted on ACNY; there is also a regular “Thought for the Week” which is posted. During lockdown, services held at the church were filmed and made available through the Benefice website hosted by Highley St Mary’s. Around 15 years ago, a “final” service was held at Glazeley and the process begun to close the church. This provoked a sufficient backlash to relaunch the church. There have been ups and downs since then. We currently have 30 people on the electoral role, with a PCC of 5 lay members and a co-opted treasurer. There are no churchwardens, with the administration being carried out by members of the PCC and the assistant curate. Finances are stable and the building is in good condition; we are currently renewing the heating and attending to routine maintenance tasks. Recently the path to the church was relaid, to improve its accessibility. The congregation has lost some long-serving members but has also gained new worshippers. We intend to introduce “Forest Church” services as a new means of outreach. As we are dispersed, rural communities, travel to church is by motor vehicle, therefore the relevance of the church is peoples lives as a physical point of meeting is more pronounced. We value our ability to work together with parishes in the surrounding area. We are good at involving the wider community in our events; we can reach people who we would never see in church but who are happy to support us. Glazeley church and churchyard functions successfully as a sacred space in our community, for those who again would not go to church on a regular basis. Whilst we are restricted by current resources, we believe that we have an important role to be the Body of Christ and that there is real potential to grow in this.
