Dear friends, I am no Alistair Cooke but this is a letter from America. This is being written in Memphis, half way through a 3 week holiday. Dave, Nat and I have visited Boston, stayed with friends in Connecticut before spending 5 days in New Orleans. We are now on our road trip, travelling to Chicago via Memphis, Nashville and St. Louis. We are visiting as many music spots as we can and yesterday were blown away touring Sun Studios, realising you were standing in space previously occupied by the likes of Elvis, Bb King and U2. In New Orleans we were there at the same time as the ECLA Youth Gathering. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America can trace their roots to the mid 17th Century when early Lutherans came to America settling in the Virgin Islands and then New York. It was incredible seeing so many young people. Each group had their own t shirt so you could see which part of the states they came from. The theme of their conference was “created to be” and the verse was taken from Psalm 139.14. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” One of my favourite T-shirts had these words on the back ” We are created to be brave, authentic, transformed, disruptive and disciples” It got me thinking as to what we would have on our T-shirts? What are we created to be? On the Thursday before we left New Orleans, we serendipitously got off the tram outside the episcopal cathedral of New Orleans, just before a service, we joined some locals for their service of Holy Communion and it just made me realise how special it is, this worldwide Anglican Communion, that we can be so far away and use liturgy that is so familiar. After the service, we were shown around the cathedral. There is a wooden cathedra, ( a chair used by the bishop) which was made by slaves on a local plantation. Due to its history, it would have been easy to hide it away, but Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopalian church uses it for every ordination and confirmation. He is not hiding the past nor denying that there are still issues with racism but the simple act of him sitting in it and speaking at every opportunity about loving our neighbour whoever they are, shows hope. ”Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive, here the love of Christ shall end divisions. all are welcome” he wrote. This morning we are worshipping at Memphis Episcopalian Cathedral and you will be in our prayers. As they say in Memphis. “ The Lord be with y’all “ Christina x
At the opening service at last month’s Royal Cheshire County Show, Bishop Sam Corley preached on the parable of the seed and the sower (in his inimi-table style!) and spoke about the ways in which God’s love is lavished on all people, deserving or not, in the hard and difficult times of life as well as in the happy and joyous times. It was a thought provoking address, giving eve-ryone at the service the chance to think about the loving generosity of God in their own lives and situations – and the Bishop’s final blessing was a joyful and amusing deviation from the set text!The Show brings together of course people from across the County, and be-yond its borders, and it is a pleasure, and a privilege, to be involved with the Church at the Show tent, where many visitors are welcomed over the course of the two days, for worship and prayer, relaxation and refreshment and simply for a space to sit down! In between stewarding duties in the Church Tent I was able, as usual, to have a good look around the extensive Show Ground, and to meet and talk with many people, including of course many parishioners. It is clear how important the Show is in the life of the County and so many people, from the exhibitors and traders to the visitors and the choirs of school children, playing their musical instruments and singing in the outdoor area adjacent to the Church Tent. And, as we give thanks for the County Show in this 21st Century, with all its technological advances, it is also easy to see how very important medieval fairs and shows were to our ancestors.In the Gospels Jesus is often recorded as using the world of agriculture and farming, as well as fishing, as basic metaphors for the relationships between God and people, from the seed time to the harvest, from the generosity of God’s love in creation to the loving care of a good shepherd. In his address Bishop Sam was also very clear in his understanding of the importance and contribution of all of us in the ongoing work and witness of God’s Kingdom, in which we all have a part to play, and in this understanding and outworking we can all take great encouragement as we journey onwards in faith.Later this month we will be holding our annual Year 6 School Leavers’ Service, when we say goodbye to the Year 6 pupils and pray for their transition to secondary schools in the autumn. Some of these pupils have been with us at Great Budworth Primary School since they were very young, and it has been a great pleasure over the years to watch them grow and develop and to have welcomed them into Church on many, many occasions. I hope that these experiences of church and faith will not only have helped them but will also stay with them throughout the rest of their lives.May God bless each and every one of us in this coming month.The Revd Alec Brown.
In her reflection last month Christina wrote about how early Easter is this year, and about not being ready! I’m sure we can all empathise with her as we seem to be “hurtling” through Lent on our way to Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter! Early or not, we do have the whole of this month to pre-pare and to get ready – it’s just up to us to make the most of the days and weeks in the best ways we can. People often speak about Lent as a time of “giving up” but increasingly I find that it is being seen more as a time of “taking on” – space for both perhaps?There are, as Christina also mentioned last month, plenty of resources to help us with this (digital and physical), and time is something that all of us can and should think about more carefully, and prayerfully, during Lent and in the approach to Easter. And, as we read, think and talk about, and pray and reflect, on the events of those weeks leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are all I’m sure very conscious of the tragic and heartfelt events continuing to unfold in the Holy Land, affecting Jews, Christians and Muslims – all of us “children of Abraham” and all of us precious in God’s eyes. So many families across that region are affected by suffering and grief, and it is so important that we continue to hold them all in loving prayer, and to do what we can to alleviate suffering and to bring relief to those who are in such desperate need.At Eastertide five years ago now I wrote about the terrible fire which had partially destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and I’m sure we’ve all been aware of the painstaking repair, conservation, restoration and re-building work which has taken place over the last five years. Watching the incredible skill of the craftspeople involved, with their obvious love for the Cathedral and all it stands for, and their pride in their work, has been quite amazing and really uplifting. We were in Paris in the summer of 2019 and of course were unable to get anywhere near the Cathedral, which was completely shrouded in scaffolding – but this year, to the great joy of Parisians and the people of France, and across the world, that scaffolding will be dismantled and the beautiful and historic Cathedral properly open again and able to be visited. Out of such disaster.........On a very personal note, Easter Day this year will be a very poignant time for me as it is the 12th anniversary of my mother’s death – but it will be in the joy of the resurrection that I will be remembering her and giving thanks for her long life and love.“Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed – Alleluia!May God’s blessing and peace be upon you all this month, and especially, in advance, this coming joyful Eastertide – Happy Easter!The Revd Alec Brown.
