Dear friends, I am sat at my computer, in front of a roaring fire, gazing on my Christmas tree. We keep our Christmas tree up until Candlemas which marks the end of the Epiphany season and already I am having to consider Lent I am not ready! Easter is early this year and it seems before the crib has been put away, we are moving toward Jesus` death We start February with one of my favourite festivals – Candlemas where people would bring candles into church to be blessed and we remember Simeon and Anna, old people who had been waiting for the Messiah – showing how mightily God moves in older people Then on we have Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on Valentines Day. Shrove Tuesday was the day when people would use up all the scrummy food they still had in before Lent started – in other countries there is Mardi Gras, Carnivals marking Fat Tuesday. What exactly is “Ash Wednesday”? It has its origins in the early Christian Church – In the Bible, ashes were always associated with humility and mortality, fasting and remorse. If you had sinned against God, and you felt remorse, then sometimes, in the Bible, you would sprinkle ashes on your head as a sign of sorrow and repentance – Around the 10th century, all believers showed their need for repentance by having ashes placed on their foreheads in the shape of a cross and as a reminder of baptism. Ashes were supposed to remind you that you were mortal, that you would eventually become ashes after you die. When we impose ashes we say “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ. “ Humbling words, words to make us think of the brevity of our lives and our purpose here to glorify God in all that we think, say, and do. The ashes on our forehead should be a symbol of what’s going on in our heart, what’s going on in our soul. For every Christian, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the sombre season of Lent. Lent is a forty day span of time from now until Easter. Why 40 days? Right after Jesus was baptised, the Bible tells us that he went out into the desert to fast and to be tempted by the Devil for 40 days. For Jesus, those 40 days were a time of introspection, a time when he battled the temptations of the Devil. For us, Lent is a time when we make that journey with Christ. We think about our temptations, our sins, and we repent. Lent is a time to evaluate ourselves in light of God’s Word. It’s a time to abandon the sins we have grown accustomed to committing in our lives. It’s a time to receive God’s forgiveness and strength to lead a Christian life. It’s a time to renew our desire to serve God, and to be the Christians that God has made us to be. Lent is a time for spring cleaning on the inside. There are so many resources. The Church of England and Chester Diocese have daily reflections. You may give something up and explore something new. There are so many ideas to keep a Holy Lent, pray for people who don't like you, be silent every day, look outside until you find something of beauty, call an old friend, read Psalm 139 everyday but the one thing I don't want you to do is to beat yourselves up if you give something up and don't stick to it. Richard Chartres wrote an article as to why the world needs Lent? He wrote “The whole world needs lent – while millions go hungry others are living in a perpetual carnival without any ensuing Lent” He looked at the damage we are doing to the world in our disposable society with its increasing carbon footprint and obsession with stuff “My prayer for each one of us and our church is that we will use this time of Lent to accept the searing and transforming love of God and by accepting that love, go out in his power to transform our world” Have a Holy Lent. Love Christina
And so to 2024! A number of comments from people over the last few weeks have confirmed my thinking about our arrival into 2024 – how on earth did we get here so soon! Like many people I’m sure, I’m left wondering about what happened to 2023 – it just seemed to go so fast! It was a very busy year in all respects – events and services, both inside and outside the Parish, catching up (still!) with some Covid-19 postponed weddings, School, Deanery and Diocesan meetings and events, summer fairs and, of course, the annual Royal Cheshire Show. And did I mention the Diocesan Vision process – “Casting the net wide?” Perhaps we all need to slow down a bit in 2024, and try to be more conscious of the passing of time – I’ll mention this to Bishop Mark when I next see him! January brings with it a number of services which speak very powerfully to us in this country parish, and as part of the wider Christian community in this country and across the world, starting with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th (which we’ll be celebrating a day later on Sunday 7th ) and which marks the close of the 12 days of Christmas. The visit of the Wise Men, or Magi, to the infant Messiah in the manger in Bethlehem marks a very significant moment in our faith story, and seems all the more poignant at the moment given the awful suffering and sorrow of both Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, where peace seems as far away now as it was at the beginning of October. Part of the collection at the Carol Service in December will be going to the UNHCR for its Gaza Appeal, and our prayers are with all those affected by the violence and suffering. A week later, on Sunday 14th , we will be holding our annual Plough Service, which focuses our attention once again on our local farming community and our relationship with the land and its cultivation, and its preservation. In this respect it has been a great pleasure, over the last few months, to have been reading the contributions (Parish Magazine) of local farmer Paul Gerrard, whose family have a very strong connection with the Church, and whose wise words and timely and interesting reflections are greatly appreciated. January also plays host in the liturgical calendar to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, from 18th to the 25th , when we are all called upon to pray for better and closer relationships between the different Christian denominations across our Diocese and world. Please watch this space for news of any special events or services to mark this important week in the life of the Church, which we in this Parish will be remembering at the Evensong Service at Arley Chapel on Sunday 21st . May God bless each one of us as we begin this New Year in His service.
“Come, thou long- expected Jesus........” is the opening line of one of Charles Wesley’s most wonderful hymns, which I’m sure we’ll all be singing at some point during the season of Advent. Unlike the people of Israel however we haven’t had to wait for the arrival of the Messiah, but this year time doesn’t seem to have flown by as it usually does between one Christmas and the next, so the “waiting” to celebrate again and afresh the birth of Jesus seems, at least to me, more real. Quite why this should be I’m not really sure – but it has been very good to really get into the Church’s seasons and festivals during the course of the last year, and now to be entering the season of Advent, so full of hope and expectation and promise. And our world is in such need of hope and expectation and the promise of peace – and not only to the people of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza – but to all those who are struggling to make ends meet, struggling with mental health problems, homelessness and addictions and so on...............the list could go on and on. It is our real and profound joy to be able to give thanks for and celebrate again the birth of the Christ Child this Christmas, but it is also our duty and responsibility to remember the circumstances of that birth – a people under occupation, temporary homelessness, danger and exile – and to reflect on this in the light of circumstances in our 21st century and world. We do this of course in different ways – in prayer and worship, in study and in fellowship one with another, in fund and awareness raising – always mindful of the innocence and vulnerability of that baby in the manger over two millennia ago, that “long expected Jesus.” As I write, the General Synod of the Church of England is meeting and is engaged with many issues, including the preparation of pastoral guidance and prayers for the blessing of the marriages of same sex couples and our care of the environment – and I hope and pray that we will be able to engage and help with these, and other pressing issues - all part of our world and our worldview which has, of course, changed so very much over the last two millennia. But what has not changed is God’s love for us, demonstrated so profoundly and joyously in the birth of Jesus, or God’s calling on all of our lives, to love God and our neighbour and to make the best use of our gifts and talents in God’s service. “Joy to the world! The Lord is come......” by Isaac Watts (a distant relative of mine, as it happens!) is the opening line to one of our most loved Christmas Carols, which we certainly will be singing this Christmastide, and, with Handel’s wonderful music, gives full expression to the wonder and joy that is so much a part of our preparations for and celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, in which we all can and should rejoice. On behalf of the Ministry Team may I wish everyone a very happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas, and may the joy of the infant in the manger be with us all this Christmas, and always. Happy Christmas! The Revd Alec Brown.
Dear friends, I am quite a morbid character – it did not help that when I was young and in my formative years my mum and dad were tracing our family tree and we would spend part of our holidays in Scotland looking round graveyards. I find it interesting reading gravestones and seeing how people want to be remembered. There is the famous memorial of James Maurice Butler “Sacred to the memory of Captain Maurice James Butler accidentally shot by his batman on 4th April 1882. Well done thou good and faithful servant” Many gravestones will relate to a person`s occupation. How do we want to be remembered? Will people remember us as Christians demonstrating the fruits and gifts of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. We are all created in the image of God – will people remember us as being Christlike – loving God and others? I want Micah 6 v 8 on mine. What does the Lord require of you, to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Dad wants a verse from Philemon “He warmed the hearts of the Saints.” What I also want is “Well done thou good and faithful servant” Matthew 25.21 Remembering and being remembered is so important. Memory is part of what makes us human. October and November are months filled with remembrance. At the start of October we had our Animal Blessing service – the church this year was filled with dogs. It was a sad time for some as they remembered animals that have previously attended but are no longer around. For those who have never lost an animal, it is hard to understand the depth of loss people can feel. Our cat died in May 2022 We do however still talk about her and keep her memory alive. Then at our All Souls Service of Commemoration, we remembered those who have died. During the service Alec read out the names of those who have died. It is helpful to remember, to speak into the silence the personal name of someone we have loved, and who has died. It helps to keep the memory alive, it helps to remind us - because of course God doesn’t need reminding -, but it helps to remind us of our duty to be the living biography of the people whose lives have intersected and intertwined with ours. This was one of the comments following the death of Queen Elizabeth, that our lives should reflect hers with regard to faith and acts of service being her continued legacy. On the 12h November we have Remembrance Sunday where we remember all those who have died in wars, preserving our freedom. “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.” The Spanish American writer, George Santayana said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” - that is why it is so important that we remember each year those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. This year we will also not doubt think of the many who have died following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and for the lives lost in the Middle East. In the Bible Moses told the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land to always remember God`s faithfulness. On the cross one of the thieves asked Jesus to remember him. Each time we have communion, “Do this in remembrance of me”, we remember the life, death and resurrection of Christ. No matter how we are feeling at the moment we need to remember that God will never forget us. He has each of our names tattooed on the palms of his hands. A simple Bible text to remember is “God is Love” and we need to repeat that to ourselves so that it is engraved on our hearts. So continue to make memories and keep remembering that you are loved, more than you can ever imagine, by a God who is with you always Love Christina
