The other day, I a song stuck in my head “sung” by Michael Caine, in the Muppet Christmas Carol called “Thankful heart” – Scrooge has just awoken from his ghostly visitation and enters London on Christmas Day, a changed man, and sings “And every day will start, with a grateful prayer and a thankful heart”. I did get a strange look when I started humming this “Christmas” song in May. Yet having a grateful prayer and thankful heart was highlighted to me at the commemoration and re-enactment of the Liberation of Jersey. I cannot deny there was a lump in my throat when I saw the Union Flag raised over Fort Regent and there was a grateful prayer for those who brought, and those who still bring freedom to others. Also a thankful heart that since those dark days, we still live in freedom - freedom to go where we want, talk to who we want, moan at what we want - all without fear of oppression or consequence. Liberation Day is a day to stop and recognise and celebrate the freedom that we enjoy, and not to take it for granted. It is important to hear the stories of the occupation and the hardships suffered, and the unimaginable joy and gratitude to the Red Cross with the life-giving arrival of SS Vega and to Force 135 on Liberation Day.We live in freedom, we live in a democracy, we live in a beautiful island, and we live, of course, in the most beautiful of all the twelve parishes, it is right to have gratitude and thankfulness as part of our daily lives. But also, a sense of responsibility that we need to ensure this freedom is not lost. We can’t physically bring freedom to the world, but we can make a difference. Going back to Scrooge, he is grateful for what he has, and he aims to live for the betterment of others as a result, it’s a challenge not just for Christmas, but all the year around. Often you hear the word ‘salvation’ in churches - the ancient root of that word is freedom, the lifting of oppression, and better things to come. When we pray, Thy Kingdom Come in the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying, hoping for freedom to come. But prayer is not just telling God what we want, prayer challenges us, to be part of making a difference in the world.How do you feel when someone waves “thank you” if you let them out of a junction? How do you feel when they don’t! A simple act of kindness can make a difference, a thank you, a smile, signing a petition, or giving to a charity! All small things in the grand scheme of things but when we consider what happens in our world, and the freedom we enjoy, don’t be surprised if “how do I play my part?” nibbles at your conscience or a grateful prayer or a thankful heart make a surprise visit.
You may notice that the Grass in the Parish Cemetary is not being cut. This is due to the annual appearance of the Autumn Lady's Tresses or Spiral Orchids, small, endangered Orchids only found we believe in Trinity and St Martin's Cemetary's.The leaves form in late July/ August just before the flowers and last over the winter before dying back in July and the cycle starting again. The orchids take 11 years to flower from seed and do have tubers below ground. You can find out more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiranthes_spiralis or see a video about them on this You Tube Video https://youtu.be/NeL_OryMQ0w?si=oEpYWjwaa93YpJib which is about the Orchids in the New Forest
When you read this article, we will nearly be at the end of Lent, and heading towards Easter. Lent is for some 40 days of giving something up, maybe a mini diet after the New Year resolution diet has failed! It maybe a time for doing something new and positive for yourself or others. Or maybe a period of reflection and for some it is the time between Pancake Day and Easter where everything carries on as normal, except for some reason, others seem cranky as they are denying themselves chocolate! Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Lencten, meaning lengthen and refers to the lengthening days of Spring. This period coincided with the Early Church practice that those who wished to enter the faith would learn about it over 40 days and on Easter Sunday would be welcomed and baptised. It was also the time for those who had left the church, to “repent” and get ready for re-admission to the church again on Easter Sunday. The local church was encouraged to walk with those on these journeys and to join in with study and repentance, prayer and fasting. “Repent” is usually a negative, associated with someone shouting in your face, or a red-faced priest, yelling at a bunch of unimpressed miserable parishioners from a pulpit! Yet “Repent” should not be a negative word. In the original Greek it means to “change your mind for the better.” It is about concluding in your own mind that something is not right and then doing something positive about it as a result. Someone likened it to the change of a caterpillar to a butterfly. When Jesus walked on the earth, people “repented”. They were transformed after hearing and encountering Jesus. The values Jesus spoke about, and his followers tried to live up to (and often or not failed at) are still relevant today and many of us, both of faith and of no faith would hold them dear and wish to see them more evident in the world. We live in days when we can at times wonder at the state of humanity. It’s easy to shake our heads, to worry or bury our heads in the sand and even be part of the problem if we are not careful, but that is not how change happens. It is individuals who help bring change about, by often listening and reflecting and then changing their own attitudes and actions. In the church, we are encouraged in Lent to reflect on what really matters in life, with the focus of the Easter Story. Partly because of His challenge of hierarchy and authority, Jesus was killed. But Easter, is the story of death to life, darkness to light, despair to hope. It’s about transformation. Lent is also a good time for anyone, whether people of faith or no faith to reflect and hope for transformation. What can we do to make a difference, in our road, our parish, the Island and the world?
<a href="https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2023-10-26/original-drawings-used-as-stained-glass-window-templates-restored?fbclid=IwAR0W6adEOEFH0gvAJ7LE1ZV6hJxdiWL1SjEJXjM2Mt19VEj3DSmh_OmkTu8">Original drawings used as templates for Jersey's stained glass windows go on display | ITV News Channel</a>
