Procrastination9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. (Mark 1:9-13)I was going to start with a brilliant joke about procrastination, but… I’ll finish it later.Getting into the new year can be hard going. Some people of faith make a new start of reading their Bible, there are apps on the phone. Last year I managed to read through the whole Bible being led by Nicky Gumbell (Alpha course). If you want to start reading the Bible – Mark’s gospel is an excellent place to start. If you were to read its 16 chapters out loud it will only take two hours of reading. It is a book of quick things – Mark seems to capture the urgency of Jesus’ ministry. We start with John baptising Jesus, who doesn’t hang about with the crowd and disappears off into the desert for 40 days before getting straight on with his ministry because John has been arrested and Jesus’ time has come. He spots fishermen and calls them to follow him and straight away they do.He doesn’t get a measured reflection or lengthy interview process; it is a call to follow and an instant response. Sometimes we need to give a full commitment in life, when finding a life partner or a career, and sometimes we put it off – because it is a big decision. I remember after proposing to Joy and her accepting – she then asked “when?” and panicking I said “18 months”. She sensibly left it just a week and asked for my reasoning to wait – and when finding I had no reasons, we booked the wedding for five months later. If you put off a big decision – you risk missing the time, you may lose the opportunity altogether. We are called for follow God with our lives. I have known many people who came to believe in God as they came to retirement who then regretted that they hadn’t had the chance to make the most of the life they had with God, feeling His presence as they went through the journey of their whole life. There is nothing wrong with choosing to follow God in your mature years, but many of our nation put off following God thinking they will miss things, being held back by rules or stigmas. But the reverse is true. God gives us a freedom and peace that we miss out on if we don’t take the long journey with Him.The whole of Jesus’ ministry was characterised by his driving conviction that this was “the time”. John the Baptist prepared the way, and Jesus fulfilled what God had promised – he is, as we proclaimed in the Christmas readings.6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7) Brian Leathers December 2025
Foreigners1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:1-4)I have just had the privilege of being on holiday and while on a catamaran in sunshine the crew put on a song I remembered from years ago. It was one of the Boney M hits from 1978 “By the rivers of Babylon”. They were a Rastafarian group based firstly in West Germany, but they clearly had knowledge of their Bibles. I have included their Bible references at the beginning and end of this article. I felt deeply about this song as at the time I was a foreigner in another land.Boney M’s song serves as a poignant reminder of our collective human experience, particularly the feeling of being a foreigner in a strange land. Psalm 137 recounts the harrowing experience of the Israelites during their Babylonian exile, where they hung their harps upon the poplars, mourning for their homeland. "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" This question resonates deeply with us today, urging us to reflect on our own lives and the way we treat those who are different from us.The Israelites faced immense sorrow and longing as they grappled with their identity and faith among a foreign culture. Their tale is not merely a historical account; it embodies the struggles many face when displaced or feeling out of place. In our contemporary society, we, too, find ourselves in various 'Babylons'—be it through migration, cultural shifts, or even within our communities where differences abound. We often encounter those who feel like exiles in their own lives.Psalm 19 offers a beautifully contrasting perspective, reminding us of the grandeur of God’s creation and the universality of His laws: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” This scripture draws us back to the Creator who welcomes all within His embrace, proclaiming that His truth is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. Just as creation reflects God’s glory, so too can our interactions with others shine light in a world often clouded by division and misunderstanding.As Jesus calls us to love our neighbours, we are reminded that the concept of 'foreign' extends beyond mere nationality or ethnicity. Each person, regardless of their background, carries a unique story. The challenge lies in our response to this diversity. How do we respond when we encounter someone whose experiences differ from our own?In our interactions, we should seek to embrace those who appear foreign to us, not with fear or judgment, but with understanding and compassion. The Example of Christ teaches us to reach out to the marginalized, the outcast, and the lost. He frequently engaged with those considered 'different,' demonstrating that God's love transcends all barriers.As we reflect on "By the Rivers of Babylon" and the profound messages found in Psalms 137 and 19, we are called to consider our role as compassionate travellers in this world. Let our hearts be open to those who feel like foreigners, just as we may sometimes feel. Together, let us build bridges where walls might exist and create a community that echoes the love of Christ, embracing all who journey alongside us.14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) Brian Leathers February 2026
Foreigners1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:1-4)I have just had the privilege of being on holiday and while on a catamaran in sunshine the crew put on a song I remembered from years ago. It was one of the Boney M hits from 1978 “By the rivers of Babylon”. They were a Rastafarian group based firstly in West Germany, but they clearly had knowledge of their Bibles. I have included their Bible references at the beginning and end of this article. I felt deeply about this song as at the time I was a foreigner in another land.Boney M’s song serves as a poignant reminder of our collective human experience, particularly the feeling of being a foreigner in a strange land. Psalm 137 recounts the harrowing experience of the Israelites during their Babylonian exile, where they hung their harps upon the poplars, mourning for their homeland. "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" This question resonates deeply with us today, urging us to reflect on our own lives and the way we treat those who are different from us.The Israelites faced immense sorrow and longing as they grappled with their identity and faith among a foreign culture. Their tale is not merely a historical account; it embodies the struggles many face when displaced or feeling out of place. In our contemporary society, we, too, find ourselves in various 'Babylons'—be it through migration, cultural shifts, or even within our communities where differences abound. We often encounter those who feel like exiles in their own lives.Psalm 19 offers a beautifully contrasting perspective, reminding us of the grandeur of God’s creation and the universality of His laws: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” This scripture draws us back to the Creator who welcomes all within His embrace, proclaiming that His truth is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. Just as creation reflects God’s glory, so too can our interactions with others shine light in a world often clouded by division and misunderstanding.As Jesus calls us to love our neighbours, we are reminded that the concept of 'foreign' extends beyond mere nationality or ethnicity. Each person, regardless of their background, carries a unique story. The challenge lies in our response to this diversity. How do we respond when we encounter someone whose experiences differ from our own?In our interactions, we should seek to embrace those who appear foreign to us, not with fear or judgment, but with understanding and compassion. The Example of Christ teaches us to reach out to the marginalized, the outcast, and the lost. He frequently engaged with those considered 'different,' demonstrating that God's love transcends all barriers.As we reflect on "By the Rivers of Babylon" and the profound messages found in Psalms 137 and 19, we are called to consider our role as compassionate travellers in this world. Let our hearts be open to those who feel like foreigners, just as we may sometimes feel. Together, let us build bridges where walls might exist and create a community that echoes the love of Christ, embracing all who journey alongside us.14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) Brian Leathers February 2026
Meeting held 4pm on 18th Nov 2025Churchyard: A party of local people have made a wonderful difference by strimming the Churchyard extension on Sat 8th Nov. Thank you if you were involved.Alton Advent Calendar is out – do get a copy and support many of the eventsBoiler Saga is ongoing. There are no spare parts for the old boiler that has worked well for years and new government rules mean the ventilation is not considered adequate. We will need to make a hole in the Church wall once a replacement is obtained. We have a temporary grill in the West door as we cope with the changes – this will be reinstated as it was as soon as we can. We had to consider electric heating for the Church but have decided to stay with Gas, but now are finding quotes for the work hard to source. Please be patient with us. There has been minor progress as we have been advised to get one industrial boiler instead of two domestic boilers. But we are still waiting for quote for the work. They look like being in the region of £22,000 which would wipe out our savings so we might not be able to pay the Common Fund to the Diocese in full.Fundraising: - Bingo went well – Lent Lunches are planned for next year – and there will be an organ concert on 25th April at 6pm in the Church – donations in aid of Church funds.Eco-Church: We are making progress. New LED lights in Church – change to Octopus energy which is 100% renewable energy. We were reminded that we have the silver award and we will look at how we stand with applying for a gold award. Quinquennial report: (This is the architect’s 5 year maintenance schedule) We have achieved some of the work (the boiler is the big part of this) and the list of other jobs will be on the PCC agenda until they are done.
