CHURCH OF ENGLANDSt Lawrence, Ardeley; St Peter’s, Benington; St John the Baptist, Cottered; Holy Trinity, Throcking and St Mary’s, WalkernChurch Services: August 2026Sunday 2nd Trinity 99.30am Morning Worship St Lawrence, Ardeley9.30am Family Communion St Mary’s, Walkern11.00am Holy Communion St Peter’s, Benington11.00am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, CotteredSunday 9th Trinity 109.30am Holy Communion St Lawrence, Ardeley10.00am Morning Prayer United Reformed Church,Walkern11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, CotteredSunday 16th Trinity 119.30am Holy Communion St Lawrence, Ardeley9.30am Holy Communion St Mary’s, Walkern11.00am Holy Communion BCP St Peter’s, Benington11.00am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, CotteredSunday 23rd Trinity 129.30am Family Service St Lawrence, Ardeley9.30am Morning Prayer St Mary’s, Walkern11.00am Holy Communion Holy Trinity, ThrockingSunday 30th Trinity 1310.00am Benefice Holy Communion St Lawrence, Ardeley
The Revd Writes… “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom…” (Luke 2:40) Over the past few years, increasing numbers of parents and teachers have expressed concerns about children becoming addicted to social media. Excessive amounts of time glued to a screen has come, for many young people, at the cost of being able to form ‘real’ meaningful relationships and being enabled to give adequate time to pursuing a broad spectrum of interests and hobbies. In response the Government is to introduce a ban on under 16s accessing social media platforms from spring 2027. This follows the pattern set by Australia and other nation states who are grappling to control the negative impact that social media is having on a generation of children. The crisis is best captured in the words of one teenager who when asked how much time she spent viewing social media during a weekend, answered, “Nine hours.” When asked what she would do with this time once the ban was introduced angrily responded, “Stare at a wall!” Social media is a great tool for communicating and bringing to people’s attention a range of material from news and events etc. All five of the churches within our Benefice have a Facebook site that helps our congregations stay connected and informed; a valuable means with which to share information. Social media is now an accepted and indispensable means of bringing like-minded people together and it is difficult to imagine the modern world without it. Yet for young impressionable minds social media is also a means by which to manipulate, and even harm, the vulnerable, leading to psychological damage, including in some cases, tragically, suicide. The cry for a change to be brought about, supported by legislation, is a cry that has been born out of anguish and pain. Every parent’s wish is for their child to flourish and do well. Every teacher hopes that a child will go on to become a successful adult in the big wide world. For a ‘child to grow and become strong, filled with wisdom...’ both home and school are partnered to work together in offering a child opportunities to discover for themselves their gifts, and talents, and to socially develop the skills that will ensure a capacity for healthy relationships. We have now come to learn that for many children, sadly, the addictive qualities of social media sabotage this aspiration, leaving some young people unable to see any other possibility than to spend their free time ‘staring at a wall.’ The next months will doubtless see several young people suffering anxiety about what the loss of social media will mean for their lives. They will need support in exploring other alternatives: sport, art, nature and culture, and a whole new world of real relationships… away from the virtual. God Bless Mark
The Revd Writes… The 12th of July will see the unveiling of a memorial stone by the Bishop of Hertford in St Mary’s, Walkern in memory of Jane Wenham. Known as the ‘Witch of Walkern’ much has been written about the sad plight of Jane, an elderly woman, convicted on trumped-up charges of witchcraft in 1712. The judge at her trial, Sir John Powell rebutted the lurid and fanciful claims of those who stepped forward to accuse Jane of dark arts with the words, “There is no law against flying, nor broomsticks, nor muttered prayers.” Testimony from her accusers that she had been seen flying on the Devil’s back and that her arm, when punctured with a pin, drew no blood, failed to convince the judge. The jury however were of a different mindset and determined otherwise, they found Jane guilty, leaving Sir John no choice but to sentence her to death. At odds with the jury the good judge would not let things lie. He secured a reprieve of the sentence and on appeal, Jane was pardoned by Queen Anne. Tormented by her Walkern neighbours, she moved to Hertingfordbury where she lived out her later years in peace. Jane’s story has lived long in the memory of Walkern Village. The image of a witch on her broomstick atop the ‘Welcome to Walkern’ signs at the entrance to the Village represent a cherished piece of history. It both intrigues the visitor and reminds the resident of an uncomfortable chapter of unneighbourliness. It must be acknowledged that the clergy at the time were at the forefront of ostracising someone who was at best misunderstood, and at worst, outed for failing to fit in with perceived norms. Poor and maligned, she became an easy victim for those determined to rubbish any challenge to comfortable conformity. Yet Jane was a spirited woman, and it was her sometimes forthright character that led her to fight for her integrity and indeed for her life. The new memorial brings into sharp focus our own re-evaluating of history and of those stories and lives that speak to us in our own day. Jane’s story emphasises the importance of our need to be vigilant in caring for the needs of the vulnerable. It accentuates too the need to be wary of the propensity of prejudice to raise its ugly head when a crowd loses its sense of perspective. Above all perhaps, Jane’s courage is a tribute to all women who have fought the battle for equality between the sexes in society down the centuries, and an encouragement to everyone to never forget that all that one must do to allow evil to triumph is nothing. In Memory of Jane Wenham resident of Walkern convicted of witchcraft pardoned by Queen Anne 1712 "Let true justice prevail" Deut 16:20 God Bless Mark
The Revd Writes… Do you take your shoes off at the front door? I’m not very good at this. It is such a faff if you are going in and out all the time. Whoever invented plastic back-door shoes, in my book, deserves a medal. You can just slip them on and off. I always feel a bit uncomfortable when you visit someone’s home and you ask if they want you to take your shoes off and they say ‘yes, please’. It’s a bit ungainly, struggling to get your shoes off and then bending down and struggling to get them on again – sometimes in a tiny porch area – before you leave. If I’m honest, I’m always a bit relieved when someone says, ‘It doesn’t matter. Keep your shoes on.’ You then notice everyone else wandering around in their socks or slippers. As luck would have it, you just happen to have the tiniest bit of mud on your shoe… You flinch with embarrassment when you realise that the proud homeowner has noticed it too! It all becomes a bit agonised and stressful. In a previous parish I remember visiting a parishioner who was Māori – from New Zealand. He clearly looked offended when I asked the question. His English wife had to explain to me that removing your shoes before entering the home had spiritual significance. It was a mark of respect – not just about not treading dirt into the carpet. Removing your shoes was also about acknowledging that this was a special place, a holy place, a place in which a family lived and loved and nurtured each other. Taking off your shoes was a given. Without question. What it is to be respectful of a sacred place. The Church of England has recently produced some new worship material that is to be used for the Blessing of a House; a series of prayers including for the blessing of the land on which the house is built, prayers for each room and of course, for the table. The blessing of a home celebrates the sacredness of family life. It is a reminder of the sacredness of the space in which people live within the intimacy of close relationships, and that, above all, a house is not just a building of bricks and mortar but a shared space in which to encounter God in each other. The Blessing concludes with the following words: “Lord, abide with all who dwell here. Be their shelter when they are at home, their companion when they are away, and their welcome guest when they return; and let your blessing come down upon them, now and for ever.” If you would like your home blessed, do please get in touch. And don’t hesitate to tell me to take off my shoes… God Bless Mark
