Dear Friends,Today I presided at a Whitsun Wedding - on this beautiful sunlit afternoon the church in Lynton was a place of joy as the couple made their vows surrounded by their friends and family sharing in the celebration. The introduction to the marriage service reminds us that we see something of "Christ's love for his bride the Church" as we watch the commitment of a groom and bride made public. In the midst of the prayers in a marriage is an involving of the Holy Spirit to seal the bond of love. At the heart of Christ's relationship with the church is the gift of the Holy Spirit as its animating energy and the continued presence of the risen Christ in our midst.In the reading from the book of Acts which gives us a picture of the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit we hear of the transformation of a whole crowd of diverse people, all able to recognise God's action in their own way.There is a poem called The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin. As with many of his poems there is a sense of scepticism and provocation in the poem as a whole, but there is a line which I really like. He is talking about all those he encounters just by chance on the train who have just come from wedding celebrations:and it was nearly done, this frail Travelling coincidence; and what it held Stood ready to be loosed with all the power That being changed can giveFor me it works as a description of all that happened in Jerusalem that day. A wide group of people gathered for another purpose, encountering the transformation of the disciples, and being offered a new energy, a new outlook on life themselves.I wonder what was loosed in their lives as they left that place?I wonder what gifts of the Holy Spirit are ready to be loosed in our lives with all the power tha being changed can give?God blessSamantha
The Holy Communion service in Christ Church on Sunday, 4th June will be the last to be conducted here by Rev'd Samantha. Samantha will be leaving the Lyn Mission soon to take over her new role as Priest in Charge for the Cockington and Chelston Parish in Torbay. Samantha has been vicar here since 2017 and additionally has since been appointed as Dean of Women in Ministry for the Diocese of Exeter and as an honorary Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral.Parishioners send best wishes for her new ministry as well as thanks for her work here in the past years, especially during a difficult time of Covid and lockdown. You can read her full announcement here.
Dear Friends,Last week a small group of us went to a hill outside our villages ready to look out over our parishes and pray for our little part of God's creation. We ascended through the heavy sea mist, hoping that at the top it would clear, but no, we had to hold in our minds' eyes all for which we prayed. We prayed for all we know because we live here.This Sunday we are celebrating the feast of the Ascension, that mystery which carries us from Easter day to Pentecost as Jesus is received into God's heavenly presence: carrying the fullness of his human life in the eternity of God's being. Much of later reflection on this mystery talks of Jesus interceding for us at God's right hand and perhaps that is something about bringing what he knows as a human because he has lived here to the eternal knowing of God? God's compassion has a human face.And we are called to be that human face of compassion now in our prayers, in our actions, in all that we are.That compassion can be shown this weekend by giving to Christian Aid as the annual week comes to an end.There is also an invitation on the evening of 25th May to join a small ecumenical group to watch a live-stream of a Christian Leadership conference organised by Alpha International to which sr Mary Magdalen was contributed. If you are interested let me know and I can pass on contact details.We are also now in the midst of the "Thy Kingdom Come" days of prayer. For a national perspective on this there is a link at the bottom.God blessSamanthahttps://www.thykingdomcome.global/stories/thy-kingdom-come-2023
