This year our Patronal Festival (Trinity Sunday) falls on May 26th.As we celebrate 180 years of ministry and mission in Dilton Marsh we would like to install a Nave Communion table, a matching lectern and if possible, some new altar cloths. We also have an aspiration to begin the repairs and decorating works in the chancel. This is a special year for the church, and we would like to invite members to make a contribution by offering a one-off financial gift. We will hope to have table, lectern and cloths installed ready for our special celebratory service in September when Bishop Andrew will bless these items and our church as we prepare to Make Jesus known in the next 180 years! The cleaning and decorating project may take a little longer as we will also need to apply for external funding. More information will follow, as well as a consultation on which altar, which cloths after the APCM on April 14th. Please do come along and have your say. We will be pleased to receive the financial gifts at the Patronal Festival service on May 26th.Grace & peaceRev'd Caroline
Our meetings for March included attending the World Day of Prayer at West End Baptist church. The service had been compiled by the women of Palestine and although it had been written four years ago (this is because each country has to prepare well in advance of its turn on the rota), it was very relevant to the situation in Palestine today and all that women face on a daily basis. It was a very moving reminder of all that people endure in the land where Jesus walked.On March 7th we met at Jocelyn's house and welcomed Rev'd Joanna Naish, who told us about her experiences on a pilgrimage to Iona, whilst raising funds for the Mothers' Union. No ordinary pilgrimage, as she completed the journey by cycling from Tisbury to Iona! Quite a feat of endurance both physically, mentally and spiritually. Much preparation was needed. Rev'd Joanna, with photos and some amusing anecdotes, told us all about her journey. Some determination was required with challenging hills and weather. The hospitality and encouragement of friends and strangers made the challenge a very spiritual experience. As a thank you we gave her a copy of Holy Trinity's '100 Reflections' booklet, compiled during Lockdown. We also made a collection to send to MU 'Make a Mothers Day'. Included in this donation was the money raised at our recent Soup Lunch. The morning ended with prayers and we thanked Jocelyn for her hospitality.Our April meetings are: Thurs 4th April at 10 Greenacres, the home of Maureen Torry, where a speaker from the White Horse Medical Centre will tell us about her work. Weds 24th April 10am at West Lavington Village Hall for the MU Spring Gathering. We hope to see all of our members at these events.Enid Holbrow.
Dear Friends,As I write this, we are fast approaching Easter. Our tendency is to rush over the difficult things that happened to Jesus in his last days, the grief that his mother and friends bore, and we run full pelt into the Resurrection. The tradition of attending church on Good Friday is left to a few faithful people, perhaps because the topic for that day is just too hard!We hardly ever talk about death except when someone we know is coming towards the end of life. Yet, death is an everyday fact of life, in nursing we believed that it is the final act of living. There have been various bits of research that have suggested that we have ‘professionalised’ death in this country, we have ‘forgotten’ how to accompany someone as they take their final breath. The result of this is that death happens behind closed doors or away in the hospital, those that are left behind in the community forget (perhaps, gladly so) that this is something that will one day happen to them. And rather than come to terms with the prospect that life is not forever, try and do everything they possibly can to prolong life.Don’t get me wrong, I am in full favour of improved medical techniques and interventions. But, as a human being, I, as do friends, family, colleagues need to understand that death happens at the end of life. Some lives are shorter than others for all sorts of reasons, some are longer though they wish it were not so. The life we have we must live.Good Friday reminds us that that there is good and evil in the world. Good Friday reminds us that we as human beings can do unspeakable things to others. Good Friday reminds us that we do not need to be afraid of death. Jesus tells us:““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”At the time the disciples were confused by what Jesus was saying, but then came the resurrection, and gradually as they experienced Jesus in their lives again, they came to understand that heaven is a very real phenomena and that eternal life is only possible through belief in Jesus. They were no longer afraid of death.As we celebrate being an Easter people I pray that you too will experience new life in Jesus.Grace and peace, Revd Caroline
Dear Friends,As you read this we will be well and truly in the season of Lent. Lent is a funny season as many people have heard about giving up something as we enter into the Easter story, yet do not really understand why we do it. We associate Lent with fasting. In the Bible we are told that we might fast in order to try and get closer to God, it helps focus our hearts and minds as we allow other distractions to fall away. It is common practice to give up chocolate -especially for those who hate the stuff! Some choose to give up alcohol, or meat, others go without a meal one day each week, some will give up screen time or in particular their TV. It is incredible how much time you regain when you switch off the TV!As a Christian I have practiced fasting through Lent giving up an hour of sleep each day to start my day with prayer instead, I have indeed given up things like the TV, and meat. Rather than focusing on what I am missing I tend to focus on something more positive for example my time with God, and how I love my neighbour. The 40 days of kindness challenge recently released to our local schools pick up on this idea, that each day through Lent try do something extraordinarily kind. We are being selfless in the act yet practising what Jesus taught us exactly -love thy neighbour. Can you incorporate one selfless act each day into your daily schedule? It will involve sacrifice, thoughtfulness, love, and careful listening as you discover the needs of those around you. Through Lent we remember the passage that tells the story of how Jesus was flung into the desert by the Holy Spirit. We must remember this is not a punishment, it is an opportunity to grow and to understand God’s purposes within the world. This is what happened to Jesus. He was able to focus on God’s will and not give into the temptation to be relevant i.e. feeding the world, to be spectacular, as he resisted throwing himself off a high place, and to be powerful, by resisting the temptation to take control of the world. Jesus chose instead to follow his Fathers footsteps to humbly serve the world through love, mercy and grace. This Lent what will your focus be?Grace and peace, Rev'd Caroline
