APRIL JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear friends,

Passiontide heralds the beginning of the Easter journey & as this letter arrives on Palm Sunday, we are able to look down that road to Jerusalem & see all that it holds for our Saviour. Jesus knew it was His destiny as the prophets had foretold, [Isaiah is a particularly well used illustration of this] used more specifically on Good Friday.
I always say at this time of the liturgical year [but it still needs to be said,] that to share & understand the joys of that blessed Easter Morn, we too have to sacrifice something. Travelling the road with Jesus the whole week is necessary for us, if we really want to be called true followers of the Way.

This year we begin Holy Week with three short meditations, Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday. These will begin at 7p.m. & last about twenty-five minutes. On Maundy Thursday, we shall this year be re-enacting the ‘Passover Meal’ if you have not experienced this, I commend it to you as part of our historical association with the Jewish festival of Passover. We will see how a Jewish family would have prepared for the great festival.
Good Friday, we will be able to take part in the ‘Stations of the Cross around the church, as we re-enact the Passion of Christ. This ancient ceremony allows us time & space to meditate & share in Christ’s last hours.
Easter Saturday Eve, we will have our Easter Vigil. This non-Eucharistic candlelit service allows us to re-affirm our baptismal vows & experience the ‘Exsultet’ part of the great Easter ‘Triduum’.

We finally arrive at Easter day, with all its joy & praise & thanksgiving. But to arrive at this point we must ask ourselves, have we taken the time to give up a few hours this week for Him who gave His all for us? We each need to continually examine our spiritual lives, Easter is the time in which we can totally give of ourselves & be right there walking along side our Lord. This is something that I personally like to do, just to be able to put out our hands & touch His robe, hear His voice, share His journey to the cross & beyond.
We need to be challenged in our faith commitment, why? Because if we are faithful, then He is faithful & He will reward us.
“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” says the old hymn. Well, will you be?

May God give you all every blessing as we journey through this Eastertide together.
Fr. Harry.

MARCH JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear friends,

March this year heralds the season of Lent! Certainly a busy time for us as Christians, with our annual church meeting & all that goes with that.

I recently asked if there might be those amongst our number who would consider standing for the church council. Well I’m glad to say that the request hit home & 3 people have indicated that they wish to be involved in taking our church on into a new era. As last Sunday Fr. Bill Rogers indicated in his address, we are a pilgrimage people, we cannot stand still we must aim for the ultimate prize! To keep pushing on to new ideas new ways is not to abdicate our past, it is enabling those who have given years of faithful service at St. Peter’s to see their seeds bearing fruit! Remember how Moses led the children of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness? What was his reward, a lovely farm & comfortable retirement in the Land of Milk & Honey? No! He was called home without ever being allowed to set his foot in it after forty years!

God calls each & everyone of us at St. Peter’s to be active in His service. Using our ‘Lent Talents’ [please take your envelope from the back] allows us to be active in service. We further the kingdom by our actions, we allow God to enter areas of this community in which He has not been for some considerable time. Together this Lent as we seek God’s guidance & His Holy Spirit in directing our lives & our church to where He wants us to be, let us remember, we are charged with this cause. Those faithful souls in this community whom built the old ‘Tin Church’ as a sign of God’s presence in this place, are counting on us! Praying for us, along with all the saints & the whole of heaven to succeed in bringing the love of Christ Jesus into every heart & home in Ashley. We can make a difference if we are willing to put Christ first!

As we reflect on our lives & faith commitment this Lent, the time when the church repents of its past misdeeds & seeks forgiveness for the things we have not done, may we be aware of the responsibility which God has given us.

I wish you all a reflective & productive Lent. P.S. The Holiday Club in August [10th-15th].is; ‘Holiday Rock’ WE NEED YOU! 18 or 80! There is a place & work for every single one of us. We need to collectively invest in the future of this Church by being available everyone no exceptions!

We need to show how serious we are here about becoming a community based Church, now our opportunity is coming!!

Are YOU willing? Will you work on this holiday club to help bring the Lord Jesus into the lives of the children in Ashley?

Are YOU willing to give of your time & expertise? WE NEED YOU together we will succeed. Please pray about this venture & please talk to me about your ideas. May God bless us in all we do to help enlarge His Kingdom here in this place.

Fr. Harry.

FEBRUARY JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

February already goodness where does the time go? I have now begun my third year here! [I know to some of you it seems like a lifetime] but there we are you are stuck with me for the foreseeable future!

I feel that there is much potential here at St. Peter’s if we all pull together. The social calendar for instance is very important. It gives a much needed opportunity of meeting together to have fun & get to know each other better. Our two congregations rarely get the chance, so I do hope you will all support what the Church Council try to do, with regard to the events we are planning this year [more information soon].

Lent begins a little later this year [thank goodness], but we do need to have your input into ways of raising funds in our ‘Lenten Obligation’ The £1 pound coins will be in the envelopes in good time for you to get cracking! Economically we know that things are tougher for a lot of people, so perhaps we need to use all our initiative to think of appropriate ways of enthusing people.

A good friend in this deanery told me this week, that he had had a conversation with one of his parishioners after his sermon on giving, who was bemoaning the fact that things were tight & that his wine bill had increased by three pounds a week & was unable to add to his giving this year. My friend replied ”Isn’t it amazing that we are prepared to pay more when our wine bill increases, but not be willing to do the same for God.”  A good answer I thought?

We all at this time of year need to examine where we are in our relationship with God. So many demands on our money our time & our resources. But we as Christians should be investing in our eternal life, not in this mere preparation time. How we are able to move forward in growth in Ashley depends on what we, as the worshipping members of Christ’s Church in this place are willing to invest in the future!

The Holiday Club in August [10^th-15^th] is a prime example of this. ‘Holiday Rock’ [the title] will mean turning the hall into a beach complete with sea & beach café. So a lot of work is going to have to be done in planning & all that goes into its preparation. Simply put, WE NEED YOU!  18 or 80!  There is a place & work for every single one of us. We need to collectively invest in the future of this Church by being available everyone no exceptions!

We need to show how serious we are here about becoming a community based Church, now our opportunity is coming!!

Are YOU willing?  Will you work on this holiday club to help bring the Lord Jesus into the lives of the children in Ashley?

Are YOU willing to give of your time & expertise? WE NEED YOU  together we will succeed. Please pray about this venture & please talk to me about your ideas.

May God bless us in all we do to help enlarge His Kingdom here in this place.

                                                                        Fr. Harry.    

JANUARY JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

East wind –
Break down the shutters of the moaning night.
Secure brown earth fast In icy fetters,
Shroud the lane in white with shrivelling blast.
Frost –
Puddles in the lane Splinter silent dawn
With noisy broken glass, And Robins search in vain
The hard unyielding lawn, For crumbs of frozen grass.

This poem was written by my late friend John Eve, Shepherd & naturalist [1932 – 1992]
John was a hill farmer whose sheep survived some of the hardest winters which the Atlantic Ocean could throw at them. John & his wife Elsa, morn & night would be out there during January at lambing time in South Devon where we lived. They always looked exhausted snatching a few hours of sleep whenever they could, eating with their coats on, ready for any emergency [there were many] But they loved the life, much I should imagine as anyone involved in farming does. Perhaps just as those shepherds whom we sing of on the hills outside Bethlehem, as they were given the honour of bringing the ‘Good News’ to all mankind through the message of the angels.

Not many of us today could probably stand the hardship of those days. We have become soft, too ready to turn up the heating to alleviate our discomfort, used to our warm comfortable homes.
No such joy for Joseph, Mary & the infant Jesus, forced to shelter in a makeshift stable in the dead of winter. It is very cold in the Holy Land in winter & snow is a common occurrence. As we enter the Epiphany of our Lord, we remember those Wise Men who travelled from a distant civilisation to witness this thing that ‘had come to pass.” An event of such significance for these three VIPs’ to make such a long & arduous journey guided only by a star.

We enter a New Year, for which I personally have so much hope, as we move to make Christ known in our witness to this community. To those who have not had the opportunity of knowing the Lord Jesus in their lives, bringing the love of God incarnate in His Son to His people. We say in our Eucharistic Prayer, “It is our duty & our joy that we should at all times & in all places give thanks.”
Let’s begin this year working together with a new energy & willingness to put Christ first not only in our lives, but in the lives of those whom we seek to save. This illustrates I think where I’m coming from:

Dear readers, from this rhyme take warning,
& if you heard the bell ring this morning
Your priest went to pray for you,
As the prayer Book bids him do.
‘Highness’ or ‘Lowness’ do not matter,
You are the Church & must not scatter,
Cling to the Sacraments & pray
And God be with you every day.

A Happy New Year to you all,
Fr. Harry.

DECEMBER JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

“And is it true? And is it true,

 This most tremendous tale of all,

Seen in a stained-glass window’s hue,

A Baby in an Ox’s stall?

The Maker of the stars and sea

Become a Child on earth for me?”

Again I turn to Sir John Betjeman for inspiration at this Christmastide.

He is without doubt the heart of the Church of England for those of us of a certain vintage.

However, let us remember that this, the Greatest Story ever told, should always be new & fresh for us as believers. I always remember at this time of year Christ’s promise of His second coming.

Is this the year He comes back to judge us as He said He that would?

If the answer to that question is yes, then are we prepared? Are we certain that He will be saying to you & me “Well done my good & faithful servant, come & share in my eternal glory?”

Charles Dickens moral tale ‘A Christmas Carol’ gives us an insight into how some choose to ignore the fact that there will be a reckoning for us all. But, because of God’s goodness, we all have the opportunity just as Ebenezer Scrooge did, to put things right, Straighten out ourselves before we are all finally judged. Not much has changed in the world since Dickens wrote his story. Yes I acknowledge the scientific, medical & technological advances, but, we still have the poor. Those who have much & who will not share it! People loosing their homes & jobs because of a set of world economic circumstances beyond our control, people dying for lack of food or adequate protection from evil people who care nothing for the sanctity of human life.

“How can I make difference” you may ask? By being concerned & involved, by caring for God’s people. I wonder how many there are who will be on their own this Christmas Day living in our community? While we are enjoying a happy day, for how many will it be a day of misery & loneliness? Do we care enough to make a difference? Could we do the Christ-like thing & open not just our hearts but also our doors to those in real need?

Questions to which, whenever Christ decides is the right time to return, will have to be answered.

As Christians we must do all in our power to help those whom Jesus Himself would be first to help. We learn from His example. He was born in the poorest of conditions, amongst the animals in a dirty outbuilding, hardly a five star stable!

“No love that in a family dwells

No carolling in a frosty air,

Nor all the steeple-shaking bells

Can with this single truth compare

That God was Man in Palestine

And lives today in Bread & Wine.”

A blessed & peaceful Christmas to you all     “God bless us everyone!”

Fr. Harry.

NOVEMBER JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

November has arrived!  The first snows in the south thankfully only in the south east. Far too early to be thinking of winter, as most of the leaves are still on the trees in the forest.

We always associate this time of the year with remembrance of course, but what I always find comforting is that almost immediately, we step into Advent!

This is a time of expectancy, of hope, of watching & waiting.

It is sad that the traditional Advent courses always seem a little too much for people today, because of the lack of time in the run up to Christmas.

However without Advent- no Christmas! As Lent is to Easter, then Advent is to Christmas the important time of our Lord’s birth.

We must use this season to properly prepare ourselves for His coming, the sacrifice made by His Blessed Mother who did something that can never ever been done again. Mary gave herself wholeheartedly & freely to God’s supreme will, made herself the vessel of Christ’s birth for us all. Now that’s sacrifice!

Let us make a sacrifice this year & all take the opportunity to join here at St. Peter’s with our brothers & sisters from St. Mary Magdalene’s & St. Johns on Advent Sunday at 6.30p.m.To share in our annual carol service, preparing for the coming of the Christ child, by prayer, song & Scripture.

As we light our candles at the start of our service, let us by doing so, remind the world [& our little bit of it in particular] that we see Christ Jesus as the ‘Light of this world’ the light which can never be put out!

He is available for all people & we should all in our power to share Him with a world that today certainly needs Him!

May I wish you all an expectant Advent?

Fr. Harry.

OCTOBER JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

 Hear we are Harvest Time again, a time to give thanks to God for His goodness to us all. It is a time when we tend to see more people joining us for worship, [which is good]. Those wonderful harvest hymns which give us so much hope & pleasure, praising God for His bountiful goodness is surely a good enough reason on its own to come at this season of the year!

I cannot however, think of harvest without calling to mind the excellent ‘Diary of a Church Mouse’ by one of my favourite poets, Sir John Betjeman. In this poem you may remember, Betjeman recalls the church year through the eyes of one of the churches more humbler servants [few & far between today you may say]. I recognise almost everyone I have ever known in my church life in this poem. Each interloper is treated with disdain, each act is subjected to severe criticism, oh how like real life it is. Yet the church mouse has faith in his fellow human worshippers to not let the side down, [how wrong can you be]? You remember how the poem concludes?

“Within the human world I know

Such goings - on could not be so,

For human beings only do

What their Bible tells them to.

They read the Bible everyday

And always, night and morning, pray,

And just like me, the good church mouse,

Worship each week in God’s own house,

But all the same it’s strange to me

How very full the church can be

With people I don’t see at all

Except at Harvest Festival.”

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Harry

SEPTEMBER JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

I was asked the other day which of the Gospels was my favourite? Not one of the synoptic gospels, it has to be St. John’s Gospel. It is as Archbishop William Temple says in his excellent book ‘Readings in St. Johns Gospel’ “Through & through Palestinian.” “Although the prologue” says Temple, “uses the term ‘Logos’ it is used in its Hellenistic [Greek] as well as its Jewish sense. It bears traces of a mind accustomed to thinking in Aramaic. With St. John we are able to accompany the Lord from Galilee to Jerusalem, & breathe the air of Palestine.” John re-enforces the Sacraments of the Church they are appointed means of grace. It is no accident that the discourses in the Fourth Gospel which contain references to Baptism & the Eucharist are recorded in complete detachment from the practice or institution of either. If you have time I would thoroughly recommend this book to your Bible studies, it makes fascinating reading.

There is also one of my most favourite hymns which is linked to St. John’s Gospel, specifically chapter 17. Its hymn number 523 written by William Henry Turton. This delightfully uplifting Eucharistic hymn for me says it all, not on its John 17 quotes, but in its hope of those returning to the fold who have gone astray verse 3 is I believe the hope for the church for tomorrow. These beautiful words set out in the way I believe Christ Himself would use to describe those who are lost from us temporarily.

 And, it is with these words in mind, that we look towards

Sunday 28th September which has been designated as;

 ‘Back to Church Sunday’  [B.T.C.S.]

 I earnestly hope, that each &every one us, is able to make a real effort, seek out someone who has perhaps fallen away from church for one reason or another, or someone whom you feel would benefit from giving church a try!  We intend to make this B.T.C.S. a big event, by giving those whom we wish to approach, a personally printed invitation to come to the special ‘welcome back service’ which we are arranging for the main 10.a.m. service on the 28th.  We will have some nice coffee & posh biscuits & cake after the service to give us the opportunity to meet & chat to those who come. Last year 20,000 people came back to the Church of England through this initiative. We MUST this year play our part! I regard this as the most important Sunday of the whole year. It will show to the parish, how much as a church, we are prepared to take our Christian duties seriously. Mtt.28:16-19 is where I’m coming from & if we are able just to encourage one or two people back into the fold, then we will have succeeded in doing as our Lord commanded each & every one of us to do!

The future of St. Peter’s Church could depend on how much we are willing to put ourselves out for Christ! 

I am sure I do not need to remind you of what Our Lord does daily for us?   

‘We pray for wond’rers from thy fold; O bring them back good shepherd of the sheep, back to the faith which saints believed of old, back to the church which still that faith doth keep; soon may we all one bread, one body be, through this blest sacrament of unity.” 

God bless you all in this B.T.C.S. mission initiative,

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Harry

JULY JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

May I say first of all, how touched I was at the generosity shown at the Petertide retiring collection for the Additional Curates Society [some £123.00 ].The goodwill gesture towards those whom have considerably less than us is a real Christian statement of Cornelius proportion. [Acts10; 1-2.]  Thank you all.

Barn Dance, well a wonderful evening was had by all [judging by the comments made] again thanks to all the team for making it such a pleasurable evening for all who attended, especially the large number of non-church people.

‘Mission Audit’ I am looking for  a few volunteers willing to be part of a steering group which will oversee the mission audit five point plan, which we all agreed in the spring to implement this year. This will not be an arduous task; however, I would very much like to see all of the church represented in this group not just the church council. If you wish to find out more, please speak to me. 

Our Patronal Festival was well attended & the evening Songs of Praise was an enjoyable way to end a very busy Petertide celebration weekend.

As we now move on into July, [my how time flies] there are those who will be sharing the summer with friends & family, or perhaps just getting away for a few days. May I wish you all a very happy holiday time & that you will return to us, refreshed & re-energised by your break.

‘Summer is a cumen in’ [well let’s hope so!]

May God bless you all,

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Harry.    

MAY JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

‘Summer is  icumen in,  Lhude sing cuccu!’  

No, there is nothing wrong with my spell checker!! 

This anonymous verse was written in c 1250 a time when the young Thomas Aquinas joined the relatively new ‘Order of Preachers’ the Dominican friars. His family were so disgusted they kidnapped him & held him captive for some months but to no avail, Thomas continued his studies in Paris & Cologne under the famous Dominican theologian, Albert the Great who was a major influence in his life. He returned to Paris to lecture & thereafter taught in Italy & Paris until his death in 1274. 

Thomas wrote extensively, commentaries on Scripture, philosophical & theological treatises on Aristotle.

He is famous for his teaching on the Eucharist, & expounded the doctrine of transubstantiation. Thomas believed that after the words of consecration [Jesus’ words at the Last Supper over the bread & wine] that bread & wine cease to exist, because they are changed into Christ’s body & blood while retaining their outward appearance.

We have just celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi, in which we give thanks for the institution of Holy Communion, allowing us to weekly share together in the body & blood of our Saviour who gave His all for us.

So it is with affection, we remember one of the greatest theologians of the medieval church. His book the ‘Sum of Theology’ is one of the great works of its time, & is still used for study today by students & scholars alike.

Hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to the life & work of Thomas Aquinas, who is recognised as one of the most influential figures in western Christianity.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Harry.                

APRIL JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

As we begin a new church year, we are urged by Bishop Michael to be vigilant in our missioning to our communities. This as you know is paramount if we are to reach out to those whom we seek to bring the Word of God. There are so many ways for us all to make an impact on our ‘own patch’. The ‘open doors’ initiative, Thursday afternoon ‘Tea & chat’ & developing our ‘Mission Audit’ priorities, which we have all agreed to support. All of this work needs to be shared amongst us, we need YOUR help! Please respond to any initiative you may be approached to assist with. There is little point in us beginning new areas of outreach, without having sufficient people who are willing to make a commitment. This year, we have an opportunity to begin to make a difference to the community of Ashley. I beg you to get involved in some way. There is no greater thrill than helping someone to accept Christ into their lives. Most of you have had years of experience, now I pray you will use your own particular gifts as we move forward together.

Read Matthew 28 vv 16-end & hear what Jesus commands us to do in His name, how can you refuse Him?

Optimistically,

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Harry.

MARCH JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear brothers & sisters,

I was personally heartened by the favourable response which greeted the Mission Audit findings thank you all. However, there are still areas in which we all need to get involved. Our ‘Open Doors’ policy still needs volunteers, so if you are able to help out, there is a sheet at the back of the church, please add your name so that we can begin opening the church every morning from March. As you may know, thanks to Maggie’s latest initiative, we have been stirred to action with regard to our ‘social events.’ These may be primarily for fund raising, but it does give us the opportunity to get to know each other better. Please make every effort to join us for all these events; I assure you they will be fun!

I am delighted to bring you two items of good news, firstly Christine has agreed to become Gift Aid secretary, giving Jack a well earned rest. Also Philippa has agreed to play the organ for us on the second Sunday of each month, sharing the load with Daphne [when she returns.]

Easter seems so early this year, but I do hope you will all join us during Holy Week as we move towards the cross & all the joy that follows. I am reminded of George Herbert’s wonderful hymn which says, “Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise Thee.” I believe that if we want to fully experience the joy of Easter Morn as faithful followers of ‘The Way.’ Then we have a duty to experience with our Lord His pain on Good Friday too. Let’s all help to make this an Easter to remember!

May Doreen & I wish you all a happy & blessed Eastertide, Yours in Christ Jesus, Fr. Harry.

FEBRUARY JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear brothers & sisters,

We approach Lent after experiencing the shortest period of ’Ordinary Time’ [Green] for some 150 years! Wow, what useful information!

However, we still need to mark the beginning of Lent in our lives.

Our traditional Ash Wednesday Service will take place on the 6^th @ 7 p.m. & I hope that as many of you as possible will feel you are able to come & celebrate this time of self denial & reflection. This year as we begin our mission to the whole community, I hope we will use this service as an opportunity to show our full support & commitment to St. Peter’s church & our proposed outreach. Please do make every effort to attend. We will also be using our ‘Lent Talents’ once more, & I hope that as last year we will have a good response. [Envelopes will be available from Sunday 10^th.]

 Everyone I hope has an open letter from the Church Council on Mission Audit highlighting the areas in which we feel we may best serve our community. On Sunday 10^th an ‘Open Forum’, will give you all an opportunity to have a say in the decisions we need to make in our mission to Ashley.

So, lots going on, lots to think about as we move forward into Lent.  

It is my hope that we could have St. Peter’s open for at least 2 hours per day, say from 9.30 a.m. – 11.30a.m. But I will need help! If you are willing to help make our church available to the whole community please have a word with me. I only require help on Monday, Tuesday & Thursday. Please note:               No previous experience necessary, full training will be

given in use of pen, paper & pleasant smile!!    

May God bless you & those you love,

Yours in Christ Jesus,                  

Fr. Harry.

JANUARY JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear brothers & sisters,

Its’ hard to believe that a year could pass so quickly, however here we stand on the brink of 2008. What will the New Year hold for us in this parish? There is no real way of knowing the answer to that. We can guess, hope, or we can trust that whatever happens in the end, it will be God’s plans for us that come to fruition.

The Mission Audit which we are spending so much time and energy on, may be an indicator to us which way God wants us prioritise, however that can only happen if we are all willing to be active participants.

As twenty first century disciples, we have the task of taking the ‘Good News’ [of the saving grace of Christ] into our community. It is an onerous task yes, but not without its rewards. I was told by an older lady that she felt she had done all she could for her church, now it was someone else’s turn to take over. I politely reminded her that she was no where near the age of Moses or Noah, or many of the others whom God has used through the ages & that we only stop serving, when finally God calls us home! Until then we keep the momentum going, even if we are only able to support others more able & active through our prayers. We all have our part to play, the part God has chosen for us. Let us this New Year listen & be aware of what God may asking of us. How can we refuse Him?

[Incidentally the elderly lady agreed]!

May I wish you all a very Happy & Peaceful New Year!

 yours in Christ Jesus,                      

Fr. Harry.

DECEMBER JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear brothers & sisters,

Advent is upon us, the season leading up to Christ’s birth. We should be using it to prepare for ‘Maranatha’ the ‘Coming’ of our Saviour. For that is what Advent means. It refers to the fact that Jesus not only has come, but will come again.

For Christians Advent is appropriately a time of recollection & anticipation, also a time of renewal, and a time for new planning, new attitudes & new inspiration.

It is a time when families & friends can draw close together in their anticipation & celebration of God’s gift to the world – His Son, the Christ.

As we share in our Advent Carol service with the rest of the Parish on December 2nd at 6.30p.m. Let us for a moment put aside the letters to Santa, the shopping & gift wrapping & all that goes with it.

The true meaning and joy of Christmas cannot be grasped hurriedly. We must make time to recall the expectations of the Messiah in the voice of the prophets. We remember the stories about the birth of Jesus & we sing the Christmas Carols & we prepare ourselves spiritually for the celebration of the coming of the Christ child.

Whatever you have planned over this festive season, hopefully with family or friends, please do take time to remember that babe who came into this world for each & everyone of us & will surely come again!

This Advent may you know a new & deeper love in the redeeming grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Doreen & I wish you all a very happy Christmas & a Peaceful New Year.

Fr. Harry.

NOVEMBER JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear friends                                                  

As we move into November, the Churches time of remembrance, we recall with love & affection those who have recently died. Also those who paid the supreme sacrifice for us, both Saints of old, & those who died in all the wars since those times. It is with grateful hearts that we will continue to remember them, thanking God for their sense of duty & their sacrifice on our behalf.

May God bless you all,

Fr. Harry.

OCTOBER JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

‘Come ye thankful people come, raise the sound of harvest home’. So writes Henry Alford in that glorious harvest hymn. However, thank goodness for a wonderful September, otherwise we may not have had a harvest at all.

The seasons it appears are changing, & the poor old farmers now have Foot & Mouth to contend with again. Also the rare Blue Tongue disease which is brought to us on the wind, through midges from the continent & has now invaded these shores.

 I do hope that the current meeting of world leaders to discuss climatic change will take the issues of global warming very seriously this time, because we are all affected. Otherwise, the consequences for our children’s children may be pretty awful.

 God blesses us with His gifts from land & sea, & we do sometimes take them for granted.

Harvest time is a special one for us in the Church of England & we are glad to sing the old favourite harvest hymns & enjoy our harvest suppers however, never let us forget that we are in a very fortunate position, & that we have brothers & sisters in other lands that are not so blessed.

 May we always remember our responsibilities as stewards of God’s world & be willing to act in His name, whenever we can to alleviate the sufferings of others.

On a happy note, we welcome Alice & Emma to be with us on placement from Moorlands College. I know you will all make them feel at home as they both seek God’s will for their lives.

May God bless you & those whom you love this Harvestide,

Fr. Harry.

SEPTEMBER JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear brothers & sisters,

“Now and then I may possess, hours of perfect gladsomeness. Pleased by any random toy; by a kitten’s busy joy.”

So writes Wordsworth in his poem about a kitten’s antics entertaining his family in ‘The Kitten & Falling leaves’

[Published 1804]

We have a new addition to the family in the shape of ‘Tillie’ a ten week old bundle of fur. How odd it feels to find after many years, to find you are again totally relied upon by someone else for food, health, security, love. Not necessarily in that order, but all very important!

 As we get older, some of us are able to repay those who brought us into this world, who are now perhaps less able to look after themselves. This unfortunately in western society is not seen as the norm as it is in other parts of the world.

Our obligation to ‘Love the Lord your God, and your neighbour as yourself’, is no option for Christians, it is a command!

This of course includes those who raised us & gave us the best possible start in our lives.

Family life is so important, we see across our country a distinct lack of values & discipline that the majority of us took for granted as we grew up. Newspapers daily tell us of muggings, murder & attacks on those who are the most vulnerable in society. [See article on notice board]  At last we seem to be sensing a growing number of people willing to stand up against lawlessness & crime, however sadly sometimes at the cost of their own lives. The supreme sacrifice made by ordinary people for the sake of common decency & moral behaviour, in defence of their families & homes. It is now time for the government to act, to ensure that law & order is maintained at the highest level, whatever the cost to us a tax payers. Otherwise the alternative may be too awful to contemplate!

 May God bless you & yours,  

Fr. Harry.

AUGUST JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear brothers & sisters,
“I hear leaves drinking rain I hear rich leaves on top;
Giving the poor beneath drop after drop;
‘Tis a sweet noise to hear these green leaves drinking near.
And when the sun comes out, after this rain shall stop,
A wondrous light will fill each dark round drop;
I hope the sun shines bright; ‘twill be a lovely sight.”

So writes William H Davies in 1921, however, the sentiments expressed I’m sure you will agree, are applicable to this very mixed summer we are experiencing, hey ho!
As we move into August, & hopefully a bit more sunshine, we can reflect on the last six months & be thankful for God’s goodness to us here at St.Peter’s. It has been a period of change, but I hope, a time of rebuilding & definite progress as we move prayerfully towards our goal.
I have been asked about additional prayer meetings. I’m very happy consider this, but would wish to point out that since January, I have provided eight additional services per week of
Morning & Evening Prayer, at which we pray daily for God’s vision for our Church. Also I’m aware, that our more senior member’s do not wish to be out in the evenings, so perhaps one of these two Daily Services would fulfil that area of need?
As from July, the Church Council will meet for prayer prior to our monthly business meetings. This I hope will give all members an opportunity to pray together, as we seek God’s guidance in serving our community.
As Deanery Lay Training Officer, more of my time will be taken up from autumn, when courses begin. However, my door is always open to everyone for what ever your particular needs or concerns maybe. Let me know if I can help it’s what I’m here for!

May God Bless you & those you love this month,

Fr. Harry.

JUNE JOTTINGS FROM ST PETER’S HOUSE

Dear Brothers & Sisters 

There is an anonymous verse which dates back to 1250 A.D. which was put to music, many of you know it – its title is ‘Cuckoo Song’ and it begins,

“Summer is icumen in

Lhude sing cucc!

Groweth sed and bloweth med

And springeth the wude no –

Sing cuccu!”

I remember this particular piece well, as it was one that Doreen’s choir sang regularly in concerts when we lived in South Devon. It just happens to be the first poem in the Oxford Book of English Verse, which I opened to try to find something suitable to say about the month of June. (Good luck with the old translation!)

It is true to say that as the weather improves and the days lengthen, we begin to think about holidays and time with our families. Yet this year I am particularly thinking of next spring, Why? Well it is then that we hope to lead our St Peter’s Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

For most of us this will be a trip of a lifetime and as there are limited numbers of places available on this pilgrimage it would be helpful if you are thinking about joining us to please speak to me a soon as possible. We will have to confirm our booking soon in order to benefit from the competitive prices. I have details available for those who wish to see them and this tour has been especially designed not to be too arduous for those who are a little older. Do come and join us if you are able as we begin this proposed pilgrimage together.

May God bless you all this month and those you love.

Best wishes

Fr Harry