Back to the Future - Spring Clean

Firstly a big THANK YOU to everyone who came along on Saturday 18th April to help clear out the back of church, I particular the area under the church tower.

Not only was this long overdue but it is also the first essential step where    volunteers will come together to help with the preparation work for our LAST project.

The LAST project is our ongoing challenge to create a much needed toilet and Community area in St. Thomas. Further background is available in the  Annual Parish Report.

In the space of a few hours we managed to fill a skip with stuff that went back across decades - a very dirty trip back down memory lane.  In fact it was    pleasantly surprising just how much  was achieved in such a short space of time. There’s truth in the old adage “many light hands ……..”

There were numerous rusty gardening tools (not least 6 sets of hedge shears). Newspapers and sunflower seeds dating back to the 1990’s, abandoned sacks of cement and half a dozen flower stands. Old fundraising games from garden fetes of yesteryear as well as hoards of  junk and broken furniture were amongst the long ago abandoned goods.

What’s next?  When we are clear exactly what needs doing, our able gang of            volunteers have agreed to help with some decorating and tiling. If you are    interested and can spare a few hours over the summer then please watch this space and keep an eye out for the pew sheets. We would welcome as much support as possible.

The Life of Our Lord

The book, ‘The Life of our Lord’ was the last published work of Charles Dickens. It has an individual interest and purpose that separates it completely from everything else that Dickens wrote.

Quite apart form its Divine subject, the manuscript is particularly personal to the novelist and is not so much a revelation of his mind as a tribute to his heart and  humanity, and of course his deep devotion to our Lord. It was written in 1849    twenty one years before his death, expressly for his children.

Charles Dickens frequently told his children the Gospel story and made mention of the divine example in his letters to them.  The life of our Lord was written without thought of publication  in order that his family might have a permanent record of their father’s thoughts. After his death the manuscript remained in the possession of his sister in law, Miss Georgina Hoggarth. On her death in 1917 it came into the possession of Sir Henry Fielding Dickens, Charles’ son. Sir Henry’s will provided that if the majority of the family were in favour of it’s publication, The Life of our Lord should be given to the world. It was first published in serial form in March 1934. (taken form the forward of the book by Mary Dickens).

The book was bought in 1935 by great grandmother as a present for my mother who showed it to me as a child. I loved the book and so it was promised to me. This beautiful book came to me when my mother died and remains one of my cherished possessions.

Written beautifully for children with illustrations that include, ‘The Last Supper’, ’The Transfiguration’, ‘The Crucifixion’ and others; the book begins:  “My dear     children, I am anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about him. No-one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle and so sorry for all people who did wrong.

It ends:  “Remember! - it is Christianity To Do Good Always - even to those who do evil to us.  It is Christianity to love our neighbour as ourselves and to do to all men as we would have them do to us. It is Christianity to be gentle, merciful and         forgiving and to keep these qualities quiet in our own hearts. If we do this and    remember the life and lessons of our Lord Jesus Christ and try to act upon to them, we may confidently hope that God will forgive us our sins and mistakes and enable us to live and die in peace.”

I shall pass it on one day to the children in my family. But for now it remains with me, preciously coveted.

 God Bless,

Susan Harrop

Vicar’s Letter

May will as always be a busy month!

As the temperature rises and we see new growth around us then we should be encouraging growth in our church, our parish and our community.

We have had our Annual Parish Meeting, and those appointed or elected are empowered and encouraged at the Archdeacon’s Visitation Service,  which is taking place this year on Thursday May 7th at 7.30pm.

May 7th  is important for another reason. It is the date of the General     Election. On that date we have the opportunity to express our views about who should represent us in both national and local government. It is        important that we all take our part in these elections. We are the body of Christ in this place, and we must be engaged in politics in its widest sense – taking an interest in all that affects the lives of those in our communities. Christianity is a religion of incarnation. Believing that God sent his own son to live on earth with us, because he loves us, means we must care for those we live among and that has to include being involved in whatever way we can in decisions that affect the lives of our fellow human beings.

This month also sees Christian Aid Week. Christian Aid is an organization which gives vital help and support to so many in this troubled world. We need collectors as well as people to give to the cause. Please think whether you can help with the door to door collection, and give what you can to this charity.

At Easter we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, and we have heard again the stories of his appearances to his followers. Now this month we           remember the next chapters of the story.

Thursday May 14th is Ascension Day, when we commemorate the point at which the risen Christ ascended to join the Father. Please attend the service at 7.30pm at St Thomas’s if you can.

In the church’s calendar there are then an odd ten days reflecting the time when the disciples thought they’d lost Jesus again – having seen him die  on Good Friday, having witnessed his risen body among them after that first Easter day, now he’s gone again.

And then came Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit in such a dramatic way. Jesus had promised he would ask the Father to send “another       comforter” …. And  there were the flames, the rushing wind, the breaking down of language barriers. This, then, was the birth of the church. Here of course we celebrate with the walking, the bands and the service in St Thomas’s church. Pentecost, Whitsunday, is May 24th this year.

As a community, we flourish in the company of others. We can’t be       Christians on our own – we are all part of the body of Christ. Each of us has a part to play, and our absence from an event diminishes others. I ask you to try to take part in something which you haven’t before – to do          something extra to encourage us all –and in so doing you will enrich your own spiritual life!

Please remember too that it is important for us to be involved in the wider sphere and vote on May 7th and help in whatever way you can in Christian Aid Week.

Edith