Thoughts from The Vicarage with Gerald Manley Hopkins and dates.
Greetings on a beautiful, freezing cold Saturday morning!
The skies, the moon and the sunset have been so striking of late one cannot help but be inspired. As Gerald Manley Hopkins wrote; ‘The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil‘ … That line lays out the profound connection between God and nature that the speaker explores throughout “God’s Grandeur.” God is not connected to nature merely because God created nature. Rather, he writes of God as actively suffused within nature, as an ever-present “charge” running through it.
I’ve just recorded a temperature of -5oC at The Vicarage just now – all the more reason for giving thanks for a roof over our heads with warmth, food and drink sufficient to our needs. Meanwhile, Mr Vicarage, aka the gardener, butler, admin support and ‘fac totum’ is finding the Australian summer especially delightful!
Let’s begin with diary dates … there’s something for everyone – come and join the celebration.
- Carol singing Thursday 15th and Tuesday 20th from 5.30pm-6.30 pm. Meet at the vicarage and return there for drinks and nibbles; carriages at 7.30. RSVP if you are coming to help with the singing.
- Dressed up Nativity Thursday 22nd December 3pm – for all children and those young at heart – come ready dressed as shepherds, angels, Mary, Joseph or donkeys etc.
- Christingle December 24th Lambourn 4pm.
- Crib service 4pm Dec 24th Eastbury.
- Traditional Carol services Dec 11th in East Garston and Dec 18th in Lambourn. Both at 6pm.
If you’d like to know more or would like to help out in any way please let me know! Our carol services will each have a retiring collection. East Garston’s will be in aid of the Tower restoration and Lambourn’s will be for Racing Welfare – our local charity we’re supporting this year. St Michael & All Angels is looking forward to especially welcoming the racing community with a number of readings being read by those from the local stables.
It’s not too late to join in with one of the Advent groups, Tuesdays 2pm at Christine’s home and Wednesdays @ 7 at The Vicarage.
As promised last week the 7 ‘O’ Antiphons (which I love and hope you will too) begin on Dec 16th with O Sapientia – more of them in the next episode of Thoughts.
Do look out in church for the free latest Diocesan edition of Pathways with an intriguing article ‘If Jesus was Chancellor’ which explores the economy through the lens of scripture. The theme of Hope is taken up through poetry and a reflection upon the familiar reading of John chapter 1 verse 1-18 just in time for Christmas itself.
Looking forward to greeting you over the weekend, meanwhile,
God bless
Julie