Thoughts from The Vicarage with a Festival, clocks and lots of dates
Greetings on this beautiful sunny afternoon!
Please find attached Pews News for this coming week in which the clocks go back on Sunday morning and you get an extra hour in bed before coming to worship! Remember, there is a single service in the Valley this week.
All Saints Patronal Festival is on Sunday at 10.30 in All Saints East Garston when we will be welcoming The Reverend Canon Dr Sally Welch as our preacher. As a Canon of Christchurch Cathedral, the Patron of All Saints Church, it is a joy to welcome Sally and her husband Jeremy. We look forward to welcoming her and hearing her message on Sunday. Please do support this very special service for All Saints.
All Souls’ Day service is on Saturday November 4th at 3pm in St Michael & All Angels. All are welcome to this quiet short service with a couple of gentle hymns when we remember our own dead, those who shaped us and loved us, those who we belong to and who belonged to us, the people we miss day by day and week by week however long ago they died. Loving does not stop with death- neither does it become less profound or less powerful. Christians believe that God is equally the God of the living and of the departed. We are all held in His love and united in his light.
The candles we will light are a beautiful background to our worship and a striking thing to experience. They also remind us of the value we have in the eyes of God, that every life is precious not only to God but to our community as well. The Lord is near to the broken hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. [Psalm 34:18]
If you would like the name of your loved one read out at the All Souls service, please add their name to the list in church next to the prayer tree in St Michael’s. If you wish, do add your loved one’s name to the prayer tree. Each name will be prayed for every morning at Morning Prayer.
Looking further ahead there will be Remembrance services in East Garston on Saturday November 11th at 10.45 by the War Memorial and also in All Saints church on Sunday November 12th at 9.00 when the names of those who gave their lives will be read.
The Act of Remembrance in Lambourn will begin at 10.45 at the War Memorial followed by a short service in St Michael’s after which refreshments will be available in church. This is instead of going up to the Legion which, as you will know, is now closed.
Bishop Olivia is leading a service of confirmation on Wednesday November 28th at 6.30pm in St Michael & All Angels Lambourn. Please do put this date in your diary, come along and support all those being confirmed – it will be a very special occasion! It’s not too late if you or someone you know would like to be confirmed – please simply text or ring me.
Finally, Christine thanks you for prayers and messages of condolence following the death of her sister. She will be conducting Audrey’s funeral in Wales on 3rd November.
Very finally, a prayer …
Lord, you wept for the love of Jerusalem
Hear us today as we weep for the land of your birth,
The land we call Holy.
Bring to all,
whether Israeli or Palestinian,
whether Jew or Muslim,
Christian or none,
the blessings of your peace,
your mercy and love.
Amen
God bless,
Julie