Thoughts from The Vicarage with Ascension Day, care for creation and living well
Greetings on this beautiful sunny Ascension Day – the glorious finale to the Easter season!
The Valley Benefice Ascension Day celebration is at 7.30 this evening in St Michael’s Lambourn. Please find attached Pews News.
The dawn chorus heralded morning prayer so thrillingly earlier on. As I left The Vicarage songs of a song thrush, wren, chiff chaff, robin, blackbird, great tit and chaffinch delighted my senses. Thanks to the Merlin bird app on my phone, I’ve become more able to identify birds more accurately. The song thrush has won my heart today.
All of which reminds me that Care for Creation week is coming soon .. June 8th – June 16th Once again there will be a gathering on Saturday June 15th when there will be a chance to explore the church yard with friends, make notes of the wildlife, learn more from the guides and enjoy conversation along with light refreshments. All welcome. Do pop the date in your diary!
Thy Kingdom Come is an app you may find useful for praying the 10 days between Ascension Day and Pentecost. The app offers a daily short prayer, reflection, and a reading for each day. Archbishop Stephen speaks in easily understood terms about the season, of how “When we ‘pray thy kingdom come’ we become channels of God’s love and peace” and continues to speak of making your life a prayer in itself. Thy Kingdom Come | Thy Kingdom Come.
Dates and events
- Lambourn Lambs and coffee and chat are back on Monday.
- Choir for the younger ones is at 4pm will be on Tuesday in St Michael’s when all of school age are welcome.
- Living Well in The End Times will be on Wednesday as we welcome our friendly local palliative care nurse Mel. Do come along with any questions – no query too small and of course there will be time for a chat afterwards. We have already been asked if we could repeat these gatherings so please let me know if you are interested.
- All Saints APCM is on May 21st at 7pmSt Michael & All Angels APCM is on May 19th at 12.15.
- The next Lambourn Wellbeing Walk will be May 13th – meet at St Michael’s church 11.30 with a gathering for a drink and refreshments following the walk.
Finally
A sonnet by Malcolm Guite that appeals to each one of us to become his clouds of witness here on earth.
Ascension Day
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed.
God bless
Julie