I hope you have had time for relaxation over this long hot summer. Sabbath rest – the need for proper periods of stepping away from routine work whether creative, practical or dutiful – has been baked into Creation from the very start. Do we rest enough I wonder? I read recently that UK adults spend over 7 hours a day on screens of one form or another, even in the holidays. Screens of course can...
Read moreMany of you will have spotted two new furry friends around church lately, peeking into the church hall or St John’s rooms. Puck and Ariel are our new(ish) Vicarage cats and they have been busily exploring ever since they were allowed to go outside in the spring. Puck (tuxedo cat) and Ariel (with a mask over one eye) are brother and sister and they just had their first birthday in May. They do their best...
Read moreTurning left, my friend Simon checked the map, took a bearing, and we headed off the path, towards our campsite. “Keep your eye on that big boulder,” he said. It was right in front of us. We walked in a straight line. I looked up, and the boulder had moved! I corrected my path. Looked up. The boulder moved again. Humans cannot naturally walk in a straight line. We need something to help us stay...
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Last summer was the hottest I have ever known. It was a difficult one for farmers: arable crops were too dry, and some farmers were harvesting at night to try to gain the moisture levels required for sale. Many livestock farmers had to use their winter silage to feed their animals as the grass dried up in the fields. Some schools had days when they closed and many office workers found it impossible to work Read more
On Sunday 20 September members from all four churches in the Benefice gathered at St John’s hall for a simple celebration marking the 10th anniversary of Alec’s licensing in the Benefice. It was a joyful occasion with lots of laughter – and cake! Over the summer we had collected donations towards a collective gift, which we presented to Alec: a silver home communion set that will undoubtedly be treasured and used in his ministry for Read more
It seems an odd thing for St Johns Church to support, but read on and I think you will see why. The Morning Star Trust own and operate three yachts and take people to sea for anything up to 10 days. The people who come are expected to become fully involved. Yes it involves learning how to sail the vessel but it also includes preparing all the meals, cooking for a crew of 8 people, Read more
As we envision our future as a Benefice, we find inspiration in Archbishop Samuel’s life and ministry in Tamil Nadu, South India. Despite being from the lowest Dalit caste, Samuel believed in his calling to be ordained, overcoming opposition even within the Church of South India. His mission was to uplift the poor in his community. “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). In 2000, Samuel established the Highways Tea Estate, where Read more
August is normally a quiet month when the Church Hall and St John’s Rooms are not as busy as normal. However the SMT have been busy, we have arranged for the doorway between the hall and the toilets to be made accessible for all, we also organised servicing of the accessible hoist in the hall toilet. We scheduled the Fire alarm to have a six-monthly test, and the carpets in the Church, the Hall and Read more
Have you ever thought about the consequences of Global Warming and Climate Change in terms other than temperatures increasing? Most of us will be highly aware at present of the impact of prolonged high temperatures and of Wildfires both abroad and at home. But do you know about Tipping Points? And do you think of it as a Nature Crisis? On 27 November 2025, leading experts set out the evidence on the climate and nature Read more
