Even though Christmas is behind us and we have put the decorations away, the season of Epiphany, the time to reflect on the manifestation of God in Jesus, continues until the feast of Candlemas on February 2nd. We quite rightly put enormous energy and effort into Christmas, so much so that we don’t always have enough time to ponder, quietly, what it means to encounter God in human form, in Jesus, in our own human lives. St Benedict said that when we encounter any person at all, in a spirit of love and welcome, then we encounter Jesus Christ. There is a thought for us to mull over as we prepare to reflect on encountering Jesus through February and during Lent. We mark the beginning of Lent on Wednesday February 22nd with a rather unusual service at Christchurch Forestside at 7.00pm. The service is called – an encounter with God. It is a service designed not for regular churchgoers (who are of course very welcome) but for those who are curious about Christianity today.
Starting on Wednesday 8th February between 7.00pm and 8.30pm, those interested in exploring Christianity are welcome to join an Enquirers Course at the vicarage. It will continue every Wednesday evening except during the School half term holiday and Easter holiday.
February 22nd is traditionally known as Ash Wednesday and at 8.00am at St Mary’s Compton, the Eucharist will be celebrated (as it is every Wednesday morning) together with the traditional administration of ashes.
During Lent our series of lent talks at St Peter’s East Marden will begin on Thursday 23rd February at 7.00pm on the theme of One World, Many Faiths? These talks will examine different faiths, including Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, exploring what they have in common and how they differ. I will introduce the series on 23rd February with what might be a controversial topic. I will tackle the new form of secularism that Richard Dawkins and others have urged upon us as something better, wiser and more scientific than religion. I will suggest that this form of secularism is in truth a religion itself. It has some things in common with other religious faiths, and some things which are different. Like other religions we need to respect it, honour it and treasure what we have in common with it; but ultimately to encourage Christians to treat as something different from our own faith.
There will be a very special Songs of Praise Service on Sunday 3rd June at Watergate to celebrate HM the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It will be a wonderful event with the South Downs Brass Band with a wonderful meal afterwards. I would very much like to know what hymns you would like to sing at this great festival. So don’t hesitate to email me with your preferences. We shall of course sing the National Anthem.
On the topic of emailing me, do please let me know what sort of activities you would like to see in the new Hall at Compton. This is being built, like the School, for the benefit of the whole community and the Head Teacher and I are eager that it is used by and for the community. So don’t hesitate to email me with your suggestions.
If you would like to hold a Lent Lunch this year, to raise money to give young people overseas opportunities to learn new skills, do please get in touch with me. Lent lunches will start at the Vicarage on Friday 24th February at noon. It would be good to have some new faces hosting lent lunches this year. You don’t have to go to Church to host a Lent Lunch. It’s a simple formula: soup, roll and water, with lots of fun and conversation.
May God bless all we do together.
John