July Message

Greetings from your Rector

As we say goodbye to June there has been a lot to be thankful for. Wonderful community celebrations as part of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee; children joining our church families with baptisms in our churches; community coming together with wonderful events to support our school. I’m not to going to reveal further details here, the reports from the individual events within this magazine tell their own story far better than I could. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to all involved.

July sees the welcome return of our fete and another opportunity for our local community to come together in celebration. With the Commonwealth Games starting in Birmingham on July 28th, I’m told the fete on July 9thwill have a Commonwealth theme. Another school year comes to an end, and we say a fond farewell to the year 6s from our local primary school, sending them off with our love and prayers as they transition to the much bigger schools in Baschurch and beyond.

Before we say a final farewell to the Jubilee, I’d like to talk about the biblical concept of Jubilee which comes from the Old Testament book of Leviticus. In a world full of inequality and injustice, the idea of pressing the reset switch with a year of rest every fifty years may seem ridiculous. Pause for a moment though, and imagine a world where the year after Jubilee year, everyone was able to make a fresh start, free from debt, slavery and oppression. Not just the chosen few- everyone.

How would you feel if your debts were cancelled? Your burdens lifted? Your sins forgiven?  When we unite the concept of Jubilee with the reality that everything comes from God, we realise that by reuniting us with God, Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension sets us free. In the eyes of God all are equal. It is our Jubilee year every year. Come and join us to celebrate in one of our village churches.

God bless you

Revd Chris