Harpley, My Life is my Message." Mahatma Gandhi
Revd. Sue Martin
October 2024
Dear Friends,
Welcome to October, amazingly into the tenth month of the year, autumn is on its way. A chance to look forward to the wonderful red and orange colours of the leaves and delicious hedgerow fruits.
Although it is the tenth calendar month for schools and colleges it is the second month and the start of the academic year. We have five schools in our benefice (our church group of parishes) and they are all thriving with new children and different classes for many. It’s quite a challenge managing change and as our children go through the education system there are exciting new ventures to take part in. For many it will be a time to start college and maybe venture afar.
One of my granddaughters is in her Gap Year, after A level, and is busy working hard, earning money to fund travels in faraway places. How exciting yet challenging at the same time!
Our churches also have changes ahead, we are still seeking a new Team Rector, and hopeful that the right person will be found soon. In the meantime, we carry on with delivering all the normal services in our ten churches. Along with myself, as Assistant Priest, we have a ministry team, churchwardens and clergy colleagues helping with services. Within all of our churches we have teams of people, from flower teams to cleaners, readers, churchyard mowers and gardeners, refreshment teams, PCC members and many more.
Our churches and churchyards are open (some at different times) for people to visit, to stay a while, to pray and to just be in that space. As Christians we believe in offering that place for everyone as a special place in our communities.
It was really difficult to find that in two of our churches we have had things taken. Gayton had some microphones taken and Ashwicken had a very large Bishop’s chair removed. It was hard for me to go into the church and discover the chair had gone. It had been there in my childhood and my time in the choir. But we believe in hope and forgiveness. The loss of things is hard, but the love of God can not be taken away and that is what we cherish.
Many blessings to all for the autumn ahead and for the chance to spend time in our beautiful countryside, gardens and homes.
Rev’d Sue Martin