Vicar's Letter
Dear Friends The current season of harvest, as summer draws to a close, reminds us how fortunate we are to enjoy relative plenty, thanks to a climate which in spite of the changes familiar to us all provides well for our needs. At the same time, we are only too conscious of the desperate needs of others – for example, the suffering of the people of Pakistan after the recent disastrous floods, or need in other parts of the world where famine is part of daily life. We know that the earth’s resources are limited, and yet we also know that there can be a fairer and more equitable distribution of those resources. For many people, faith helps them to make some sense of how we can respond. Simply to be driven by the need to acquire more personal wealth, to be a consumer and pleasure seeker rather than a rounded human being, is to deny that ultimately we are responsible before God for sharing the resources of the earth with the rest of humanity. This should be a task which gives real pleasure: to put into practice in our lives the love of God. In God’s eyes there are no divisions between human beings – all are welcome. Come as you are is the simple invitation for Back to Church Sunday on 26 September. Your local parish church extends this welcome to everyone, regardless of age or where you are on your spiritual journey. No strings attached – just come and see, and find space to think and listen, to ask questions and share ideas. Or simply to see what’s going on. As autumn approaches, people in this country and across Europe are anxious about so many aspects of the future, and millions across the world continue to suffer deprivation in the wake of natural disasters. Perhaps this is the right time to come to God and offer our own talents and resources in the service of our neighbour, rediscovering for ourselves the life-changing love of Jesus Christ – this is the real pleasure of which the Scripture speaks. May it be your experience as well. Yours in Christ, Charles Hill