My dear Friends
I am writing as the Whitsun Week (according to the Book of Common Prayer) approaches. Whitsunday itself marks that incredible moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles on the 50th day after Easter, which also gives us the word "Pentecost". It was second in importance only to Easter for the early Church, when Baptisms were performed and white robes worn by the newly baptised. "White Sunday" thus became "Whitsun". I can never hear the word without thinking of Philip Larkin's poem "The Whitsun Weddings", in which the reader follows the narrator's train journey from Hull to London. With each successive stop more and more newly married coples get onto Larkin's train. I have little doubt that in the 1950s many couples chose Whitsun as "the" week in which to get married, hence the title of Larkins' poem. It is a custom that has disappeared and for me "Whit Week" in 2009 is a normal working week.
In fact, unlike Philip Larkin (who was born in Coventry), I will not be getting away at all but I will be attending the Bishop's Visitation, along with our Churchwardens, in Coventry Cathedral on Thursday 4th June at 7.30pm Bishop Christopher is keen to encourage any church members to attend because he will give a key address on his perceptions of Coventry Diocese based on his recent visits. He will also, I am certain, want to give the outline of his ideas on where he feels that we should develop as God's people throughout the Diocese. So, if the vision and strategic thinking of our bishop is something you are interested in hearing about (and I really do hope that it is!) please come to the service. It will also be an important night for Kay and Les, recently elected as Churchwardens, who will be officially "sworn in" on that occasion.
On Saturday 6th June from 10 - 12, David and Anne Challis will be holding a Coffee Morning at their home, 259 Alcester Road. We are all praying for fine weather so that we get the chance to enjoy their garden - mini "chelsea" in Stratford and not an oppurtunity to be missed!
The first Sunday in the month also marks Trinity Sunday (on 7th June) and I will attempt to say something relevant about what God is like, during the Family Service at 10am on that day. You might also like to make a note that on 21st June during the 10am Parish Eucharist we shall be wishing Richard and Kakthryn Reynolds well as they leave Stratford for their new post in Redditch. They have done some excellent work with other churches in the town but none more so than in partnership with St. Andrew's and we shall all miss their cheerfeul approach to the service of Jesus. However, "God's time" has come for them to move on in their pilgrimage and so we rejoice with them at the fresh opportunities he has provided.
I was made aware recently at our Fairtrade Discovery Evening, which was a really worthwhile event put on by the team, of just how fortunate I am to live in a wealthy country compared to the grinding poverty of many people around the world. If you happen to be born in Ethiopia, the world's poorest country, your changes of living a satisfactory and heatlhy life are not good. Danger lurks around every corner and western multinationals keep the price of coffee low to maximise their own profits. We cannot change the world overnight but we can buy Fairtrade goods as a matter of principle whenever we can.
As I was writing this Vicar's letter I received an email from Revd. Philip Francis, who has gone from our Fosse Deanery to be an army chaplain at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. Philip writes: "I have two services each Sunday and a daily mass plus offices and see lots of soldiers who find their way to the padre plus those traumatised by conflict, so please pray for these people. I have also been out on two combat logistic patrols.... We were hit the last time by the enemy but survived! We passed through desert and also the green zone, saw nomads and came by medieval type settlements". The temperature is 44c and heading towards 50c so please pray for Philip, the chaplaincy team and for the soldiers and the people of Afghanistan caught up in poverty and violence.
I should also like you to support Heather Coldicott who, once again, is collecting toiletries (nothing in a pressurised canister) and confectionary (nothing chocolate which will obviously melt) for the soldiers in Afghanistan. There is a box in the Welcome Area at St. Andrews where you can leave your gifts.
Ethiopia, Afghanistan - places in great need and places of danger but part of God's beloved world. If we love God we will do what we can to support the appeals that I have mentioned above.
Yours in Christ,
James.