Okay, so hands up if you can’t believe it’s September already … how are we here already?! September is a month laden with anticipation, hope and nervous expectation for many of us. New school shoes and slightly too-big new uniform perhaps; the thrill of going up a year or the worry of starting big school. Maybe starting out on a much more focused pathway at college or leaving home for the first time to start university. For you farmers, busy as bees and praying for good weather, so that all may be safely gathered in. When I was a girl, September always meant looking forward to the fair arriving in town, with its lights and music, wonderful smells and frisson of danger.For the longest time, autumn was my favourite season, with each year refusing to grow old quietly and demurely, but instead, like an outrageous great aunt or magnificent drag act, parading itself with flair and drama and sass. Just as the farmers are heaving on their muddy wellies, and the school kids are proudly sporting their new togs, so in September the autumn is strapping on its thigh high boots and getting ready to party. Glorious!As the season changes around us, the world is changing around us too, endlessly throwing up new things to wonder at and new things to fear. Likewise, we are all steadily changing (the inevitability of change is one thing that forever stays the same). For Christians, in the swirls and twirls of life, God is our constant and yet always full of surprises. If God has never surprised you, it’s possible you might not have been paying enough attention!Whatever it is that sassy September will bring you, whatever fairground ride life resembles for you now (dodgems, rollercoaster, big wheel, teacups, merry-go-round, ghost train?), I pray that you will know some measure of the peace of God’s constant love for you, and some thrilling surprise at the joys this beautiful season can hold. For all school kids, students, teachers and school staff, all those busy working our farms and orchards, to all fairground workers, drag acts and outrageous great aunts, I pray God’s blessing over you, with love.Rev Angie xImage by Frank from Pixabay
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of the many events in our parishes, wildlife notes, book reviews, lots of small ads, and of course a Chuckle Corner.You can click the DOWNLOAD link to view the Parish News in PDF format.
My friends,As I write it is a rather damp, blustery, grey summer’s day, but off in the distance I spy a little patch of beautiful blue sky and the sun peeking around the clouds. I don’t know about you but I find it difficult to know what to wear while the weather is so higgledy-piggledy, big warm coat or shorts and t-shirt.The climate puts me in mind of the story Aesop told of the Sun and the North Wind who were having an argument about who was most powerful. They noticed a man walking along in his big winter coat, and the North Wind started to boast, saying “I will show you how strong I am because I will blow so hard that I’ll blow that man’s coat right off”. Of course, the more the cold North Wind blew, the more the man pulled the coat tight around him. “Okay,” said the Sun popping out from behind the clouds, “now it's my turn.” The Sun shone warmly down on the man and very soon he had taken his coat off, enjoying the warmth on his skin.And what’s the moral of this ancient tale? That gentle kindness and warmth can often achieve better results than force and bluster. Or, as one C20th Indian writer put it, the powerful are not the ones who trouble others, but the ones who show mercy to others.What do you respond to best: warmth and kindness or aggression and manipulation? To put it another way, Albus Dumbledore or Miss Trunchbull?As the Son of God, Jesus had the power to be an almighty bully had he chosen to, all cruel force and angry bluster like the chilling North Wind. It’s true that he was powerful, breaking down barriers, smashing cruel bullying systems, but he treated people with warmth, dignity and compassion. His love was and is his superpower.Earlier this year I had four letters tattooed on my arm: GGGC. They are there to remind me of the values, a kind of Rule for Life, I try to live by every day, which are Grace, Gratitude, Generosity and Curiosity, things I see when I look at Jesus. I have them tattooed on my arm because I am prone to forget – when I’m feeling particularly meanspirited those letters are there to encourage me to be better.I wonder what the values are that you try to live by every day, and who or what inspired them? My prayer for you is that, whatever weather this summer brings us, in your hearts you will know the true power of sunshine warmth and blue sky hope.God bless you.Rev Angie xPhoto by Klein He on Unsplash
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of the many events in our parishes, wildlife notes, book reviews, lots of small ads, and of course a Chuckle Corner.You can click the DOWNLOAD link to view the Parish News in PDF format.
In his last video before a summer break, Bishop Richard explores different ideas of rest and what might be the key to happiness.Bishop Richard's weekly video #210You can find a transcript of this week's video on the diocesan website.
In this week's video, Bishop Richard encourages us to think about we say to each other, and why. He reminds us of the apostle James' counsel of restraint in our everyday lives: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” [James 1:19]. How do we engage with others on social media or in our conversations?Bishop Richard continues: 'Our words to one another reveal the secrets of our heart more than we realise.' Do we seek to be kind and loving in our interactions with all people? Bishop Richard suggests: 'If we are to raise the spiritual temperature of our common life we need to find ways of turning outwards: developing a sort of transcendent curiosity to what God is doing in the lives of others.... James' advice to listen is an encouragement to all of us to be quicker to seek the good of others than our own.'Bishop Richard's weekly video #208You can find a transcript of this week's video on the diocesan website.
In this week's video, Bishop Richard reflects on the ordination last weekend of five deacons and five priests in Hereford Cathedral.He says: 'A deacon is called to remind the whole people of God about the priority of service.... Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reminds us that the primary task of ministry is not to do everything ourselves but to encourage the whole people of God to own their responsibilities as baptised Christians to live for Christ and make him known to others.''Ordained ministry exists to facilitate that effective ministry by everyone else.'Bishop Richard's weekly video message #207You can find a transcript of this week's video on the diocesan website.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of the many events in our parishes, wildlife notes, book reviews, lots of small ads, and of course a Chuckle Corner.You can click the DOWNLOAD link to view the Parish News in PDF format.
In his last video recorded a few weeks ago in Bahrain, Bishop Richard talks about camels -- and the pervasive influence of materialism in our culture.He says 'consumerism fuels insecurity and unhappiness.' ... So how might we model generosity? 'Don't spend more; give more away!' He concludes: 'Our Father is a generous God. May He help us to be the same.'Bishop Richard's weekly video message #205You can find a transcript of this week's video on the diocesan website.
Bishop Richard has been in the Kingdom of Bahrain for the consecration of our former Rural Dean, Sean Semple, as the new Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf.From the perspective of Bahrain, Bishop Richard reflects on how the familiarity we have with our own culture has stopped us seeing how radically detached the UK has become from its Christian foundations. 'We live in a country now where we ... have largely rejected the King [Jesus].'We 'will need to be in a constant place of prayerful discernment as [we] seek to be faithful to the Lord ...'. 'Such prayerful dependence, the dependence [that Jesus'] disciples learned on their first mission, is something we need to cultivate even more.'Bishop Richard's weekly video message #202You can find a transcript of this week's video on the diocesan website.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of the many events in our parishes, wildlife notes, book reviews, lots of small ads, and of course a Chuckle Corner.You can click the DOWNLOAD link to view the Parish News in PDF format.
Well, hello!It’s high time I introduce myself. My name is Angie Kateley and I am looking forward to joining you as your new vicar very soon. During June I will be moving to the vicarage in St Weonards, and then on Monday 1st July I will be licensed by Bishop Richard and installed by Archdeacon Derek as Priest-in-Charge of the St Weonards Benefice. After that, our adventures together begin! I will be joined by my dog Benji, and my adult daughter, Phoebe, will be around on and off.I’m coming to you following a happy curacy with the team in the Abbeydore Deanery. It was there that I learnt to love the beautiful countryside and communities of these borderlands, with their hills, valleys and rivers, narrow winding lanes, every type of tractor and of course especially the wonderful people. My joy at being able to move just a little south and east to join you in your remarkably handsome benefice is resounding and abundant.This will be my first time as a priest-in-charge, and I will be doing some learning as I go. It is my nature to take a more informal and pondering approach to things, and I think there are few situations and conversations that can’t be vastly improved by throwing in a nice cup of tea. I will take my commitment to pray for you very seriously, in fact I’ve already begun. And being a vicar I’m likely to bang on about Jesus a bit too.There’s going to be plenty of time: I won’t so much hit the ground running as hit the ground at a gentle but enthusiastic potter. My big first priority will be getting to know you and your communities. In that spirit, to give you a head start in getting to know me, here is a randomly selected, fairly useless bunch of facts:1. If looking for me in a crowd, you often just need to follow the sound of my outrageously loud laugh.2. I am a scouser by birth.3. I once ever so slightly headbutted a former Archbishop of Canterbury.4. I was a secretary and portfolio PA before training for ordination.5. Despite best efforts to avoid it, I find myself at 48 looking very like my paternal grandmother (short and round with a crop of recalcitrant curls).So, good people of Garway, Hentland, Hoarwithy, Michaelchurch, Orcop, Pencoyd, St Weonards and Tretire, get that kettle on and I’ll be round soon.God bless you,Rev Angie x
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of the many events in our parishes, wildlife notes, book reviews, lots of small ads, and of course a Chuckle Corner.You can click the DOWNLOAD link to view the Parish News in PDF format.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of forthcoming events, lots of small ads, and even a Chuckle Corner.Click the DOWNLOAD link to access the current edition of the Parish News in PDF format.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of forthcoming events, lots of small ads, and even a Chuckle Corner.Click the DOWNLOAD link to access the current edition of the Parish News in PDF format.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of forthcoming events, lots of small ads, and even a Chuckle Corner.Click the DOWNLOAD link to access the current edition of the Parish News in PDF format.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of forthcoming events, lots of small ads, and even a Chuckle Corner to make you laugh!Click the DOWNLOAD link to access the current edition of the Parish News in PDF format.
In his final weekly video of 2023, Bishop Richard asks how we respond to the Christmas story in the Bible? Just a fairy tale or a metaphor to explain deeper truths?Bishop Richard says: 'It is the story of Emmanuel, God with us. Confronted with this reality we cannot live as if it isn’t the turning point of history. St. James in his letter said, “faith without works is dead.” His is an abrupt challenge to us. Faith in Jesus Christ is always personal but never private. Faith in Jesus Christ changes our relationship with God, but it also changes our relationship with the world around us.''We live in a broken, violent world and we’re called to live our lives as salt and light in that world.... Current world events could lead us to despair but the cumulative effect of many Christian acts of obedience can change things. Our prayer, our giving, our life choices can all make a difference.'Visit the diocesan website for a transcript of the Bishop of Hereford's Message.
We are delighted to announce that Revd Angie Kateley has been appointed Priest in Charge for all our parishes and churches in Garway, Hentland & Hoarwithy, Orcop, Tretire & Pencoyd with Michaelchurch, and St. Weonards.Angie is currently a curate in Abbeydore Deanery, and finishes her three year training there in July, so she will be joining us in the summer.Angie asked if we could pass on a message from her: "I would like to give my huge thanks to everyone who helped make me so welcome and relaxed, both on my visit to the benefice and during my interview. I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be joining you in the summer. May God bless you over this Christmas season and into the New Year."Please join us in thanking God that Angie has been called to serve our group of parishes, and do pray for her as she completes her curacy and prepares to move to St Weonards in the summer. We look forward to welcoming her then.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of the many events in our parishes and at Hereford Cathedral as we approach Christmas, wildlife notes, book reviews, lots of small ads, and of course a Chuckle Corner to make you laugh (or groan!)Click the DOWNLOAD link to access the current edition of the Parish News in PDF format.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of forthcoming events, lots of small ads, and even a Chuckle Corner to make you laugh!Click the DOWNLOAD link to access the current edition of the Parish News in PDF format.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of forthcoming events, lots of small ads, and even a Chuckle Corner to make you laugh!Click the DOWNLOAD link to access the current edition of the Parish News.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of forthcoming events, lots of small ads, and even a Chuckle Corner to make you laugh!Click the DOWNLOAD link to access the current edition of the Parish News in PDF format.
As always, our Parish News is packed with stories from all our villages, a helpful listing of forthcoming events, lots of small ads, and even a Chuckle Corner to make you laugh!You can click the link below to download the current edition of the Parish News in PDF format.
