This year, 2025 has been claimed the ‘Year of Venus’ by astronomers due to the extraordinary brightness the planet will display during the year. With this in mind, maybe 2025 should be declared ‘The Year of Love’. Through December and January, social media was teeming with posts calling for ‘self-love’, ‘new desires for 2025’, and ‘putting myself first’ often with life transforming products you can buy to make it happen! Fitness courses, lotions, potions, detox teas, planners, nutritional organic matcha powders are going to make sure you succeed this year. Of course, the consumerist world we live in is set on making us feel deflated, uncared for and self-serving. It promises us happiness, satisfaction and success. It seeks to make big profit at our expense. It creeps in and to a greater or lesser extent makes us think, ‘Yeah, I deserve to be happy, I should get what I want!’ Of course, we can get this with next day delivery. It is part of human instinct to feel broken and not good enough. This is the very reason we can be exploited. The sad thing is that this quest for more and more stuff will never make us feel happy or peaceful. We will still feel empty. We will still want more. What we really seek is peace. It is hard for companies to sell you peace. Peace is free. Peace comes from love and forgiveness for others. We can find it through acts of kindness, helping out others, and being mindful of our actions. It comes from knowing you are loved and cherished by God exactly as you are. So, in 2025 – The Year of Love – Show love to others through your kindness and generosity, show love to our planet and neighbours far away by making compassionate and ethical choices with how you spend money, and show love to yourself by knowing you are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm 139:14). You have everything you need in your heart. Sophie Molyneux Trainee Pastoral Worker for St Mary’s, Astbury and St John the Baptist, Smallwood
Inflation is on the rampage, prices are rising at an alarming rate and now, more than ever, we need to be thinking of people who need help. With this in mind, during the 11am Family Service (usually on the second Sunday of every month), items of food, toiletries etc will be received, blessed and then delivered to the local food bank.If you would like to donate but cannot be at the 11 am service please leave your contribution at any time in the plastic box under the table inside the main door.
My dear friends,I write this whilst ‘decompressing’ after a very busy and fruitful 2024. What a year it has been. As we enter this new year, we can reflect not only on the past blessings but also the dawn of fresh beginnings with the arrival of our new rector and the exciting ministry opportunities ahead. Each day presents us with a space for renewal and growth, both in our faith and our community – but the New Year is a great time to be reminded.God has wonderfully made us, He has made St Mary’s a place of belonging – where we extend a radical welcome to all. We are a place of healing, spiritual health and service. It’s an exciting time in the Church of God. Let us embrace the changes that God brings our way and shoulder into those things well established. With joyful open hearts we trust that God has equipped us for this journey or will provide those with gifts we need.May we work together in unity, sharing His love and grace as we reach out to all those in need. With every step we take, may we reflect His light and purpose in our lives. Here’s to a year filled with hope, transformation, and abundant blessings! But remember, always, the simple call of our faith – LOVE. Love for God and for each other. Love. Happy New Year.Andrew Bevington,Reader, St Mary Astbury with All Saints’ Chapel Somerford & St John the Baptist Smallwood
