From the RectorIt has been a pretty tremendous year, 2024, hasn’t it? We have had the ongoing conflicts in Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and the Palestinians crowding our media, several severe natural disasters, not to mention an acrimonious general election and, as I write this, an upcoming presidential election in the USA. On a personal level, Paul and my decision to accept the offer to return to Amelcote benefice as your rector again and various family and friend events have all combined to make 2024 quite an intense year.We are fast approaching the seasons of Advent and Christmas, the time when we lead up to the climax – the overwhelming love of God for his world in sending his Son, Jesus, to show us the way back to God. Advent, one of the 2 penitential seasons in the church’s year, is a time of examining ourselves and just how far we fall short of God’s desire for us to live in and care for this wonderful world that He has made us stewards of; in short how we have not followed Jesus’ command to love God with all our heart and our neighbour as ourselves. It is also a time of anticipation of expectation for God coming into our world – as a baby born in Bethlehem 2000ish years ago and also a time when, as the hymn says “the earth will be filled with the glory of God” when Christ returns to earth.The Biblical book of Daniel, often quoted in the Advent season, is a book that bears inspection today. Yes, we are talking different time, different economic and social structures and autocratic, almost tyrannical rulers; however the sentiments are the same and so powerful. Take, for example, the reflection on Daniel chapter 5. This reading is Belshazzar’s feast and one reflection on it reads “we know something about the transition of power between the Babylonians and the Persians, and there are good historical reasons why it happened, but our writer is not interested in them. This book wants to show us, above all, that God controls everything and everyone. If there is a regime change, then God is behind it and God has his reasons. Its readers are encouraged to believe this, even when it is not easy to see, and know that ultimately they can feel safe in God’s world”. Words indeed for us to mull over and reflect on as we approach Advent and Christmas.One phrase often used to describe Jesus is “prince of peace”, in other words the epitome of love, tolerance and harmony. Let us take this opportunity to listen again to the story of God’s working out of his purpose for humanity and pledge ourselves to listen to and follow the Prince of Peace, not just at this time but each and every day.Come and join us as we celebrate Advent and Christmas in our benefice churches; you can check what is happening and where in the church porches or in our local village magazines. May God indeed grant each and everyone of us a happy and peaceful Christmas and 2025.
Following all the wonderful fund raising in the village and a successful campaign making grant applications to funding organisations, we achieved our target and were able to appoint a contractor to carry out the roof repairs. Work started in late March 2022 hoping to complete by the middle of May. All the re-slating works were completed on target but when the lead was stripped from the South aisle, there was some decay to the supporting timbers. This delayed work by several weeks waiting for new oak replacements but we are now fully watertight. We managed to stay within the original budget despite the additional works.Using traditional materials meant that the new plaster needed to be applied in layers with a drying time of a week between coats. (Our forebears obviously weren’t used to the 21st Century pace of life!) The works were completed in October 2022, and we even had enough money to redecorate the church porch including painting the doors in a traditional Northamptonshire blue.We are holding services in the church with a morning family communion at 10:00 on the 2nd Sunday each month. It’s always a good idea to check on the church noticeboard (or here on ACNY) in case there is some change to the regular pattern or a special service. Once again our thanks to the people of Tiffield for their support in preserving this historic building so that future generations will get the opportunity to enjoy it.
