At Noon on 23rd March 2021 join people from across the nation as we stop for a minute and remember all those who have died in the COVID Pandemic.REFLECTLoving God, You hold all our times in your hands, our past, our present, our future. Be close to us now as we remember all the difficulties and disappointments of the past year. Be especially close to all of us who are thinking of someone we loved and knew, but see no longer, whether family, friend, colleague or neighbour. Help us to trust that they are at peace with you, and comfort us with your presence.CONNECTLoving God, You place us in families and communities, and we give you thanks for all those around us who serve us and help us in so many ways. Give wisdom to community leaders, to our schools, hospitals, care homes and other agencies who make a difference to our lives. Help each of us to have the courage to reach out with thanks and kindness to those around us and to speak words of faith as we share the good news of your love.HOPELoving God, As we journey towards Easter, help us to live as people of hope, knowing that beyond the pain of the cross lies the joy of resurrection. Inspire us in our worship, through our churches and in our homes, that we may bring glory to you and joy to others. Be with those who are struggling in mind, body or spirit, and give courage to those who are facing uncertainty and change ahead. Help each of us to keep our eyes fixed on you, that we may reflect your light to all whom we meet.
Whilst many of our churches will have a service on Mothering Sunday, because of COVID these will be 'low key' affairs, and it means that we won't be able to provide flowers to give to their mothers, or to those who have played a mother’s role in their life. If you’re preparing for Mother’s Day at home, it can be a good time to help children learn about God’s love for them too, which is also like a mother’s love. Here are some things to do together as you think about that love:• Make a few pom pom chicks, (you can save them for Easter Day as a table decoration): see: www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/easter-craft-ideas.html •Ask your child who the chicks’ mummy is. If you like, you can talk about how they are born from an egg. •Talk about how a hen protects her little chicks by hiding them under her wings. She feeds them and holds them close to her to keep them warm and safe. •Think about how God’s love is like this. We are like God’s little chicks and God wants to keep us safe too, just like the hen. •Why not play at being hens and chicks together, spreading out arms and gathering underneath them? •At home, you can also read one of the Bible stories that has a mother’s love at its centre – for example, the story of Moses. A mother’s love is so special it’s worth celebrating, but some people may find Mother’s Day difficult for lots of different reasons. Some people may not have a mother who they see any more. She may have died, or they just never knew her. Some parents find Mother’s Day sad because they have lost a child and still grieve. As well as celebrating the love of mothers, we will always remember that Mother’s Day can be difficult as well, and will include some special prayers during the service. Revd Mark is happy to offer a confidential listening ear and prayer if that is something you would like.
Pancake Day, Lent and Holy Week are all part of the journey to Easter Day, the biggest Christian celebration of the year.It is a time when lots of people make time to think carefully about their life. For Christians, this means trying to live God’s way and remembering all that Jesus did.Why we have Pancake DayPancake Day is also called Shrove Tuesday and is one last chance for a big party before Lent begins with Ash Wednesday the next day.Long ago, Christians traditionally used up all the eggs and fat they had in store by making pancakes and feasting on them. This was because when Lent came, they would eat less food, or even fast (do without food sometimes) to help them focus on God and not on the things they wanted. This tradition has been passed down the generations.Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter, a date which changes every year. This year, we’ll be eating our pancakes on 16th February, before Lent begins on 17th February. With eggs, flour, milk and butter, anyone can join in with Pancake Day.<div>Why is Lent important?Lent is a time of getting ready for Easter.When Jesus was just getting started with his work, he went into the desert for 40 days to be all alone with God. He even went without food and prayed, and was tempted away from what God wanted him to do in all kinds of ways, but he resisted that temptation. You can read that story here in the Bible: Matthew 4:1-11.During Lent, Christians often do something different too, like praying every day or reading the Bible. This reminds us of Jesus’ time in the desert to focus just on God and feel closer to him. The good news is that Sundays are still celebration days – so you can take a break from fasting! The last week of Lent is called Holy Week – during this time, the church remembers Jesus’ death on a cross.Even young children can take part in Lent. For example giving up a sweet treat every day might remind children that we can live more simply.Our churches in LentChurches may look quite different during Lent. You might notice the colour purple, or there may be very few decorations or flowers. This is because it’s a time to concentrate on God and remember how Jesus gave up his life on a cross to save all of us.Because Lent is a time to reflect, church music and songs will tend to be more reflective and services won’t ever include the word ‘Alleluia’ – a very joyful word to express praise for God.It’s a big contrast when Easter Day arrives, when the colourful decorations come out, there’s lots of celebration, ‘Alleuias’ and joyful music! – And hopefully if COVID restrictions begin to be eased we may even be able to gather together and enjoy a special Easter Celebration Service!Some of our churches are now reopening, so if you have the chance why not go along to a church service in Lent and play a game of spot-the-difference – how is it different to other services you have been to? Then go at Easter and play again! Talk about how each service feels and why they have these different moods.
As he begins his ministry with us, here is a little more information from Mark himself. "I am a Suffolk lad, having been born in Ipswich to parents who were living in Hadleigh at the time, and I am the eldest of 5. My early years were spent all around the country as my fathers job meant that we moved every couple of years, but eventually we settled back to Suffolk living in Sudbury, so I know this part of the world reasonably well. I didn’t come from a particularly religious family, my grandmother was a Methodist and I attended a Catholic Prep School, but that was about the extend of my knowledge of Christianity. I did enjoy singing and that eventually led me to assist at my local church where I sang for weddings to boost the choir numbers – back then I was give a £1 a wedding and we could often have 3 or 4 weddings each Saturday during the summer – so given the choice of singing or getting up a having a paper round the singing one out! After some time, I was invited to also sing on Sunday mornings (although that only paid 50p) but it was there that I began my personal faith journey, and was fortunate to have some adults who were willing to listen and to answer the questions of an enquiring teenager. Around the age of 13 or 14 I began to have a sense that God was calling me to be a Priest, however, I ruled that out for as far as I was concerned Priests were “near saintly, good and holy people” and that wasn’t how I saw myself (and still don’t!) – so as a result I avoided a growing sense of vocation until my mid-thirties, by which point I was enjoying a good career as a Commercial Property and Liability Underwriter in the City, a job which eventually found me setting up, training and leading a team in India, a job which I thoroughly loved and one which found me spending a lot of time living and working there and one which influences my understanding of God and his love for all creation to this day. It is also a country which I still return to as often as life and finances permit, and one to which in my spare time (and when COVID isn’t around) I regularly lead both faith and discovery tours, in the same way as I also lead pilgrimages to the Holy Land. After much running away, I eventually offered myself for Ordination and was selected. This meant giving up a successful and lucrative career and going back to being a full-time mature student. I trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon on the outskirts of Oxford, where at the same time I had the privilege of Reading Theology at the University of Oxford. Having spent most of my adult life trying to get away from Suffolk, after College I was invited to accept a curacy back in Suffolk, indeed just a few miles down the road from where I used to live. So for the next two and half years I became the first full time curate to Lavenham and Preston St Mary for many years and was grateful for the support and opportunities to learn and to experiment as I learned, I sincerely hope, to be a good pastoral priest. At the end of my curacy I was encouraged to apply for the Stoke by Nayland Benefice where I have been for close to five years, nurturing and encouraging what was two separate benefices of five separate and distinct churches, to come together as one, recognising the uniqueness of each place, sharing gifts and talents, reaching out to the wider community, nurturing disciples and encouraging lay ministry in many shapes and forms. As I join the Stour Valley Benefice, I am both excited and nervous about what God has in store for all of us as we continue to respond to his call on our lives and as we are guided by the Holy Spirit to make Jesus known to all who will open their hearts to him. I would ask that you hold me in your prayers, just as I will be holding you all, and I look forward to meeting and getting to know you all in the weeks and months to come. God Bless and stay safe and well. Mark"
