Weekly and Monthly Newsletters
The Parish Pump, Debden's village magazine, is published monthly except in January. A letter from the Reverend Lynda Sebbage, our Team Vicar, is appended below.
An online copy of the current Letter from the Reverend Jeremy Trew, our Team Rector, and current and back issues of the Grapevine, which includes Team Services and events, can be viewed using the links below:-
The Grapevine (Weekly Newsletter)
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LETTER FROM THE RECTORY – JANUARY 2025
Dear Friends,
Yet another year has swept by, and how quickly too! As I write this letter looking out of my window, all I can see is thick cloud and trees that look like contrasting silhouettes. We are almost at the end of the year, Christmas has flown past and we are fast approaching January. For some, January can be a dull and miserable month. People talk of the 'January or Winter Blues', when after the festive season is over, normality creeps in, and we wonder what we have to look forward to. The lack of daylight, and sunshine in particular, means we don’t receive enough Vitamin D - and that in turn makes us feel sad and dejected. Our mood becomes low, and ends up matching the dismal weather conditions around us.So what can we do to avoid this happening?
Finding space and quiet times could really help, because that gives us the opportunity to stop and listen to the silence, which can be therapeutic. Some people, including myself, find it helpful to spend time outdoors. If this is possible for you, take a closer look at the world around you. Nature may well look as if its asleep, but if you search really carefully, you may well see the early signs of budding flowers emerging from the cold earth – and that can be a real boost to our mood! It could be that for you, spending time with others - perhaps a friend or neighbour who you haven’t seen in awhile, or even someone you hardly know who could be particularly sad themselves at this time of year - might be something to consider?
Our church communities are particularly good at fellowship, and all our services finish with an opportunity to chat and enjoy the company of others, sometimes over a warming cup of coffee and biscuits! If you haven’t been to church for a while, or indeed have never been, now could be your opportunity – you can be sure of a warm welcome!
As nature breaks through into spring and we emerge from our ‘hibernation’, our mood will certainly lift. But meanwhile, we have much to be thankful for - our homes, friends and families, and particularly the peace and safety in which we are fortunate enough to live in this country; these are all blessings we so often take for granted. As St Paul said in his letter to the Thessalonians (1Thessalonians 5.18): “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
I wish you a very happy, healthy and blessed 2025.
Revd Lynda, Debden Rectory