Dear FriendsAs I write this we are preparing for Christmas and the birth of Jesus, God’s Son, sent to earth for us. By the time you read this, Christmas Day will have come and gone, and we will be thinking about a New Year, maybe about New Years resolutions or just what this year may hold for us or not.20 years ago when I was nursing, I had volunteered to work the night shift for the night of 31st December 1999 and 1st January 2000 – the new millennium which I can’t quite believe is 20 years ago now! I have never seen so many staff in the hospital for a night shift and worried looking technicians and managers walked in and out of the ward as we waited to see if planes would fall out of the skies or whether all of our technology would go down at midnight. It came and went without event (although you can usually never describe an NHS night shift as being without event!) but nothing changed, the pumps continued to do their work, the blood pressure machine didn’t break down and the electrical system continued to light the ward lights and work the bell system. There was activity for a few hours and we realised all would be well and we continued our work for the night.As we go in to a New Year we may be going in to this with anticipation, worry, sadness or regret or we may be excited by new opportunities, new possibilities. I am struck thinking again about that Millennium, that there was so much worry and anxiety, yet all continued on. The Bible tells us to “cast all our anxiety on to God, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5: 7). I hope that whatever the New Year holds for you, that you know the love of a God who cares for you whatever your circumstances.With every blessing in this New YearRev Sarah (Vicar)01733 248690/07498 230858/vicar@saintpeters.co.uk
Dear FriendsI have enjoyed my first few months as Vicar in Yaxley, thank you for your warm welcome.This year has been a journey in many ways, not least, travelling across the country to a new place, new church and new people. Our Christmas story is one of journeys, Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem, shepherds leaving their sheep, Wise Men travelling many miles. The focus of our story is a baby born and placed in an animal feeding trough. This baby was Jesus also called Emmanuel a word which means God with us. Jesus came to the world out of love for you and for me, to share his life with people and to enable people to come to know him and God his Father.These journeys were not planned, they were inconvenient and difficult and this year may have been a hard one for you. It might also have been one of new and exciting opportunities. Wherever your journey has taken you this year, I pray you will know the peace that Jesus came to bring us and the love that is there for each one of us. Please join us over the Christmas season to celebrate afresh the birth of Jesus.With every blessing for a happy and blessed Christmas and New Year Rev Sarah.
My Gran would say “the nights are drawing in now” although she would often start saying that in July or August which is a little depressing! However, as we enter November, this becomes very easy to see as even with the changes of clocks at the end of October, it is usually dark when I wake up and is certainly dark when I go to bed. The daylight seems to be there for so little of our waking time. Our seasons change and as we go into November in some ways the world seems to slow down a little, in others, we move into slightly mad panic planning and buying for Christmas. November often has a slightly sombre feel in the church as we move into a time of Remembrance. At the beginning of November, we celebrate all the saints – all those people who have gone before us, or maybe those saints that we know in our lives today. We also remember All Souls, thinking of those loved ones who have died, and we see no longer.This year on Sunday 3rd November at 3pm we will be holding an All Soul’s Service or Service of Remembering those who have died and who we miss. Letters have been sent out to relatives of those people in our village where our retired clergy have taken a local funeral this year, but everyone is welcome to this service. If you would like the name of your loved one read out in the service, then please do let me know. The following week (10th) we will commemorate Remembrance as we remember those who lived and died in service of our country. Do please join us at any of our services that day (9am, 11am and 3pm).With every blessing in this season,Rev Sarah (Vicar)01733 248690, <span style="font-size: 1rem;">07498 230858, vicar@saintpeters.co.uk</span>
I am writing this just a few days after I was licensed as Priest-in-Charge (Vicar) of St Peter’s Church, Yaxley by The Bishop of Ely. It was an incredibly special service and friends and family came from all over the country. There was also an unexpected surprise, as people from The Wenlock Team of Parishes which were my previous parishes in Shropshire came to support me for this service. The community of St. Peter’s Church worked incredibly hard to ensure everything ran smoothly and I would like to thank them. Along with friends and family and so many people from St. Peter’s Church community, were also many different representatives from Yaxley. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for being there and part of such a special evening. It is going to take me a good while to get to know people, names and places, but do say hello if you see me out and about and I will eventually get there! Thank you for coming to support me.Simon and I are really excited to be in Yaxley and part of the St. Peter’s community. People have been so helpful as we try to find our way around the village and this side of the country. I was ordained 6 years ago and have been in Shropshire for these 6 years and before this, I was a nurse working mainly in cancer care for 13 years.Thank you for your welcome to the village and I am looking forward to getting to know people here.With every blessingRev Sarah (Vicar)01733 24869007498 230858vicar@saintpeters.co.uk
