A note from our Rector, Revd Stephen Yates:

This coming week will bring mixed emotions for us as a community. We rejoice that the vaccine will soon be rolled out across the UK but are conscious that many are still suffering from COVID or the effects of lockdown and that, for many, especially those working in the NHS and school, working conditions remain extremely stressful. As an extended Brixham community we continue to mourn the loss of the Joanna C as the funeral of Adam approaches.
We are in a time of mixed emotions, joy, expectation, mourning, fatigue. This mixture of emotions might not feel appropriate for Christmas as it approaches but they are entirely appropriate for the season that we journey through to get there – Advent. Advent is a time of rejoicing at the coming of Jesus, of Emmanuel – God with us, and the hope and joy this brings. But it is also a time when we look forward to the coming return of King Jesus, a time when he will judge us all and put all things right. All of us should remember that 'it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.' (Hebrews 13:31, ESV).
One commentator I read recently pointed out that during Advent season we rightly remember that the world is currently living between the times of Jesus first coming as a baby and his second as a victorious King. We are like Europe in the time between D-Day and VE-Day. Victory is assured but not yet here. As a community we rejoice in vaccines and church re-openings but lament loneliness, stress and death too young. We pray for all who are keeping us safe and working so hard. But we do all this confident that a better time is coming, not just with a vaccine, but at the end of time when our King will return and put all things right.