Vicar's Bit For August
Recently Answered Prayers
In a crowded Cathedral on the day of the ordination of Revd Debbie Godsell and seven other Deacons, we prayed to
‘God our Father, Lord of all the world’…
hear our prayer for your faithful people
that in their vocation and ministry
each may be an instrument of your love,
and give to your servants… the needful gifts of grace.'
And again in a crowded Hucclecote church I witnessed many of our thirteen churchwardens being given their oath of office. We prayed to ‘Our living God’
'to renew our churches, parishes and deaneries in unity and mission,
that all who love you may work for the coming of your Kingdom'
I thought to myself “Yes, God is answering our prayers, isn’t He?”
For last year Jill Beddoe and Greg Chamberlayne became the churchwardens at Maisemore Church. And this year we also have new churchwardens, Rupert Barnes at Ashleworth Church, Pauline Drury at Hartpury Church and Jo Thurlow at Staunton Church. This year there is significant new leadership on Ashleworth PCC and Maisemore PCC. And Janine Edwards has just become our new Benefice Safeguarding Officer as well.
Thank you one and all for being part of the renewal of leadership in our churches in this generation. Churches only thrive due to their lay leadership.
On 8th July Bishop Rachel officially opened the ‘Old Forge’, with its ‘Upper Room’, between the Old Chapel and Hartpury Church. A significant new resource for Hartpury Church and groups of a dozen or so. Jim Chapman has been at the heart of the project from the start to completion. And a particularly significant piece of work has been the £150,000 recently spent on restoring the tower and roof of Hasfield Church. Nell and Ed Douglas Miller, and particularly Paul Alexander were central to the project. At a wonderfully full service at the end of June we gave thanks for the completion of the first stage of the work on Hasfield Church. There we prayed
'by the might of your Spirit lift us to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God.'
As we sit quietly in church over the summer reflecting on our chaotic world, it is surely a good prayer for us to pray.
Suggested Summer Reading: ‘Sanctuary. Ways of telling, ways of dwelling’. By Marina Warner. Publisher William Collins. £22.
Warner is both the former President of the Royal Society of Literature and a renowned cultural historian. Her book is beautifully written and has a deep engagement with the meaning of ‘sanctuary’, one of the most hotly debated issues of our day. What does the tradition of ‘sanctuary’, from biblical times through to the present day, have to say about the care of strangers, foreigners, aliens, exiles, emigres, sojourners, immigrants, migrants, displaced people, stateless people, undocumented migrants, illegals? How do the stories of their life experience effect how we might respond? There is a fascinating British spiritual, historical and cultural story/picture/tradition of ‘sanctuary’ to explored here.
Baptisms in August
3rd August 2pm Maisemore Church, Ruby Edwards-Tipping and Caleb Edwards-Tipping, parents Simone and Christian
10th August 2pm Staunton Church, Toby Rust, parents Sophie and Daniel.
We offer our prayers and congratulations.
Wedding in August
9th August 12noon Ashleworth Church, Dan Bateman and Sam Finch
We offer our congratulations.