From the Vicar

“A very warm welcome to you all” has, I’m sure everyone would agree, taken on quite a different meaning over most of July and August as we, and countless others across the country and the world, have basked” in unprecedented temperatures. More recently it has been a real pleasure to welcome people “on this lovely cool and wet morning/evening”!

Later this month we will be celebrating our annual Harvest Festival, and we will be thinking about and praying for our farming community and everything they’ve had to go through over these last few months. We will give thanks for their resilience and determination, and will be praying for all those who, across our world, are being affected by climate change in its many and different manifestations. We are also thinking in this Parish, and across the whole Church of England, about the ways in which we can play our part in reducing the effects of climate change. To this end, and as part of Eco-Church, some members of the congregation attended a workshop in August about sustainability and Church flowers – a small thing per-haps but, in the words of a well known supermarket “every little helps”.

God’s world is in our hands – we are the stewards of God’s creation, and this stewardship involves responsibilities and decision making which we are all only just beginning to grapple with seriously. “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow………..look at the birds of the air, who neither reap nor sow and yet are fed……….” asked Jesus of the crowds who came to listen to him on the mountain-side beside the Sea of Galilee, and he asks the same of us today, 20 centuries later, as we consider our place and role and responsibilities within the natural world.

And so as we gather across the country to give thanks this month, and next, for the work of the farming community we need also to reflect on our part in God’s creation, and to exercise wise and careful stewardship in all our dealings with the natural world – for our good but especially for the good of all those who will follow us.

May God’s blessing be upon each and every one of us in this coming month.

The Revd Alec Brown.

From the Curate

Dear friends,

“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31)

August has long been associated with holidays, lighter evenings, and a slightly slower pace of life. While not everyone is able to take time away, there is wisdom in recognising our God-given need for rest. In a world that often measures our worth by how busy we are, Jesus offers a different invitation: to pause, to breathe, and to be renewed in God’s presence.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus withdrawing from the crowds to quiet places to pray. He knew that rest was not a luxury but a necessity. It was in those moments of stillness that he remained rooted in his Father’s love and purpose. We, too, are invited to make space for God amid the demands of everyday life.

Rest is more than simply stopping work. It is about allowing our minds, bodies, and spirits to be refreshed. Sometimes that may mean spending time with family or friends, reading a good book, sitting quietly with a cup of tea, or simply enjoying a few moments of peace without feeling guilty for doing “nothing.”

August also offers us the wonderful gift of God’s creation. Whether we are walking through the countryside, tending a garden, sitting in a local park, or simply watching the changing skies from our window, nature has a remarkable way of drawing us closer to its Creator. The psalmist reminds us:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

There is joy to be found in paying attention to the small things: the song of day, often in ways we can easily overlook. We can find heaven in the ordinary: the song of a blackbird in the early morning, the scent of lavender in bloom, the laughter of children, the beauty of a sunset, or the quiet hum of bees among the flowers. These simple gifts remind us that God’s grace surrounds us every day often in ways we can easily overlook. We can find heaven in the ordinary.

Perhaps this month we might challenge ourselves to slow down just enough to notice those moments of joy. They may not solve every problem or remove every worry, but they can gently remind us that we are deeply loved by the One who created this beautiful world and called it good.

As summer unfolds, may we receive God’s invitation to rest—not as an escape from life, but as a way of living it more fully. May we discover fresh hope in quiet moments, renewed strength for the days ahead, and grateful hearts that delight in the beauty of God’s creation.

May the peace of Christ be with you all this August, and may you find rest for your soul, joy in the ordinary, and renewed wonder in the world around you.

With love, prayers and every blessing,

Christina