We are coming to the end of the academic year. It’s an exciting time. It’s a time for school trips, end of year productions and sports days.  Some of our young people are moving on to new schools or leaving school to begin employment or go to university. Others are moving into a new class. And some are unsure, at the moment, of what they will be doing.

In this Parish, there will be leavers’ services for all the Year 6 children, when they will be presented with Bibles and prayed for as they move on. These services are always a special time for reflection, celebration and thanksgiving.

As many of you are already aware, Phil and I will be moving on to Norwich in Norfolk, probably sometime in early September, as I take up the post of Vicar of St Mary and St Paul’s Churches in Hellesdon.

The decision to move on hasn’t been an east one to make, and it has been done with much prayer.  As a family, we’ve really valued our time here where we’ve been loved and made welcome, and so it will be very hard to move away from a community and a church family that we, in turn, have come to love.

Times of transition, as well as being exciting, can also sometimes be a bit scary, can’t they? Both for the people that are moving and for those who are left behind or at home. But they also offer opportunities for new doors to open. And it’s important, during these times, to remember that God is there for us, to hold us, to help us and sustain us.

The prophet Jeremiah, in Chapter 29 and verse 11, when he was speaking to the Israelites in exile in Babylon, reassured them by saying,

‘For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’

When we are unsure of the next steps, we can trust God. That applies to those moving schools, moving jobs, moving house or whatever.

Before children move on, they usually have the opportunity to adjust by visiting their new school, new class, place of employment or university and teachers assist in the process by sending records of each child’s skills and needs. Please do pray for all our young people who are entering a new stage of life, and for their parents and carers as they adjust.

Before Phil and I move on, I will be meeting with the Archdeacon and Area Dean so that they are fully aware of the needs of this Parish and all the good things that people are doing. Please do pray for the right appointments to be made, in due course, and for those who will be holding positions of responsibility in the Parish, as they prepare for a new phase. They all do a great job, often unnoticed.

In the meantime, I am here to serve you until early September.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

Last month, in all three villages, the 80th Anniversary of VE Day was commemorated, and I am sure many of you participated in some of these activities. It was a significant event.

It’s so important, isn’t it, to remember the lives of those who have gone before us; to recognise and acknowledge their impact and give thanks for all they have given and done for us.

One way we can do this is through funerals, which provide the opportunity to remember and celebrate the life of a loved one or friend. For me, it is always a privilege to conduct a funeral and walk alongside a family as they prepare to give their relative, or friend, the ‘send-off’ they deserve.  A funeral, albeit a sad occasion, enables people to say their goodbyes, pay their respects and, often, hear some of the things about that person’s life that they, perhaps, hadn’t previously been aware of. It can, also, of course, offer the opportunity to commend that person into God’s loving care.

I recently attended an event organised by local funeral directors, where they were addressing the subject of ‘direct’ cremations and they gave us some facts about some of the national companies that advertise such cremations on television, some of which were quite concerning.

During that evening, in addition to the information about the ‘direct’ cremations, there was a bereavement counsellor present who shared something of her experiences.

I learned a lot from what I heard and would like to share something of what I discovered, in the hope that it might help you when you are considering the options, either for your own funeral or the funeral of a loved one.

The term ‘direct cremation’ refers to a cremation when the body of the deceased is taken directly to a crematorium and there is no service.

 A ‘direct cremation’ can happen in different ways. It can be organised by a local funeral director or by one of the national companies that you may have seen advertised on television. If it is organised by one of our local funeral directors, it will take place at a local crematorium. There is no service but the wishes of the bereaved are considered in so far as they are able to see the person in the chapel of rest, request personal effects are placed in the coffin, are given information about the date and time of the cremation and can change the arrangement should they wish.  I understand, however, that many of the companies that advertise on television, do not use local crematoria, unless a considerably higher fee is paid; instead, one of two places in the country is used and there is very little accountability for when the cremation takes place and little facility for personalising the occasion.

The bereavement counsellor who spoke at the event said that a funeral often marks the beginning of the grieving process for friends and relatives and she felt that, whilst some people select a direct cremation for themself for selfless reasons, they are sometimes denying those left behind the opportunity to pay their respects and begin that journey of grief.

The reason I am writing this is not to seek business for either the Church or for local funeral directors, but just to ask you to think very carefully about the funeral plans for yourself or a loved one. What may seem selfless to you because you don’t want to cause any trouble for your loved ones may, in fact, make their grief process more difficult to negotiate. I am very happy to chat these things through with anyone who wishes to discuss this, and I know that all of our local funeral directors would be willing to do the same.

If you are looking towards creating a funeral plan, one way to start is to ensure that the company that you are choosing to do this is a member of one of the Trade Associations of Funeral Directors, either SAIF, the Society of Independent and Allied Funeral Directors, or NAFD, the National Association of Funeral Directors. With regard to planning ahead, we also have booklets in all three of our churches which you are free to take and fill in should you wish to do so.

I do realise, in writing this, that there may be some people reading this that have already been through the process of a direct cremation for a loved one. If you are one of those people and feel that you would still like to mark the life of that person, please do feel free to contact me and I would be very happy to help you to organise a memorial service.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

On Sunday, 13^th April, Palm Sunday, we began a moving walk through Holy Week. After enacting Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem at the Sunday morning Family Service, two days later we met at Orsett Church for a Taize Service on the Tuesday evening. Taize is a Christian Community in France and their worship is well known for the singing of chants or short songs, which are repeated, again and again. The Taize Community says, ‘Using just a few words they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God. It allows everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God…’ We had a lovely time as we rested in the presence of God and during which prayers for healing were offered to anyone who wished to receive this ministry.

On Maundy Thursday, I went to Chelmsford Cathedral for a special Holy Communion Service when ministers of the church are invited to renew their vows made at ordination or licensing. The oils that are used for healing, for baptism, confirmation and ordination are also blessed at this service. The morning was made even more special by the presence of a group of Iranian Christian refugees who were sat just behind me and who were welcomed by our own Bishop, herself a refugee from Iran. It reiterated to me how fortunate we are in this country to be able to live without fear and to be able to worship freely. It also reminded me of the privilege of being part of a worldwide worshipping community.

In the evening, we remembered the last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples before he was crucified.  We did this at Horndon Church by holding a Holy Communion Service with foot washing – something Jesus did for his disciples on that evening, reflecting his servanthood and humility.

On Good Friday morning we moved to Bulphan Church for Stations of the Cross when, using pictures drawn by Revd Max, we walked the journey of Jesus to his crucifixion. In the afternoon we joined together in a walk of witness around the village when we shared Bible readings, hymns and songs as we retold the Easter Story. And we arrived back at Bulphan Parish Room to share hot cross buns.

Our Easter Day service was at Horndon Church on Sunday 20^th April, when we celebrated the joyous resurrection of Jesus, and it was lovely that 4 young people received Holy Communion for the first time. After the service there was an easter egg hunt around the churchyard.

The good news is, Easter is not over yet. The Easter season lasts for 50 days, culminating in the day of Pentecost when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. If you didn’t manage to get to church during Holy Week or Easter, do come along and join us as we continue to celebrate the joy of the resurrection.

Thank you to everyone who has worked hard to make Easter special in our churches.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

On 16^th March, we held our Annual Church Meeting, (APCM,) in Orsett Church after the 10am service, when we received reports of all that has been happening at Church and in the Parish over the past year and I would just like to share one or two highlights.

It was a busy year in the Parish and thank you, so much, to everyone who works hard to enable things to run smoothly. Thank you to Revd Max, our Wardens, Assistant Warden, PCC and Action Groups, our Musicians, our Finance Team, our Parish Administrator and everyone who works hard behind the scenes. Thank you, too, to all, those who work so hard to keep our churchyards under control and help in maintaining our buildings.  It is impossible to thank everyone individually but please know that your hard work and commitment to our vision of ‘Knowing and Sharing the Love of Jesus in the Church and Community’ are greatly appreciated and you are all very much in my prayers as together you serve God.

Felicity Tarbard has decided to step down from being on the PCC, and Ron Porter has also decided to step down. Between them their years of service amount to over 60 and they have included time spent being Warden and Assistant Warden as well. We are hugely indebted for all that they have both done and hope that they are able to have a little more time to spend with friends and family.

At Church, we always endeavour to be a welcoming place for everyone for everyone and the PCC has been working hard to consider how we might develop our ministry of hospitality further to ensure that people of all backgrounds and abilities are catered for.

This year, David Ferguson, who has been our Church Architect for many years retired and we are very appreciative of his many years of service. John Bailey, from Thomas Ford and Partners, who has been working with the PCC recently on a number of projects has now been appointed by the PCC as our new Church Architect and we are grateful to John for agreeing to undertake this role. Thank you, also, to Diane Moorse who has stepped down from her role distributing the Hobnob. We are very grateful for her many years of service and to Sharon Long who has kindly taken this role on.

As I write this, we are moving closer to Easter. Some of you will have been following the Living Hope readings and reflections produced by the Church of England and Easter itself is a story of Hope – Hope in the risen Lord Jesus who is available for each one of us if we invite him into our hearts.

The following prayer is the prayer written for Holy Week as part of the Living Hope resource.

Dear God,

thank you for the outpouring of love

we see in Jesus’ cross and resurrection.

In this most transformative of all weeks,

help us to discover afresh the life-changing hope

of Good Friday and Easter.

Amen

There is plenty going on at church at Easter and you are welcome at any or all of the services.

I look forward to seeing you soon and wish you a blessed and joyful Easter.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

In January, the PCC met for the second of two ‘Away Days’ to continue to pray about and discuss how we might further develop the welcome and inclusivity we offer as a church.

We thought about what we already do well and which areas we could improve upon, and we made a list of short-term and long-term objectives. Some were concerning how we relate to one another, especially those who are new, or unfamiliar with church, some concerning practical things we can do to make worship more accessible to all and some concerning the use of our buildings

In order to fulfil these objectives requires the gifts of a team of people. It requires all of us. Together, we are the body of Christ, called to work together in unity. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians 4: 11-12 tells us

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.

And in Romans 12: 4-8, we are told,

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Underpinning all of this is a love of God, a love which we are called to share with one another.

I am sure that many of you heard the news a few weeks ago, when Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, of the Washington Episcopal Church, in the name of the love of God, asked Donald Trump to have mercy on the underprivileged.

When Bishop Mariann was interviewed and asked why she did it, she said that she wanted to present a vision of what unity can look like and acknowledge our common humanity. And I believe that is the Jesus we are called to worship and represent. A God of love who welcomes all.

Bishop Mariann had some negative feedback. And working to present the love of God, whatever gifts we have isn’t always easy. But I believe it is what we are called to do.

To know the suffering caused by division,
To see our sin
And to hope beyond all hope.

Please be assured that you are very welcome in all of our churches, but if there is anything you feel we can do to make you feel more comfortable, please do let me know.

Take care and God bless,

Sue