We recently held our Church Annual Meeting, so this month I have chosen to share my report for that gathering.

‘The past year has seen a return to something of normality following the Covid Pandemic.

All of our worship, social/fundraising activities and Open Church/Oasis Café events are up and running very successfully again and our new Parish of Horndon, Orsett and Bulphan is established with one PCC. Thank you, so much, to everyone who has worked together to make all these things happen. We now also have Action Groups focusing on:

• Children and Young People
• Mission, Evangelism and Nurture
• Prayer
• Eco Church and Social Justice
• Communications
• Fund Raising
• Worship
• Finance
• Pastoral Care

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered their services in these groups. And may I just remind everyone that anyone who is on the Church Electoral Roll who wishes to join any of the first 6 of these groups is welcome to do so.

I would also like to express huge thanks to my clergy colleagues, Revd Max and Revd Moji. Revd Max officially retired in March but has kindly agreed to remain serving as a Priest in this Parish, with Permission to Officiate (PTO), and we thank Revd Moji for her loving ministry as a curate with us over the past 19 months. Moji will, sadly, be moving to Darlington in the summer, to be closer to her family, where she will complete her curacy. We will miss her and wish her, and her husband Yemi, God’s blessings as they move on to pastures new.

Thank you, also, to the six Churchwardens, the PCC members, the Treasury Team, the Parish Administrator and all who serve in any other capacity in this Parish. All your hard work and commitment in the service of God and community is greatly appreciated. We give thanks to Pauline Cooper who has retired from her role as Wedding Coordinator after many years of service and to Ron Porter who has retired as PCC Secretary. We are also very grateful to the kind person who financed the new screen at Orsett Church which will enable us to show video clips and project song words.

It has been a privilege to serve in this Parish over the past year.  It is so important to remember that, often, signs of God’s blessings and shoots of growth can be found in the small things.

A few of the little, but significant, highlights of my year have been:

• Parishioners asking for information about the best Bible to buy.
• A group of men, who regularly attend Open Church at Horndon, one day, spontaneously getting the wooden crosses, made by one of them, out of their pockets and laying them on the table, as proof that they carry them with them every day.
• At a Refresh Service, each person present sharing a favourite Bible verse and telling everyone why it is important to them.
• At Christmas, when it was brought to my attention that someone in one of the villages who was not known to any of us was going to be alone at Christmas, two of the Churchwardens immediately saying, ‘They can come to my house.’
• A largely lay led and funded Alpha Course where people came to faith.
• The request for a new Home Bible Study Group

These are just a few of the signs of God’s Spirit at work amongst us and I am sure that each of us could give many more examples. Let us give thanks to God for all the blessings he has given us. Let’s not forget, in our bigger plans, to look for God in the small things, and let’s press on, together, in his strength, into the future.’

God bless,

Sue

As I write this, we have just celebrated Mothering Sunday in the Parish.

Mothering Sunday happened to coincide with me having just finished a book entitled, ‘The Lightless Sky: My journey to safety as a child refugee.’ It is the true story of Gulwali Passarlay, part of whose account I had heard last year at the Greenbelt Festival where we attend as a family annually and where he had been invited to speak.

Gulwali, a Muslim, was sent away from Afghanistan by his mother, at the age of twelve, after his father was killed by the US Army. The story tracks his twelve-month journey to the UK. During this period, he spent time in prisons, suffered extreme hunger, endured a terrifying journey across the Mediterranean in a small boat and got separated, on many occasions, from the acquaintances he had made on the way. He spent a desolate month in the rat-infested ‘Jungle’ at Calais, suffered burns on his face from trying  to board a lorry loaded with chemicals in order to cross the Channel and finally made it here in the back of a refrigerated banana truck, mercifully the refrigeration having been turned off.

When Gulwali arrived in the UK, although he was, by this stage, thirteen, the authorities didn’t believe him and thought he was older than sixteen, so initially he didn’t get the support he needed. Eventually he was put into foster care and went on to achieve ten GCSEs, three A levels, won a place at university and was chosen to carry the Olympic torch in 2012. He now works as an ambassador for child refugees in this country.

I am guessing that, for most of us, it is hard to imagine the horrendous living situation which would drive a mother to send her son on a treacherous journey like this. But the reality, which is sadly that of many people in our world right now, became apparent as I read this book, which was profoundly moving; Gulwali was one of the few fortunate survivors. Throughout this story, Gulwali retained his Muslim faith and spoke of praying to God, on many occasions.

This true story has parallels with the Easter Story which we will be celebrating this month, where Mary, the mother of Jesus watched as her son was mocked, tortured and handed to the Roman Authorities before being crucified but who, ultimately, rose again in glory.

Many people have asked me recently, as a priest and a person of faith, what my view is on refugees and asylum policy as it has made headline news. I have always said that, as a Christian, a follower of the risen Christ, I think we should, as I believe Jesus would have done, respond compassionately, he himself being a refugee. However, I must confess I feel I have often responded inadequately because of my lack of first-hand knowledge of refugees and asylum seekers and their situations. When we read newspapers, they are usually written in a way to influence us one way or another. But this book was an honest account of how it was, not just for one person, but for the many people that this young boy encountered on his traumatic journey, and I found it an extremely informative albeit harrowing report.

I am writing these words to encourage you, before making up your mind on any situation, to offer it to God in prayer, to consider what Jesus would have to say on the matter, to be prepared to listen to the real-life stories of people and the opinions of others and, ultimately, to be prepared to be challenged and to stand up for what you believe, as a person of faith, to be right.

And, as we walk through Holy Week, encountering both the pain of the crucifixion on Good Friday  and the hope and joy of the Resurrection,  let us remember that Jesus Christ came to offer love and forgiveness for all.

I look forward to seeing you over the Easter Period.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

Rector’s Reflections

Dear Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the warmer weather.

I am pleased to announce that we have two new wardens. Alastair Macrae, who has served as Churchwarden at Horndon, has now been appointed Churchwarden with primary responsibility for Bulphan and Beverley Macrae has been appointed as a new Churchwarden at Horndon, alongside Sonia Ward. It is great to have 6 Churchwardens again. Please do keep Bev and Alastair in your prayers as they undertake these new roles.

Since my article last month, the General Synod, the governing body of the Church of England, has met. One of the items on the agenda, as I mentioned in my February article, was a discussion and subsequent vote on whether to offer same-sex blessings in the Church of England. The outcome of this was, as follows:

The Church of England’s General Synod has supported a motion, welcoming proposals that would enable same-sex couples to come to church after a civil marriage or partnership to give thanks, dedicate their relationship to God and receive God’s blessing.

Synod members also voted to “lament and repent” of the failure of the Church to welcome LGBTQI+ people and for the harm that LGBTQI+ people have experienced – and continue to experience – in churches.

A motion which details and recognises a series of proposals put forward by the bishops on human identity and marriage was agreed by majorities in the Houses of Bishops, Clergy and Laity after a landmark debate over two days.’

Our Diocesan Bishop, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis- Dehqani said:

“I welcome today’s vote from General Synod whilst at the same time recognising that this has been and continues to be a very painful process for many people. I know that for some these prayers have not gone far enough and for others they represent too much change.

“As a College and House of Bishops, we have listened carefully, as was the intention, and we are committed to ongoing discussion. We have particularly heard the importance of guarding the consciences of those who will not be able to use these prayers.

“My ongoing commitment, together with our Area Bishops and the other members of the Bishop’s Leadership Team, is to promote and encourage a way of travelling well together, despite the differences in what we believe, and despite the inevitable pain those differences cause.”  

Prayers are now being put together which will be able to be used by churches who offer them, for couples who have marked a significant stage of their relationship such as a civil marriage or civil partnership. I am unsure, at this stage, as to when these will be available, but will keep you posted regarding further developments as they happen.

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing some of you at our monthly Lent Lunches which will  continue throughout March, on Saturdays at 12.00, the proceeds of which will be going towards the Great Green Wall, a tree planting project in Africa. Please look on our notice sheet for details of where they are. There is no need to book-just turn up.

Do continue to let me know about any prayer or pastoral needs.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

You may be aware that over the past few years the Church of England has been engaging with a project entitled Living in Love and Faith which has explored the subject of sexuality.

I was involved personally by leading, with another clergy colleague, a 5-week course looking at Christian teaching and learning about identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage. Several people from the Parish of Horndon, Orsett and Bulphan attended this course. The sessions included a time of watching videos where people of varying sexual orientations and genders shared something of their life stories and their faith. This was followed by discussion and prayer.

The purpose of this course was both to promote better understanding between people of different sexualities and differing theological viewpoints and to help the General Synod (the Church of England Governing Body) to make a decision regarding same sex marriage within the church. I think it is fair to say that nearly everyone who attended the course found it to be a positive experience.

Recently, many of you will have read in the news that the Church of England is proposing to bless same sex partnerships in the future, a decision conditional upon this proposal receiving a majority vote at General Synod in February.

I  will be able to give you further details about this in March after the General Synod has met.

But I felt it important, at this time, to reassure you that everyone is welcome at our three parish churches.

“We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, straight, gay, confused, well-heeled or down at heel. We especially welcome wailing babies and excited toddlers.

We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or just growl quietly to yourself. You’re welcome here if you’re just ‘browsing’, just woken up or just got out of prison. We don’t care if you’re more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury or haven’t been to church since Christmas ten years ago.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet and to teenagers who are growing up too fast.

We welcome keep-fit parents, football fanatics, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians and junk food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems, are down in the dumps or don’t like ‘organised religion’

We offer a warm welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, can’t spell or are here because granny is visiting and wanted to come to church.

We welcome those who are inked, pierced, both or neither. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down their throat as kids or got lost  with a dodgy satnav and wound up here by mistake.

We welcome pilgrims, tourists, seekers, doubters…and you! “

Seen at Coventry Cathedral

And in the words of a song we often sing: ‘All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.’

With love and prayers,

Sue

Rector’s Reflections

One of the privileges for me, over the Christmas period, was to hear a beautiful song sung by children in our schools.

Some of the words are:

If a wise man knows where the Saviour’s born,

guided by a shining star

to the world he shows why he came so far

understanding who you are

What can I bring, what can I sing

to honour you my friend and king?

Who can describe this love of mine

the holy Saviour so divine?

When a child is born and the reason why

is to love this broken world,

how can I repay? Can the only way

be to love him in return?

Taken from ‘What can I bring’ from ISing Christmas

These words are particularly appropriate in the season of Epiphany which we celebrate this month, marking the visit of the Wise Men, or Magi, to Jesus. We often see images of three of them, although we don’t actually know how many of them there were. The number three probably corresponds with the number of gifts which were, of course, gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Gold represented kingship, frankincense – worship and myrrh – death and dying; a foretaste of what was to come. Needless to say, these would all have been very expensive gifts.

I don’t know about you, but as we start a new year, I often set many resolutions only to find that halfway through the first month I have failed in at least half of them.

This year, instead of creating a huge, long list, it is my plan simply to ask God in my prayer time each morning, ‘What can I bring to honour you?’ We all know that the best gift we can give anyone is love, and our relationship with God is no different, so really, in saying those words, I will be asking God how best I can love him.

Love sometimes requires sacrifices and our love for God is no different. This means when we follow God, we are sometimes called to make difficult choices, to say no to things we have previously done or to commit to taking on something new. The book of Hebrews in the Bible is written for Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. We don’t know who wrote it, but it urges them on in their faith, listing heroes of faith in the past, describing them as a ‘great cloud of witnesses’ and at the end of the letter, the Christians are reassured by the words of Jesus, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’

This year, I encourage you to step out in faith and ask Jesus what you can bring to honour him. Love takes many forms but it is my firm belief that we all have something to offer and that following Jesus is the most exciting things we can ever do.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Take care and God bless,

Sue