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

Following the celebration of All Saints and All Souls, followed by Remembrance and then Christ the King, we are now in Advent, the period of waiting and anticipation as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, later in the month.

Every year, for the past few years, the Church of England has provided some useful resources to help us to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. These resources come under the umbrella, ‘Follow the Star.’ This year, the focus is ‘The Great Invitation,’ the purpose of which is ‘encouraging everyone to share the joy of gathering together to celebrate the birth of Jesus with their family, friends and neighbours-especially after two years where this has been impossible for many.’ (C of E Website)

Follow the Star: The Great Invitation consists of 12 reflections from a range of authors who will share personal stories exploring themes of invitation. These reflections will be starting on Christmas Eve and continuing daily (Monday to Saturday) until the Epiphany (6 January) and are designed to help us all make space to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas. On each of the 12 days, a different contributor will share something that speaks of a Christmas invitation for them, bringing the theme to life through a mixture of personal story, Bible reading, reflection and challenge.

These reflections will be made available freely via:

• email
• audio
• app with accompanying resources for children and families

You will find more information about these and other Christmas resources by going to https://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/advent-and-christmas-2022

I have also ordered some of these reflections in booklet form for those of you without access to technology, including a few large print versions for anyone who would find this helpful. If you would like one of these, they will be available at the back of all three churches. Any donation towards the cost of a booklet would be greatly appreciated.

I encourage you to invite your neighbours and members of your local community to one of our in-person gatherings this Christmas, to hear the Christmas story and be welcomed into the love of Jesus. We have a variety of services both in church and at other local venues including The Swan Pub in Horndon, The Foxhound Pub in Orsett and another drive-in service at Arden Hall Farm in Horndon. Everyone is most welcome at any or all of the services. Please keep an eye on the posters for details.

I wish you all a blessed and peaceful Christmas.

With love and prayers,

Sue

Thank you to everyone who donated food for the foodbank at Harvest time. As a result of your generosity, we were able to take 396 kgs of food to the Foodbank to help those who are struggling financially at this time. Thank you, also, to those who decorated the churches so beautifully and to the farmers who provided seeds and wheat to display in our churches, and to those who provided refreshments after our Harvest services.

We know that this winter is not going to be easy for many people so, if you are able to continue supporting the Foodbank do remember that we have collection points for food in all three villages.  

Over the past few weeks, we have also been doing an Alpha Course at the Woolmarket in Horndon. The course is due to finish in mid-November. I would like to thank all those who have made running this course possible.

The Alpha Course is designed to help people understand more about what it means to follow Jesus. It began in 1977 at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton and by 2017, over 26,000,000 people had tried Alpha in 100 countries and in over 100 languages and the number has increased since then.

Each Alpha session begins with cake and refreshments followed by a video and then we split into small groups for an informal discussion.

 At each Alpha Course, the following topics are covered:

• Is there more to life than this?
• Who is Jesus
• Why did Jesus die?
• How can I have faith?
• Why and how do I pray?
• Why and how should I read the Bible?
• How does God guide us?
• Who is the Holy Spirit?
• What does the Holy Spirit do?
• How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?
• How can I make the most of the rest of my life?
• How can I resist evil?
• Why and how should I tell others?
• Does God heal today?
• What about the Church?

Our course included a special day at Mulberry House, Essex in October.

It always is a privilege to walk alongside people on their faith journeys.

If you think you might be interested in attending an Alpha Course in the future, please do let me know.

I look forward to seeing you soon. Don’t forget our Remembrance Services on 12^th and 13^th November.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

Following the sad death of Queen Elizabeth II, I would like to thank everyone who has worked hard, to ring the bells and to open the churches for people to come and say prayers, light a candle or sign a book of condolence.

During the period of mourning, we held services of prayer and thanksgiving for the life of the Queen during which, together, we considered,

• What stands out in our memories about The Queen?
• What we will always remember about her?
• What we learned through her life and death, including about God in Jesus Christ?

I reflected that the things for me that most stand out and which I will always remember about Queen Elizabeth II are her loyalty, her servanthood and her faith.

We have all heard those words which she spoke  on her 21^st Birthday, when she said:

‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family, to which we all belong.’

She honoured that commitment until her dying day. And people respect her for that; for her integrity and loyalty.

Queen Elizabeth was a Christian. And I believe that her reign was a success because it was underpinned by her deep faith in God. She knew who was Lord of her life, who was sovereign and ruler of all. She knew who to thank, who to turn to for guidance and who was her strength when things got tough.

It was so moving to see the thousands of people drawn to London to pay their respects and lay flowers, after which they returned home to continue with their everyday lives and the Royal family were afforded some space to grieve in private.

Of course, most of the beautiful floral tributes will have, by now, withered but memories of the much-loved Queen will live on and be passed down through the generations. It is my prayer that through the Queen’s life and death, people will be pointed to the one under whom she served and the one who reigns over all, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Because Jesus Christ, lives on for eternity and is there for each one of us, just  as he was for the Queen and will be for King Charles and future monarchs. He is there for all, whatever our personal circumstances or social class.

The Queen unfailingly honoured her commitment to devote her whole life to the service of her people. When we become Christians, we make a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, the greatest servant of all, and it is certainly my prayer that my commitment to Jesus Christ will be as honourable as her late Majesty’s was to God and to us.

With love and prayers,

Sue

As I write this, the summer holiday period is drawing to a close. Parents and carers are preparing to send their children to, or back to, nursery or school, some children are moving on to new schools or colleges, or continue to be educated at home; others are preparing to return to university or to go for the first time or to begin jobs or apprenticeships.

As we move into the month of September, let’s all remember to pray for all the children and young people in our three villages, those at nursery or school and those studying further afield. And let’s also pray for our three schools. There are three Church of England Schools in Thurrock Deanery, and they are all in our Parish of Horndon, Orsett and Bulphan. It is a great privilege to have all these three church schools in this area, but it is also hugely important that we support the work they do by praying for the pupils and all the staff who serve in these schools.

We need to remember, too, that there are also many people living in Horndon, Orsett and Bulphan who work in schools or colleges and education, further afield, who need our prayers.

So, on 4^th September at 10am at Orsett Church, we will be holding a ‘Back to School’ Service with backpack blessings where we will pray for all those involved in education, including those about to return to nursery, school or college; both those studying and those who work there. Do come along if you are able to.

As we think about this new academic year, here are some prayers you might like to use.

A Prayer for the New School Year
God of all wisdom, we praise you for gifting us with curiosity and learning. Give to all students, staff, and caregivers a clear sense of your love. May they feel your presence throughout this school year. Guide their choices, their quest for knowledge, and their relationships. Use their successes and failures as opportunities to grow in understanding of who you would have them to be. Continue to shape them, that they may walk in the way of Christ, grow strong in Spirit’s love for all people, and know the complete joy of life in you. In the name of Christ our Great Teacher, we pray. Amen.
Linda Witte Henke, adapted, “From the Vine,” in Marking Time: Christian Rituals for All Our Days, Moorehouse Publishing 2001, p. 63.

A Prayer for Students
Eternal God, your wisdom is greater than our minds can attain, and your truth enlightens our learning. To those who study, give curiosity, imagination, and patience to wait and work for insight. Fill their learning with joy. Help them to doubt with courage. And hold all their days in the love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Worship, adapted, Westminster John Knox Press, 2018, p. 911.

A Prayer for Parents
Loving God, We confess some days the worries of parenthood are as abundant as the joys. Guide us through the valleys, so we may be present for our children in their valleys, until we are all brought again to the the mountaintop. We ask you to bless our children with hearts of compassion and courage, and keep them safe from harm. Fill them with the knowledge that they are loved and beloved. And may we always remember to pray: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.
Meg Bucher, adapted, www.sunnyand80.org; Reinhold Niebuhr, “The Serenity Prayer”

Take care and God bless,

Sue