A series of milestones Dear friends, Yesterday saw a much heralded relaxation of the rules for gathering in public places, although the fish and chips of freedom came served with a good shake of the salt and vinegar of caution. These new regulations will not make much if any difference to our churches plans or practise; pretty much everything we can or…

The end of an era Dear friends, Last Tuesday saw the coming into law of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (registration) Act 2019. The effect of this is to remove from Anglican clergy the powers to act as Registrar in the solemnisations of marriages, and to remove from parish churches the holding of the Registers of Marriage on behalf of the…

Checkendon Church to reopen from Monday 14th June Dear friends, I am pleased to let you know that Checkendon church will be reopening on a daily basis from Monday 14th June. Live worship will recommence with a short said service every Sunday at 9am from Sunday 20th June. Zoom services will continue at 11am until the last Sunday in July. The 9am…

St John’s Stoke Row to reopen from 6th June Dear friends, At the Church Council meeting last week, the decision was taken to reopen St John’s church for live worship on Sundays from Sunday 6th June. There will be a 9.30am service every week, which will be “said, short, and socially distant” and led by a member of the staff team.  Until…

Dear friends The funeral of HRH Prince Phillip gave pause for thought over the weekend. In a year when almost everyone has been touched by loss of one kind or another we offer our prayers and condolences to HM the Queen and her family, in gratitude for the Duke of Edinburgh’s lifelong service and commitment to not only her Majesty, but also…

Freedom? Dear friends, There was something of an irony in the snow yesterday morning. To remind us not to take any freedoms (new or old) for granted, God threw a blanket over much of the UK. Perhaps He was saying “go easy, on this road”. Freedom is actually a two way street, being “freedom from…” war, injustice, oppression, poverty, suffering etc, and…

Dear friends, These are days of wonder. Bulbs and the early blossom give us welcome colour. A splash of warmth brings on the seeds in trays. What are you planting this year? Birds are still on the feeders; yesterday we had a pair of siskins, vibrant yellow streaks on wings and tail, the male with black head. It has been at least…

Easter Services Edition Dear friends, If it helps, print this out ! The two 9am live services are “one offs” with the permission of the Church Council, for the festival. The Lent Journey Our daily short online meetings continue, with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem. Join us each day or when you can, at 8.30pm for a ten minute devotional; readings,…

Enjoy the springtime Dear friends, The inexorable insistence of new life, whether in flower or bud, pushes back against chill winds and heavy showers. The hope of Easter lies ahead, and beyond that, a slow liberation from the constraints that we have all been under. Mothering Sunday marked the anniversary of the lockdown – a sombre reminder of just how far we…

Bishop Gavin Dear friends, We have an (almost) Bishop of Dorchester; Gavin Collins has begun his ministry in the Oxford Diocese, and is being virtually welcomed to the Henley Deanery via a zoom call to the clergy Chapter during the week. (Covid etc means that he’s not yet been able to be consecrated.) It will be lovely to be able to welcome…