Seven Churches in South Oxfordshire

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From the Rector: Tuesday 6th February 2024

The future of warfare Dear friends, One of the most memorable Dr Who adventures from my childhood was Terry Nation’s “Genesis of the Daleks”. Tom Baker, as Dr Who, complete with floppy hat and flowing scarf, finds himself on the planet Skaro, where two civilisations are locked in perpetual battle, both under huge concrete domes, hurling missiles at each other across the…

From the Rector: Tuesday 30th January 2024

Tail End Dear friends, A wonderful English idiom for “the last bit”, we (happily, unless you are winter lover) reach the dog days of January, knowing that whilst February’s arrival does not necessarily auger any improvement in the weather, nevertheless the days lengthen, and the month ahead is often strangely short, hastened by the school half term and the opportunity presented by…

From the Rector: Tuesday 12th December 2023

Carols and Christmas Services edition. Dear friends, Have you noticed how Advent always speeds up? The third candle is to be lit. Churches are being decorated, and carol services approach. Musicians and singers rehearse, sermons are crafted. The church heating is fixed and the fire extinguishers receive their annual service, happily unused since the engineer’s last visit. I look forward to seeing…

From the Rector: Tuesday 28th November 2023

Made for sharing Bring a friend to the coffee and mince pie morning on Saturday 9th Dec from 10.30am in Checkendon Village Hall. It is a great chance to catch up with your neighbours and enjoy a chat before the holiday season gets under way. There’s a book exchange, a model railway and a craft table for children too. This event for…

From the Rector: Tuesday 7th November 2023

We will remember them Dear friends, In a time when conflict appears daily in our news media, one can be forgiven for wondering why we remember earlier wars, when present day suffering elsewhere seems to demand all our attention, and pushes former horrors into the past. We do so, among other reasons, to remind ourselves that such failures of politics – whether…

From the Rector: Tuesday 31st October 2023

Delete as Appropriate Dear friends Sometimes its hard when going through the affairs and effects of a loved one. Not just for the poignancy and emotion, but for simple practical reasons. What is to be remembered, and what forgotten, or laid aside? Old photographs tell a story, but they speak someone else’s language, and you only know a proportion of the words.…

From the Rector: Tuesday 17th October 2023

God’s brown bin. Dear friends, Autumn is usually a very busy time. Everything is in full swing in the working world, in the voluntary sector and with social events. There are meetings, projects, appraisals, reviews, articles, parties – and the DIY that you started in May is nowhere near finished. Teachers and parents start to look weary and mentally tick off the…

From the Rector: Tuesday 3rd October 2023

Harvest Joy Dear friends, Many thanks to all of you who supported our Harvest services last Sunday. At Checkendon, Steve and Frances Woolaway from Manor Farm, Peppard, returned with their produce stall supporting the Ways and Means Trust, and Robin Hart from the Woodhouse Farm Partnership, which farms at both Checkendon and Ipsden, shared some of the story of the farm over…