Pilgrimage of the people

Dear friends

Many thousands of Brits have made their way to Germany, and finally Berlin during the last few days and weeks. The enthusiasm  of “We just had to be here” and “I couldn’t miss this for the world” along with the realism of “I could have gone to Thailand for this price” made for a good natured spectacle of sport, full of hope, and, dare I say it, belief. Leaving the outcome to one side – which of course, it could only be – the whole revealed for me an often overlooked truth about the reality of the human condition. We believe things. “Faith” is an important part of who we are. Again, the issue of whether or not in this instance “faith” was misplaced is irrelevant. Humans believe, and this can lead us into actions that, for good or ill, change us, and cause us to change. It is a poor, but helpful, analogy to think of this gift of “faith” as a kind of muscle, which can either be exercised or allowed to atrophy. Importantly, like any actual muscle, there is freedom for us in how we choose to use it. We can choose to exercise our belief in a way that is good, or ill, just as in the same way we can choose to use our tongue to bless or curse. Getting excited about sport, be that tennis, football, cricket, or the coming Olympic Games, is a far better way to exert our faith and joy in life than to turn to violence and hatred, whether in word or deed.

For this contemporary “pilgrimage” to Berlin had reminded me of another journey that my mother recounted, of a summer road trip that she was invited to join in the early 1950’s, with her sister and her new husband, Fred. Uncle Fred had fought with the 8th Army all the way from Normandy to Berlin, unscathed, and he wanted to make the journey again in peacetime, by car, showing his wife and sister all the places that his unit had passed through, and remembering in each the many friends that he had lost along the way. For Fred, the final victory and freedom was only worth something if the cost of it was not forgotten. “He was still very sad about them,” my mother said to me.

For, as bitter as the England loss at the Euros may be, the happy truth is that no one has died, and that many good things will none the less flow from the whole experience. Far better the contest between nations on the pitch, court or wicket, and the pilgrimage to Berlin being one of trains, planes and coaches, rather than with armour and ordnance.

Worship Services for Sunday 21st July 2024

9.30am Informal Worship at St John’s Stoke Row with Mr Peter Ferguson

11am Family Service at St Peter and Paul, Checkendon with Canon Kevin Davies. An informal summer service, with the music group, and coffee from 10.45am

Midweek zoom service: Wednesday Evensong at 5.00pm  410 935 129

Down at the Office

This week sees the relocation of the Team Office from Stoke Row to Whitchurch. The office is the working base for the Team Administrator, Mary Daniels, as well as being the “print shop” and communications hub for all our churches. It is one of the features that makes our Team ministry effective and productive, in that enquiries and requests have an additional channel, which is not dependent upon any one cleric. Our huge thanks are due to the Robins family at Stoke Row, who have kindly hosted the office for over twenty years. The office will soon have a new phone number – details shortly upon the team website – but the email address will remain the same.

The school term is drawing to a close. Checkendon School is holding its end of year church service in St Peter & St Paul’s on Wednesday 17th at 2.30pm. Members of the wider community are very welcome to join in with this service of worship. This year’s drama production is the musical “Aladdin”, and again, you are warmly invited to come along to the school hall this afternoon (Tuesday 16th) at 1.30pm. Checkendon School’s Summer concert is on Thursday morning at 9am also in the school hall, and again, members of the community are warmly invited. Give thanks to God for all those who work in, and volunteer for, our schools; both Checkendon and Stoke Row schools have had successful years, and our two communities are extremely well served by the dedication and commitment of the schools’ staff, and parent volunteers.

Finally, if any sporting disappointment still lingers, Psalm 30:4-5 will help. See, it is a new day, a new beginning.

Your Rector, in Christ’s service                          Canon Kevin Davies.