System failure

Dear friends,

I wonder if you remember the famous Windows “blue screen of death”? Something had “gone wrong” in the computer’s system, and it would freeze up, leaving you with a sky blue screen, a useless keyboard, and, now and then, some kind of error message. The only thing for it would be to restart the whole machine with the “restart” button or, if things were very bad indeed, turn the wretched thing on and off at the socket. (A “hard reset”). And pray that normality would return, along with your last week’s work.

The UK appears to have entered a similar period of structural instability, with more “blue screen” than “blue sky”. We are like a child who has discovered that pressing CTRL-ALT-DELETE all together restarts the machine, and are trying it over and over again. We are now on our seventh Prime Minister in ten years. It all feels rather discombobulating. But I have to remind myself that who the Prime Minister is is actually none of my business. It is solely a matter for the political party with the parliamentary majority. Labour MPs should take long note that, one of the reasons the Conservatives were thrown out of office was that they fell foul of the defenestration compulsion. They just had to keep pressing the reset. The public become tired of the constant merry-go-round, the tedium of the blue screen where a working and efficient and sensible country/Government/system was expected. Perhaps we are wrong to expect anything? It certainly would be one way to avoid disappointment. Just, please, don’t lie to us.

Worship Services for Sunday 26th July

9.30am Holy Communion at St John’s Stoke Row with Revd John Blair

11am Holy Communion at St Peter and Paul, Checkendon with Revd John Blair

Worship Services for Sunday 2nd August

9.30am All Age Service at St John’s Stoke Row with Revd Kevin Davies

11am Morning Prayer at St Peter and Paul, Checkendon with Revd Kevin Davies.

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

Press Reset

There are major renovations happening over the next few weeks here at the Rectory (we are “coming off oil” – more later) but the consequence will be “there may be an interruption to normal service.” This hopefully will not result in too many ecclesial blue screens, but there might be times when communications may be disrupted or emails not answered as quickly as one would like.

Please remember in your prayers the family of Paul Dutton, of Streatley, whose funeral will be at Checkendon on 4th August. Paul’s grandparents were previous owners/farmers at Bottom Farm, and the family have a long association with St Peter and St Paul.

An event for your diary not to be missed is the talk to be given by the retired Vet from St Helena, Jonathan Hollins, at Stoke Row Village Hall at 6pm on Thursday 6th August. This is in aid of the Jacaranda charity, and tickets and more information can be obtained from Annie Allport.

As the school holidays begin, let us pray that, as the UK Government once again indulges in its “reset” fantasy, that the remainder of us may be granted, along with all those whose lives are in turmoil of any kind, a little of the “Promised Rest” of God, whatever form that may take, whether a foreign shore, or an ice cream by the river in Henley.

May the peace of God be with us all, in the faith of Christ, who gave himself for us. This is the profound truth that our nation requires – sacrificial service that is Christ-like in its selflessness. And, not a reset, but a resurrection.

Your Rector, Canon Kevin

PS My colleague Revd James at Whitchurch advises (warns) me that Whitchurch on Thames (that is the road to the toll bridge) is to be completely closed to all traffic for drainage works on the 23rd, 24th and 27th of July.