an open letter to our parishioners · to our little ones who are taking their next step whether it...

20th July 2020

An Open Letter to our Parishioners

The Tortoise and the Hare Do you remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? The hare thought that he was the fastest and the best and would often mock the tortoise for being so slow. One day a challenge was presented and the hare and the tortoise would compete in a race. It seemed so obvious that the hare would win, and setting off at a sprint, indeed it seemed he would. The tortoise plodded on at his usual slow but steady pace, the hare nowhere in sight. Half way through the race the hare, realising how far he had come and how far behind the tortoise was, decided to take a nap. The tortoise plodded on, and overtook the sleeping hare, making it to the finishing line before him. I know some of you are wondering why we haven’t resumed Sunday worship immediately we were given permission to do so. One of the reasons that we are opening cautiously is that the spiritual climate has changed, and we need to understand what is happening and where God is calling us. If we go straight back to what we had before, we may be missing out on what God wants for us. We are not the only group of churches to be acting cautiously. Many of our deanery churches are not fully re-opening until September, or are offering just one service a month. Looking through the Church Times, not all of our cathedrals are opening yet, or have been forced to close again due to a local spike, or are having to charge entry to cover the extra costs of complying with Covid measures. So we are taking one step at a time and not rushing in, not because we don’t want to re-open for worship, but because we want to hear where God is leading us in these Covid (post Covid?) times; and because we want to do so well.

Worship This week the Team Council will be meeting to discuss a way forward, and then each parish will be

able to make its own decisions. The PCC at Grateley have decided to invite worshippers to join the

livestream of Compline each Thursday at 6pm. Although the service will be filmed and shown online

(www.facebook.com/thewallopingvicar/live/ ) congregation members will not be included in the

filming. There will be no singing and other distancing measures will be in place, including track and

trace. Attendance will be limited to 30 people.

We continue online with daily Compline and Morning Prayer etc. Holy Communion is celebrated

from the Rectory doorstep and posted on Facebook and YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYcB5tn8GOU, as well as the Team Service

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=rv6bSJF1D5Q&feature=emb_logo

Love and blessings,

Vanessa

Worship online on the next page

http://www.facebook.com/thewallopingvicar/live/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYcB5tn8GOU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=rv6bSJF1D5Q&feature=emb_logo

Worship online, either live, or later, www.facebook.com/thewallopingvicar/live/ Monday

9.30am Celtic Morning Prayer 6pm Compline Psalm 127 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:1

Tuesday 9.30am Ffald y Brenin Morning Prayer (Psalm 18: 20-30) 6pm Compline livestreamed from St Andrew’s Nether Wallop (Ps 135, 2 Cor 7:2-end)

Wednesday 10am Little Angels Live (www.facebook.com/littleangelstots), 6pm Compline livestreamed from St Michael’s Quarley (Psalm 63, Mark 15:40-16:7).

Thursday 9.30am Thought for the Day 6pm Please join us for Compline at St Leonard’s Grateley, or watch live on Facebook (Psalm 138, 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5)

Friday 6pm Compline https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3eJa-dVHzY

Saturday 6pm Compline Livestreamed from St Andrew’s Nether Wallop (Psalm 94 Mark 1: 14-20)

Sunday 10am Holy Communion Celebration from the Rectory* (Choose your time) Morning Worship - watch this website for the link. 11am Sunday School (www.facebook.com/littleangelstots) 6pm Prayer Book Compline Livestreamed from St Peter’s OW (Psalm 75 John 6:1-21).

* Also available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6m0XxDXfi0&list=PLwwbSMwmdszRxjt3KclEdNCPdD9rvmJ5p Sermons can be found www.nothinglikeadane.wordpress.com


http://www.facebook.com/littleangelstots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3eJa-dVHzY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6m0XxDXfi0&list=PLwwbSMwmdszRxjt3KclEdNCPdD9rvmJ5p

http://www.nothinglikeadane.wordpress.com/

21st July 2020


Moving On Usually at this time of year Matthew and I, along with many of our colleagues, would be helping our school leavers to make their transition from primary to secondary school. With schools having to put restriction in place due to Covid it has been a little different this year, and I have missed not being able to bless the children in person. Thanks to The Vine Bookshop in Andover we have been able to supply each child with a copy of the moving on book It’s Your Move, and so they have received a remote blessing at least. For many years now I have been using a specific prayer to bless the leavers, in fact it is a prayer which we have taped up in our porch and I would pray over my children as they left for school each day. Now I only have to say the opening phrase for them to receive the blessing, ‘Go and know…’ As I re-read it, the words seem pertinent to us for these times of moving from lockdown to release, so I am sharing it with you now as a blessing for us all.

On Wednesday Little Angels Toddler Group meets for the first and last time this term. The toddler

group although based in Over Wallop attracts parents and children from the surrounding villages.

We have continued to keep in touch via WhatsApp and with Little Angels Live on Facebook, but

tomorrow, weather permitting, we will be meeting in the open air at a safe distance to say farewell

to our little ones who are taking their next step whether it be to nursery or big school. Little Angels

also have a blessing, in fact we sing it each week to each other:

I see the sun and the sun sees me, God bless the sun and God bless me.

Covid class of 2020 Go, and know that the Lord goes with you: let God

lead you each day into the quiet place of your

heart, where he will speak with you; know that he

loves you and watches over you – that he listens to

you in gentle understanding, that he is with you

always, wherever you are and however you may

feel. Amen.

We have indeed been blessed by the sun enabling us to enjoy our daily exercise and pottering in the

garden. When we look back on this time, I wonder what other blessings will shine through in our

memories.

Worship A little late to the party, I have just discovered that St Mary’s Monxton is now open for private

prayer on Sundays, which takes us up to 5 out of 7 open churches. St Mary’s is a beautiful church,

but like so many relies almost solely on the gifts of parishioners to keep it standing. It is currently in

the process of raising funds to keep the roof on, which as you can imagine, will cost many thousands

of pounds. If you are popping into any of our churches for private prayer and are able to drop

something in the collection box, it will be truly welcome. Just like many organisations, its closure

over the past few months has meant that income has taken a hit. However, we know that times are

hard for many, and whether you are able to make a gift towards the upkeep of our beautiful church

buildings or not, we are delighted to be able to welcome you into these houses of prayer to spend

some time in a sacred space.

Love and blessings,

Vanessa

Worship online, either live, or later, www.facebook.com/thewallopingvicar/live/

Monday 9.30am Celtic Morning Prayer 6pm Compline Psalm 127 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:1







* Also available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6m0XxDXfi0&list=PLwwbSMwmdszRxjt3KclEdNCPdD9rvmJ5p

Sermons can be found www.nothinglikeadane.wordpress.com







23rd July 2020


Well it’s beginning; we are opening up for worship, but very slowly.

In a diocesan zoom for incumbents on Wednesday, we discussed the unexpected things that had been taking place during the closure of our church buildings. Once again it was noted how important Compline had become for people with a church-going tradition and without. It was noted that the way in which we ‘do church’, the way in which we worship was very much changing, indeed it had already changed and at an unprecedented speed for the Church of England. We were encouraged to engage with what has been happening culturally and to reflect it in the way that we re-open; in fact the diocese want to ‘encourage flexible and innovative forms of ministry’.

Now we may be thinking something along the lines of ‘that’s all well and good for the bishop to tell us to change, but what is happening at a diocesan level, and above?’

It is true that the country as a whole has been hit financially; indeed your own finances may have changed due to Covid and the lockdown. The church has definitely been hit hard, from large cathedrals which rely upon visitors to fund their upkeep, to small parish churches that rely upon the collection plate to keep the church standing and the parish share to be paid.

Some of us may have experienced positive financial changes. For us, the loss of the daily commute and the fuel that it eats up, has meant that our outgoings have decreased, and we find that we are in a position to give more at this time. If you are in a similar position, perhaps you can too? Direct debits, standing orders, parish giving scheme… all enable us to keep up with our giving even when we are not able physically to come to church. Envelope schemes allow us to keep putting our giving to one side so that when we are able to return, we can bring them all as a wonderful bounty to the collection plate. If you would like any more advice on how you can continue to give locally, your treasurer will be delighted to hear from you.

And at a diocesan level and above? Well questions are being asked there too, in particular about the unwieldiness of the institution and its structures, even to the point of ‘do we need this many dioceses?’

But back to the re-opening… Yesterday Little Angels met outside for the first time since March. It did take a lot more preparation to ensure a safe environment for everyone, and it was very difficult not to hug each other after so many months of seclusion. The children had grown so much and some are moving on next term, so this was their very last meeting.

Tonight Grateley hosts its first act of worship in church. Again it will look and feel different from what we are used to, and a lot of work has gone into ensuring that the church is a safe environment. We hope to welcome our maximum of 30 people into the church, but recognise that many people are still unable to come out and mingle. If you wish to watch online from the safety of your home, you can do so by clicking on this link https://www.facebook.com/thewallopingvicar/videos/?view_public_for=282544998481855&ref=page_internal If you know anyone who would like to join us in person or by screen, please help them to do so by sharing this letter with them.

This weekend Geoff Wortley is leading an ‘Even Unsung’ at Amport, so for more details on that please do contact him (01264 889426); and don’t forget that 5 of our 7 churches are now open for private prayer too.

As we find new ways to worship in person, some of the things that have been put in place during lockdown (such as this letter) will have to be slimlined. There will be a break in August when we take our family holiday, and from September will be moving to twice a week (Mondays and Wednesdays) with Matthew’s Musings on Fridays.

Thank you so much for your kind comments and your support. It has (and continues) to be a challenging time but with your love and encouragement it has been made easier. I hope that you also feel loved and encouraged.

Love and blessings,

Vanessa See the next page for the schedule of online worship

https://www.facebook.com/thewallopingvicar/videos/?view_public_for=282544998481855&ref=page_internal

Worship online, either live, or later, www.facebook.com/thewallopingvicar/live/

Monday

9.30am Celtic Morning Prayer 6pm Compline Psalm 127 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:1







*Also available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6m0XxDXfi0&list=PLwwbSMwmdszRxjt3KclEdNCPdD9rvmJ5p

Sermons can be found www.nothinglikeadane.wordpress.com







an open letter to our parishioners · to our little ones who are taking their next step whether it...

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