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‘Maureen’s Musings’
The Vicar’s monthly letter for the Parish News
May 2018
If my memory for musical theatre doesn’t fail me, May (according to Queen Guinevere in Camelot) is the month when everyone goes “blissfully astray”. Yes, well, perhaps we’d better not go there too much! But after our seemingly never ending cold and wet winter, it is the month when we expect to see the gardens bursting with new life and the fields full of new lambs and calves. Farmers this year have seen everything put back by several weeks because of the poor weather. Let’s hope as we move into May that better days are ahead for us all as the evenings lengthen and (I hope) the good weather we are enjoying at the end of April continues into next month too! (well, I can dream).
The APCM is now well behind us and this month sees the Archdeacon’s Visitation when our Churchwardens will be admitted to office. Many thanks to both Gena and Iain for continuing in this valuable role… but do not forget that this is Iain’s final year in post! And Graham Tritton, after 5 very busy and successful years, is also looking to hand over the reins of the Treasurer’s post to someone – I’m on the lookout, so if you would like – even if tentatively – to talk about what is involved in this role, I am sure Graham would be only too pleased to talk to you informally.
And there is lots more to look forward to this month. On the 6th May we shall be marking Rogation Sunday by again walking to St Mary’s church and celebrating a service there asking for God’s blessing on the crops and work of our farmers. (I say “we” but as ever it will have to be others leading the procession as I have a baptism to perform here in Pattingham before driving down to St Mary’s to meet the happy hikers!) – but someone has to provide transport to come home, and that is my excuse!
May also sees the start of our weddings at St Chad’s for 2018… Let’s hope the sun shines brightly for all the brides and grooms celebrating their unions with us this year – not forgetting Harry and Meghan in Windsor of course!
From 10th – 20th of May Thy Kingdom Come is a prayer movement that has spread from the C of E and is now a global phenomenon across many churches. But is something we can all join in with, in our own ways. There is an excellent website with lots of resources available and ideas for how we might mark this both in churches and in homes www.thykingdomcome.global.
So whether you can manage 5 minutes a day – or maybe a bit longer, please do consider giving it a try.
One idea is just to focus on 5 people known to you. It might be a family member, a neighbour, a colleague at work, a friend. Just spend a little time each day thinking of them and asking God to bless them. You don’t have to tell them if you don’t want to, but stick at it and just see what a difference your prayers might make! You won’t know unless you try it.
You may even find that you can be blissful, without going astray!
Every blessing,
Maureen.