{"id":14361,"date":"2026-04-27T11:52:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T11:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/?page_id=14361"},"modified":"2026-04-27T11:54:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T11:54:54","slug":"vicars-page-may-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/information\/vicars-page\/vicars-page-may-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Vicar’s page – May 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Previous month<\/a> – Monthly index<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Merry’s miscellany\u2019<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The Vicar\u2019s monthly letter for the Parish News<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Rev<\/a>
Rev Merry Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

May 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 14th of May we celebrate Ascension Day where we celebrate Jesus returning to heaven and reflect on what that means for us. At first, the Ascension can seem like a story of Jesus leaving. Yet the Church has always understood it not as absence, but as a new way of Him being present with us. Jesus is with God the Father, fully sharing in His divine life, and He is in the best place to care for us and intercede for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That word \u201cintercede\u201d can sound formal, but I like to think about it more like this, when someone matters deeply to us, we naturally speak about them. We share their joys and their worries because we care. Not as gossip, but because their concerns have become our concerns. This is one way to imagine Christ carrying us before the Father. He brings our prayers, our needs, and even the things we struggle to express. The Ascension reminds us that Jesus does not stop caring for us; He continues to hold our lives in God\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This connects with another important image: the heavenly banquet. Jesus at God\u2019s right hand in the most special of places. Psalm 21 speaks of God preparing a table for us, preparing a table for us in the presence of our enemies. It is an image of welcome, provision, and safety, helping us understand heaven not as distant, but as the fulfilment of God\u2019s promise to His people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In John 14, Jesus tells His disciples, \u201cI go to prepare a place for you.\u201d The Ascension gives real substance to those words. Christ goes before us into heaven to make ready a place for His people. This is not only about the future, but about assurance in the present. Our life is already held in Him, and our final home is already prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taken together, these images show why the Ascension is good news. Christ is in heaven for us, still interceding for us, and preparing the place where we belong. It is not a story of separation, but a reminder that our lives and our future are secure in Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rev Merry<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Previous month – Monthly index \u2018Merry’s miscellany\u2019 The Vicar\u2019s monthly letter for the Parish News May 2026 On 14th of May we celebrate Ascension Day where we celebrate Jesus returning to heaven and reflect on what that means for us. At first, the Ascension can seem like a story of Jesus leaving. Yet the Church has always … <\/p>\n

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