This year’s  Harvest Festival and Harvest Supper was the weekend of 19/20 September.  Thanks were received from the residents of Folland Court for the produce that was passed on to them.
The church was decorated again a month later for the school children’s harvest festival on 14th October, but unfortunately the heavy rain prevented them from coming along to the church. Thank you to Sue Lilwall for all the work you went to.  The second harvest decorations will last awhile and hopefully people will take advantage of the open church and pop in to admire them.
Please everyone remember the church is now open during daylight hours for you to go in at any time for a bit of peace and quiet or a prayer.

We are in the process of obtaining quotations for the re-wiring of the church to bring it up to a safe standard.  It looks like it is going to cost at least £10,000 and no grants are available for this type of work.  The Friends of the Church are making it an aim to try and help us raise the money by the end of next year.  So please support their events as much as you can and do join the Friends 100 Club if you have not done so already.

This Christmas the Friends are planning a Christmas Tree Festival on the weekend of 11 – 12th December.  There will be a concert and Christmas Tea on the Sunday afternoon.  Half-price for the parents of children taking part in the concert.  It was very good last year – ask the children who came along!  They got to join in some great fun choruses such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Once more Sponsors and Dedications are invited for the Christmas Trees.  All trees and decorations will be provided, except for special cases like the schoolchildren and Book Club who may like to make their own decorations.
Please contact Robin Taylor 688268 if you can participate.
Don’t leave it to the last minute!
 

JULIAN GROUP MEETINGS

29th October, 12th November, 26th November
Details from Irene Ames, opposite Bawdeswell Church.

The group held a Quiet Day on 4th September, at which Francis Buxton wrote this -

To be a Pilgrim.Come, follow me.                                      I do not promise easeand see, before you startthe shadow of a rough-wrought cross before your heart.Called to carry and embrace it, would-be pilgrim,Can you face it?Narrow the gate and steep the way         of selflessness, humility and love.     Hard, it's true.Fear not. I'm there with you. Seek if you would find,and look to see mein each chance encounter.Such labour is it's own rewardbut carries obligationto let the other meet mein your gentleness and hospitality to find mein your silent, blind darknessof contemplation.The journey's end and pilgrim's rest? By my helping hand,my Father's grace,the guidance of my Spirit,I will hear you say:"I fear you, Lord,and seek your face."

Dear Everybody, hello again.

Grief, they say, is the price for loving.  Nowadays, more people will admit to talking to those who have died.  Recent research has shown that the experience of physically sensing someone who has died (hearing, feeling, seeing) is quite common.  No, we are not going mad.  And though it may be helpful to talk about those who have died, at other times it’s also helpful not to, just to be quiet and remember. 

The church has had a long tradition of praying for those who have died.   On All Souls’ Day (November 2nd), prayers are said for the faithful departed.  Lists of names are read out in church, with enough time to imagine each person.  We will be doing that again this year, in a service of communion at Foxley church, at 7.30pm on Tuesday 2nd November.  If there is anyone who has died that you would like us to name, please email me (davidhead@beeb.net), write to me at the Rectory, or come to the service ten minutes early.  Please don’t leave a phone message, as the machine is unclear.  You don’t have to come to the service for us to pray for your loved ones.  It doesn’t have to be recent, just anyone you love or care for still.

Dying does not automatically make us saints.  When we pray for the dead, we commend them to God knowing that they were (probably) not perfect.  But even if we do not pray or do not believe in God, it is good to remember our dead with love, and also with reality.  Remember them as the real people they were.

May God bless you, especially if you are grieving at this time.

David Head
 
 

Thank you very much to all those of you who helped at the Rectory Open Day, and to all who came.  All the events went very well (though it was a bit cold outside).  We’ll probably do it again.  Those of you who didn’t come, take your courage in your hands next time…  and again, many thanks for so much help and support.   David Head