Rectors Reflections

The past few weeks have been very busy, as the new academic year  has got underway, and I would particularly like to thank the churchwardens and the many others at church who continue to work so hard to ensure that everything happens as it should.

We have just celebrated Harvest. Thank you to all our local farmers for all their hard work over the past few weeks and to everyone at Church who helped to make our Harvest Services and Celebration a successful and enjoyable occasion and to everyone who brought donations for the Thurrock Foodbank. Of course, as we celebrate Harvest, we are mindful of the people of Morocco following their devastating earthquake and the people of Libya following their terrible flooding and we remain acutely aware of our responsibility to care for creation.  It is often those suffering the most, as a result of climate change, who have least contributed to it.

At the start of this academic year, we have just had notice of the Course in Christian Studies, CCS, run by Chelmsford Diocese. It is a great course, giving people the opportunity to meet with members of other churches and discuss many aspects of the Christian faith in a relaxed atmosphere.

‘Since it began in 1987, over 3000 people from Essex and East London have joined the Course in Christian Studies. What has it given them? What could it give you?

The excitement of discovery and learning together: members bring their own varied stories and experiences and share them, finding new truth in themselves and in each other through lively discussion. Knowledge of the Bible and of the huge riches of Christian tradition, nurtured by tutors and textbooks, and whetting members’ appetite for more knowledge – but not providing all the answers.

Delight in that biblical and Christian tradition, finding in it a field for imaginative and practical exploration, for wonder and worship and decision. Constructive reflection on the Bible and tradition and on the contemporary world: the Course does not shirk the hard questions posed by the Church’s history or by believing in God and seeking peace and justice today. Spiritual Formation of both the local group and its individual members: the Course does not set out to convert or evangelise, but it is concerned with the whole life of prayer and activity and relationships – not just with the mind.

For those who desire it, the Course also provides a foundation for further education or training. This could be other local courses; it could be a degree or diploma. Or it could be training for a specific ministry in the Church including the ministry of: Licensed Lay Minister, Authorised Local Preacher, Pastoral Assistant, Lay Evangelist, or Priest.’ Diane Hardy

CCS is available in local face to face groups or online and groups normally meet weekly. I thoroughly recommend the course and if you think this is something you may like to do, or you would like further information, I would be please to chat with you or put you in touch with someone from the Parish who has done the course. There are also some taster sessions, details of which are available later in the notices.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

take care and God bless,

Sue

It was a pleasure, recently, to support 4 people from this Parish, as they were confirmed by Bishop Lynne Cullens, the Bishop of Barking, at St Giles and All Saints Church on Sunday 23^rd July. Katie, Kelly, Lorraine and Taylor made their profession of faith along with 15 others from Thurrock Deanery.

It is always a privilege, as a Christian minister, to see people grow in their faith. and help them on that journey.

You may not be aware that we have Action Groups in our Parish, each with a different focus. One of these groups thinks about Mission, Evangelism and Nurture. It was this group that organised the Alpha Course that we did last year. One of the things that we discussed recently was how to encourage people to engage with God in their daily lives. We are all different. Some of us like to read; others of us prefer to use technology; some of us like to be moving or doing something physical as we learn.  

We are fortunate that there are now many ways through which we can connect with the Bible and engage with God and I thought it might be helpful to share some which have been recommended by various people in the Parish.

For those who like to read, the following Bible Guides give daily Bible passages to read with a short commentary: (click the underlined titles to go to each website)

Guidelines gives 4 months of daily Bible Readings with a short commentary about each passage.

Daily Bread is another booklet with 4 months of daily Bible Readings.

Every Day with Jesus. This is free and can be accessed on paper or electronically.

If you want to try to read the Bible in a Year, it is a good idea to choose a version which breaks it down into chunks with a commentary. A good one is,

For those who like technology, one of the following apps may be useful:

Pray as you go. This is an app which offers a daily meditation with music and a Bible passage from the Jesuit tradition. Each day’s meditation and reading lasts approximately 15 minutes with the opportunity for more in depth reflection if you would like. This app is free.

Lectio 365 is another app which offers Bible study based around:
P:ause to be still.
R:ejoice with a Psalm and R:eflect on Scripture.
A:sk for God’s help
Y:ield to His will in your life.

Youversion is another similar Bible app.

You may need to try a few to find out what works best for you. If anyone uses something different which you think others might find helpful. Please do let me know.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

I recently went for a walk at Bradwell on Sea, where the Chapel of St Peter on the Wall has stood for many years, since St Cedd brought Christianity to this part of the world.

The spreading of the Christian faith in this country began 1300 years ago when there were people working in Ireland and Scotland, spreading the good news of the Gospel.

In Ireland, Patrick established many monasteries and from there Columba went to Iona, a very small island off the West Coast of Scotland, to establish a monastery and other Christian centres. From Columba’s monastery, a man called Aidan was sent from Iona to set up a monastery at Lindisfarne in the North-East, where Anglo-Saxon boys could be trained to become priests and missionaries. It was here that Cedd and his brothers learnt to read and write in Latin, and were trained to teach others about the Christian faith.

The four brothers were all ordained as priests and two of them, Cedd and Chad, later went on to become bishops. Cedd’s first mission was to the Midlands and he was later sent to the East Saxons, (Essex.)

St Peter’s Chapel, originally built of wood as a place of Christian Worship when Cedd arrived in 653, was quickly made more permanent with stone from the nearby fort. It is now a Grade 1 listed building and is a special place visited by many people each year and is host to an annual Diocesan Pilgrimage every July. It is one of those places which can be described as ‘thin,’ where the distance between heaven and earth seems minimal and where God feels almost tangible.

If you have any spare time, I would recommend a visit to the Chapel. It is open every day, and there are services on Sunday evenings at 6pm throughout July and August.

The car park is approximately 850m from the Chapel so there is a short walk to get there. There are many other walks at Bradwell on Sea and next to the Chapel is the Othona Community which was founded in 1946 as a way of providing a safe place for people of different faiths, backgrounds and cultures to meet, following World War 2. And Othona continues to thrive as a place of faith where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to worship, study and play. I have a few leaflets with details of their programme if anyone is interested or you can find out more by going to www.othonaessex.org.uk

Jesus often took himself off to a quiet place to spend time with God in prayer. It is important that, as Christians, we all take some time to recharge our batteries, to be with God, to pray and to listen and I encourage you, this summer, to do that. If you need any ideas as to how you might best do this, I am very happy to chat with you.

I hope to see you around.

Take care and God bless,

Sue  

A lot has happened recently…..

Thank you, so much, to Revd Max, Revd Moji, the Churchwardens, Lynda the Parish Administrator, and EVERYONE ELSE who kept things running smoothly whilst I was away on my Pilgrimage.

Thank you, also, to the many people who generously donated towards the two causes, ‘Cure Parkinsons’ and the MND Association, for which I was raising money as I walked the Camino Frances. The total of your generous donations, including Gift Aid, have exceeded £4,000. The Giving Page will remain open until the 21^st July, should you still wish to make a donation. It can be found at  https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/787/sue-mann-camino/

Several people have been asking me about the walk and it is my intention to hold an evening some time in July to share something of my experiences. Details will be on the Church Notice Sheet, and I will also advertise it on Facebook.

On the first Sunday after I returned, we held a special service to mark Revd Max’s Official Retirement. It was a joyful service with wonderful refreshments, kindly organised by church members, and Revd Max was presented with a beautiful sculpture of the spire at Horndon Church in a wooden case, lovingly created by local artists. It is not often that Max is lost for words, but that particular Sunday was one of those occasions! The following day he wrote some lovely words on our church Facebook Page to express his appreciation to you all.  Revd Max has served, faithfully, as a priest in Horndon, Orsett and Bulphan for 20 years for which we thank God.  He is currently taking a break of 6 weeks and will then continue to take services and minister amongst us; this time as a ‘Priest with Permission to Officiate.’ Please do keep Reverend Max in your prayers as he takes his well-earned break.

And then, as Max returns in a few weeks’ time, we will be saying goodbye to our curate Revd Moji, who will be leaving us to move to Darlington to be closer to her family. We give thanks for Moji’s warm humour and loving ministry amongst us, and we wish her God’s blessing as she moves to pastures new. Moji’s last service with us will be on Sunday 23rd July at Bulphan Church at 10am, followed by refreshments in the Parish Room. Do come along to this service if you are able and please pray for Moji and her husband Yemi as they prepare to move.

And, finally, as we approach the school holidays, I wish everyone who works in our schools and all the children, a refreshing summer break and encourage you all to pray especially for those children who will be moving on to senior school in September.

May we all treasure the past with thanksgiving,

May we embrace the future with hope,

May we journey ahead with confidence,

In God’s love.

Amen

With love and prayers,

Sue

We recently held our Church Annual Meeting, so this month I have chosen to share my report for that gathering.

‘The past year has seen a return to something of normality following the Covid Pandemic.

All of our worship, social/fundraising activities and Open Church/Oasis Café events are up and running very successfully again and our new Parish of Horndon, Orsett and Bulphan is established with one PCC. Thank you, so much, to everyone who has worked together to make all these things happen. We now also have Action Groups focusing on:

• Children and Young People
• Mission, Evangelism and Nurture
• Prayer
• Eco Church and Social Justice
• Communications
• Fund Raising
• Worship
• Finance
• Pastoral Care

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered their services in these groups. And may I just remind everyone that anyone who is on the Church Electoral Roll who wishes to join any of the first 6 of these groups is welcome to do so.

I would also like to express huge thanks to my clergy colleagues, Revd Max and Revd Moji. Revd Max officially retired in March but has kindly agreed to remain serving as a Priest in this Parish, with Permission to Officiate (PTO), and we thank Revd Moji for her loving ministry as a curate with us over the past 19 months. Moji will, sadly, be moving to Darlington in the summer, to be closer to her family, where she will complete her curacy. We will miss her and wish her, and her husband Yemi, God’s blessings as they move on to pastures new.

Thank you, also, to the six Churchwardens, the PCC members, the Treasury Team, the Parish Administrator and all who serve in any other capacity in this Parish. All your hard work and commitment in the service of God and community is greatly appreciated. We give thanks to Pauline Cooper who has retired from her role as Wedding Coordinator after many years of service and to Ron Porter who has retired as PCC Secretary. We are also very grateful to the kind person who financed the new screen at Orsett Church which will enable us to show video clips and project song words.

It has been a privilege to serve in this Parish over the past year.  It is so important to remember that, often, signs of God’s blessings and shoots of growth can be found in the small things.

A few of the little, but significant, highlights of my year have been:

• Parishioners asking for information about the best Bible to buy.
• A group of men, who regularly attend Open Church at Horndon, one day, spontaneously getting the wooden crosses, made by one of them, out of their pockets and laying them on the table, as proof that they carry them with them every day.
• At a Refresh Service, each person present sharing a favourite Bible verse and telling everyone why it is important to them.
• At Christmas, when it was brought to my attention that someone in one of the villages who was not known to any of us was going to be alone at Christmas, two of the Churchwardens immediately saying, ‘They can come to my house.’
• A largely lay led and funded Alpha Course where people came to faith.
• The request for a new Home Bible Study Group

These are just a few of the signs of God’s Spirit at work amongst us and I am sure that each of us could give many more examples. Let us give thanks to God for all the blessings he has given us. Let’s not forget, in our bigger plans, to look for God in the small things, and let’s press on, together, in his strength, into the future.’

God bless,

Sue