Church letter

November 2023

Click for the church letter from October 2023

A time to remember those we have lost

Firstly, a thank you to so many people for their kind words and messages these past few weeks following our tenth anniversary of being called by God to service in this community. Helen and I are very grateful to so many of you for your support.

Secondly, as I wrote last month, time flies, and here we are once again in November - in the month of remembering. There is, of course, Remembrance Sunday (on 12 November this year), with its church services and Acts of Remembrance at the war memorial. This gives us a time to remember. To remember those from our community who have served our country; those who have served and given their lives; the families whose lives have forever been affected by the loss of someone serving in the armed forces. It is a time to remember the work of the Royal British Legion and all they do to help service personnel and their families.

November also gives us an opportunity to gather to think about and remember our own loved ones who have died, whether that be recently in this past year, or many, many years ago. If there is someone that you love who has died, you are invited to a service where we can remember our loved ones who are now longer with us physically but whom we still love and miss. There is a service on All Souls’ Day (Thursday 2 November), in the evening at St George’s Church. At this service, the names of loved ones are read out and we light candles as we think of them and the importance of them in our lives. The service begins at 7.30pm, with refreshments and fellowship from 7pm. Everyone there will be remembering and missing a loved one; it is a service where we are all there for the same reason. Please do join us if you are able.

Finally, as we watch the horrors unfolding on our televisions of the news in Israel and Gaza, it is a timely reminder that we should not take the peace in which we live for granted. What we are witnessing - from a distance - is brutal, barbaric, inhuman and heart-breaking, as ordinary men, women and children suffer. Apart from prayer, I feel completely helpless as I watch and hear what is happening in that region.

What we are seeing is totally extreme, but all disputes start somewhere. They start with just seeing differences between people, rather than recognising everything that all humanity has in common. We can each play our part in our community to recognise, respect and rejoice in our differences, rather than build up barriers because of those differences. We can all treat everyone in our local community with justice, compassion, equity, love and care. As I pray for Israel and Gaza, I also pray for the diversity and tolerance within our own community. I invite you to do the same.

Revd David Commander, Rector and Area Dean