Church News Volume 1, Issue 4

Dear friends,

November is the month of "remembering". It begins with the great feast of All Saints' Day (1st November) when we remember with thanksgiving the lives of men and women of faith down the ages whose examples of committment to God and service to others is a sign of how things could be. We believe that they have already gained their place in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The day following is All Souls Day (2nd November) when we remember the souls of the faithful departed, those of our families and friends who have died. On this special day we re-affirm our belief as Christians that death is not the end, that at the Day of Resurrection the dead will rise and find a place in God's Kingdom. We remember our loved ones by name on All Souls Day at a special service (see service rota for details). If you have a name to be remembered please contact me as I am compiling a list to be read out during the evening service.

November 5th is of course "Bonfire Night" when we remember a very different event in the life of our nation when, if the Gunpowder Plot had been successful, the course of our history might have been radically changed. No matter how strongly we might feel about political and religious change, violence is never the answer.

Which brings us to the fourth time of remembering in November : Remembrance Day. Both 11th and 14th November are days to remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country in the two World Wars and countless other conflicts over the years and continue to do so in the present. It is a time to remember the great loss of life, the futility of war, and to pray for peace and justice for the world.

The final sunday of November sees the start of the Advent season when we remember the promise of Jesus that He will return again one day to judge the living and the dead. Like a thief in the night He will return, no-one will know the day, time or the hour. We must be ready.

"Remember!" is the watch word of November. Remember the saints whose lives gave glory to God through faithful service to Him and His Church on earth and now claim the crowns of eternal life. Remember our loved ones whom we see no longer here on earth but believe are awaiting a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Remember those whose treachery and treason was uncovered so that violent action did not change the course of our history. Remember those who have given their lives in the defence of country and the protection of the defenceless. Finally, remember that Jesus has promised to return one day and will herald the new order of a new kingdom, a world where justice and peace shall reign, an end to war and violence, treachery and treason disappear, and we shall live forever with our family and friends. Remember, remember, in the month of November!

Your friend and Vicar,

Revd Ian M. Finn

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