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This section has all the available news items displayed chronologically - in total there are 4 news items.
Hilary's Blog - Latest Update
Wow it has been a few months since I wrote on this blog! It has been a very busy time. Here are a few memories of the celebrations we have had over the last few months. Read more...
News from South Africa
 | Jesus Christ the Light of the World |
A Time of Remembrance
The month of November brings with it a number of opportunities to stop and reflect on times gone by. The commemoration of the faithful departed, known as All Souls is traditionally celebrated on the 2nd November. Set in the context of a Eucharist, it is a day set aside for a personal remembrance of our own departed, rather than the great heroes of faith which we celebrate on All Saints day. For those who have experienced bereavement during the last year it also provides an opportunity to remember departed family and friends in prayer.
Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. On bonfire night we remember the times once spent with loved ones, as families gather around the traditional bonfire with baked potatoes and toffee apples in the chilly autumn air. There are the fireworks which have a particular beauty of their own, some giving bright flashes of light whilst others offer sparkles and twinkles and multi-coloured displays. There are the sounds, whizzes and bangs, crackles and fizzles, and the smell of smoke and gunpowder which lingers in the night air.
November also brings with it Remembrance Sunday this year celebrated on the 9th of November. A day that brings to mind feelings of grief and sadness still shared by many in our community. Remembrance doesn't only apply to those who lost their lives in service for our country in the conflicts that there have been over the last 94 years and the ones ongoing today, but also to the many families who have had to continue life without a loved one.
Whilst it is fitting, right and proper to look back in Remembrance with a sense of sadness and loss, it is also a time when we can look forward to with the hope of our Christian faith in our hearts. This mixture of sadness and joy should not surprise us, for as Jesus said to his friends 'The prophets have predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer before entering his time of glory' (Luke24:16.) Jesus, by his resurrection, has shown us the way, granting to all who believe in him a firm hope in the future glory of eternal life. A life in which there will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain.
Unlike fireworks which are just flashes of light in the darkness, brilliant for a moment and then gone for ever, the light of Christ in the world is here to stay, growing brighter each day and bringing its light to a darkened world. Christ is the hope of the world, a living flame symbolising the lasting victory over darkness. As we remember this month, in what ever way, let us turn from sadness to joy, as we lean on our faith and focus on the hope of future glory which lies ahead.
Yours in Christ
Graham
Licensing Service
On the 8th October 2008 the Bishop of Lancaster licensed the Reverend Graham Rouse as Priest in Charge of Holy Trinity and the Reverend David O'Brien as Associate Priest.
More information about this new chapter for the church will be added soon...