March 2023 Pastoral Letter from Revd Gary Crellin
Dear Friends,
Thank you to all of you that have contacted me to see how I am fairing after my second run in with Covid. It is great to know that I am being thought about and prayed for. This time seems so different to my last contact with the virus, a year ago. I am so grateful for those that stepped up and into the breach to cover things that needed covering or just got on and did what was needed. It is great that we do have a good network of people to keep things going in the most trying and unexpected circumstances.
How is your Lenten journey going, I wonder? What have you given up for Lent? I have given up talking about local Church transformation. I have used some time to catch up with some reading which has been a blessing. Some of the books even assisted me to catch up on much needed sleep and rest. That’s often the case with theology textbooks!
I cannot believe that we are approaching the midpoint of Lent – a time when we traditionally give thanks for Mothers and/or Mother figures in our life on Mothering Sunday. This year, again, we are marking that joyous time with some joyous fundraising in the form of Daffodil Sunday – Sunday 19th March 2023 – 2-5pm at Madresfield Court. It was great meeting Jonathan Chevenix-Trench, our new Benefice Patron at Madresfield Court the other week and he and Lucy are thrilled to be supporting the Church in this manner again. Let’s hope that the Daffs make for a great show. The Church of St Mary’s in Madresfield will be open too.
In earlier times, Mothering Sunday was the day when those working in the grand houses of the day were given the day off to go home and also attend their Mother Church with their family. Very often small posies were picked from the wayside to take to mothers. In our Benefice, this year’s Mothering Sunday Service will take place at 11am at St Peter’s Powick on the 19th March. It will be a service where we remember our mothers and those who have been like a mother to us and say a special thank you to them as we remember them in our prayers. It is also a day to say thank you to Mother Church – who gives us comfort, forgiveness, new beginnings and, above all, love and welcome. In our prayers we should then remember Mary the mother of Jesus who teaches us so much about listening to God’s call on our lives and being faithful to that call. Mary who experienced both the joys and sorrows of motherhood and stayed by her son in life and in death. Such faithfulness is an example to us all throughout the ages.
Later in the month we continue to travel through Lent and Holy Week and look forward to the wonderful news of Easter, which we celebrate on the 9th April across all of our churches. We look forward to welcoming you to all, or any, of our services.
Late news – I have secured a piece of art on loan that will feature in our Holy Week devotions. This may assist us to think about our journey through Holy Week in a different way. More anon.
With love & prayers. Rev Gary