Vicar's Letter

March 2013

Dear Friends

The wedding 'season' starts for us on 23rd March. It has been a pleasure to welcome so many couples to our beautiful church over the years. And also to reflect on the fact that far more people are getting married here now than did when I was first here in the early 1990s. We hope that all those involved later this year have a lovely day when it comes; that the fact that they have been married in church and with God's blessing really does become helpful and meaningful to them; and that those couples who will be attending Sunday worship take something worthwhile away with them.

Around 35 weddings this year so far is less than this year, but still a lot. This puts a good deal of pressure on the wedding 'team', who include the ringers, the choir, Richard Taylor and Chris Hayes on the day itself; and also Janet Sinclair-Pinder, Jim Gelder and Carolyne Gregory in the preparatory stages. I hope that, if they ask for help, you will give it to them. Incidentally, I have been asked by one or two couples to come out of retirement to take their ceremony, which I will do, always assuming the new Vicar has not been appointed.

I did mention various study options last month. We are no longer sure if we can fit in the Moving On sessions before retirement, but we will give this further consideration. Sylvia and I will definitely be running the

February 2013

Dear Friends,

 

I wonder when the last time was that a member of the 8.15 a.m. congregation at Wentworth had a baby? A long time ago, I am sure. So congratulations to Kay Atkin, a young woman who was both married and confirmed in Holy Trinity during the last few years, and who had her first child in January, a girl weighing in at 7lb 5oz. Congratulation to them both and to Stuart, Kay's husband.

 

Perhaps you will notice the great age of the two people whose funerals took place last month? Tom Kelly was 95 and from Hoyland, but his wife Doreen was born in Wentworth. I was interested to discover that she had been in service at Wentworth Woodhouse during the time of the Fitzwilliam’s; she must be amongst the last to have memories of that period in our village's history. Kathleen Smith lived latterly at Wentworth Hall (the old vicarage) and she too played a small role in

January 2013

Dear Friends,

 

In the last few weeks prior to Christmas the Church of England was headline news on several occasions. Just one was a good news story, the choice of a new Archbishop of Canterbury who, as a former oil executive with experience in Africa, certainly breaks the mould for the type of person traditionally in the frame for this job. He will need all his diplomatic skills, for the other stories all came into the bad news bracket – no women bishops, no gay marriages, and falling numbers of Christians.

 

The reduction in the number of UK residents who claim a Christian affiliation affects the CofE particularly, for some Christian churches are holding steady (like the Roman Catholics) and some (such as those supported by immigrant communities) may be even be growing. Most of the loss is down to a sharp fall in Anglican worshippers and adherents. One knee jerk reaction to the conjunction of three issues – fewer believers, no women, and no gays – is to say that the decline is because the church is completely out of

December 2012

Dear Friends,

This month is packed full of goodies, like a box of sweets. There are family reunions to look forward to at Christmas, there are parties or meals out, concerts in church, and all sorts of different and enjoyable services. I hope you enjoy it all. But, at the same time, that you remember what all this is for.

None of it would happen if it were not for the birth of a baby in a shack in war-turn Palestine just over 2000 years ago. Jesus, those who gathered around the manger learnt, was more than he seemed; He was God's very own Son. Those who met him in adulthood discovered the same thing, that an admittedly extraordinary man was even more, a Saviour sent from God. To me, his coming demonstrates one thing beyond all doubting, that Almighty God, seemingly so far away, so 'above it all', actually loves each one of us, humble, ordinary, and imperfect as we are. That is the message of Christmas, it is reason for happiness that wells out in celebration and in song at this time of year.

A different occasion which can leave people nursing a new, joyous and at the same time disturbing feeling is confirmation. It was a pleasure last month to attend a service at St Peter's Barnburgh where five people from Holy Trinity were confirmed by the Bishop of Sheffield. I hope and pray that, wherever they

November 2012

Dear Friends,

November, when the clocks have gone back, is always rather a gloomy month. December should, of course, be even gloomier, but the Christmas festivities actually mean that it isn't. The Christian church does not help the November mood by holding three commemorations of the dead in the first two weeks of the month. These are All Saints Day (on the 1st), All Souls Day (on the 2nd) and Remembrance Sunday (which this year falls precisely on Remembrance Day itself, the 11th).

To take the last first, the original Armistice Day commemoration was established on the actual day when the war on the Western Front ceased in 1918. There is now no-one left alive who can recall that moment. But it has seemed right to the nation to continue to commemorate those who fought and died in 1914-18 as well as, of course, the many fallen in later wars. The day has taken on a new life in the light of servicemen's and women's

October 2012

Dear Friends,

 

During the Olympics and Paralympics and, before that, the Jubilee, everyone commented on what a positive feel there was about the country, with a great deal of deeply felt patriotism on show. And, so many felt, how good it would be if those attitudes could be carried forward instead of the usual carping criticism which seems to blight national life.

 

And then comes a tragedy like the murder of two young policewomen in Manchester, and Britain seems to be not simply a self-critical place but one where the criticism is amply justified.

 

I must leave a deeper analysis of these contrasts to those better qualified. But let me just set against that terrible event a morning when I was the recipient of great kindness from

September 2012

Dear Friends,

It was nice to welcome Keith and Norma Justice and a party of their parishioners from Manchester to coffee in the church recently. Keith was the Vicar here towards the end of the 1990s and showed an obvious talent for getting things moving (better than me, I think!). He has just officially retired but, like me, is carrying on for a while in a semi-voluntary capacity. Anyway, we wish them both well as they move towards retirement.

Did you hear a church bell at 8.12 a.m. on the first morning of the Olympics? Everyone was asked to ring any sort of bell then and, thanks to Vicky Hunton, our church wasn't left out. It's a truism by now that this great sporting festival, together with the Jubilee, has encouraged a marked feeling of patriotism and 'togetherness' in the country. All the Jonahs are already saying, 'But it won't last'. Maybe so. But let's hope that a little of that cast of mind which looks for the best rather than the worst will linger.

I'd like to thank Matthew Wiles for his enthusiastic participation in the preparations for the church's 135th anniversary service last month. As many of you will know, he is now the face of the

August 2012

Dear Friends,

Wentworth (New) Holy Trinity was dedicated on 31 July 1877, or so according to Roy Young, the village's historian. I hope it was actually consecrated (meaning formally blessed by a bishop) for if not, all our brides today are being married, if not illegally, then at least irregularly. A church which is unconsecrated (like Harley) cannot be used for weddings. If any brides are reading this, please don't concern yourselves! I'm sure all is well.

The village the church was designed to serve may well have had a larger population than today. Few new houses have been built – an almost unique distinction and part of its charm – but families were probably larger. Virtually all of them would have gone no further than they could have walked, apart from a few farmers who owned a horse and, of course, the inhabitants of the 'big house'. As late as the 1960s, Gordon Scott tells me, estate officials such as the surveyor had to draw a car from a pool and return it by


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