The Lambfold Benefice

Message from Curate Carolyn......

Another January and another New Year draws on. For most families throughout the year there are special days to remember - birthdays and anniversaries, the first day at school or university, that first day of retirement, that first day back to work after a break, or that day of looking for a job in hard economic times.

The worldwide Church to which our parish churches belong, also has church family occasions. Every day in January there is a day when we remember someone who played a part, ordinary people who when we know a little about what they did, encourage us by their example. Looking down the list, there are martyrs who died for their faith, others who worked as missionaries or priests throughout different countries, all who helped others in different ways. On January 30th we remember the day when Charles King of England was led to the scaffold and was beheaded. He is commemorated as a martyr. We recall these people with a mixture of regret for the past and pride in their faithfulness.

Today we recognize that those who are held up as celebrities on TV or in magazines are not necessarily the ones we shall admire long term, even though they fascinated us at the time. Those we tend to notice are living all around us. People who even without quite realizing it, we look up to and count on to be themselves and in so doing keep us hopeful. There is a line in the Bible which talks about such people being like "sparks among the stubble". I shall be looking out for bright sparks among us in this New Year!

Love and prayers,

Carolyn