Dear Friends,

By the time you read this the daffodils which line Church Drive should be in full flower - heralds of Easter, now less than four weeks away. In the early Church, Easter was the principal occasion for baptism. Throughout Lent adult candidates would receive instruction in the faith in preparation for the great event, which would begin after nightfall on Easter Eve. A vigil of prayer, readings and exhortations would lead to baptism and the laying on of hands, and would culminate shortly after daybreak in their receiving their first Communion at the first Eucharist of Easter Day.

Easter always has been, and always will be, most important festival in the Christian year – a time when all communicant members of the Church will want to receive the sacrament. That includes those who are prevented by sickness or disability from attending a service in church, so please let me or Redz know if you would like communion to be brought to you at home. I would also like to hear from

Dear Friends,

The wife of clergyman (now deceased) I once knew used to call a particular day in every month ‘black Monday.’ It was the day he had to make himself sit down in front of a blank sheet of paper and write his piece for the parish magazine. I know the feeling.

To make matters worse, by a strange coincidence the day on which I find myself writing this has been dubbed ‘blue Monday’ by the media. It’s supposed to be the day in the year when people are at their lowest ebb - depressed after so many short days, the miserable weather, seasonal ailments and post-Christmas debt.

Things can only get better! But although we’ve got spring to look forward to it often seems to a long time coming. February can be a pretty dismal month – and we can’t all escape to sunnier climes - so here’s some sound advice on how to deal with low spirits from a

Dear Friends,

In the days leading up to Christmas the comment I heard more than any other was “I’ll be glad when it’s all over!” That’s hardly surprising. The so-called “season of goodwill” can be exhausting and as the TV soaps never fail to remind us, can strain relationships to breaking-point. It’s no wonder that so many people can hardly wait to get back to normal.

But to imagine that a return to normality signifies the end of Christmas would be to misunderstand its message completely. The Word was made flesh (incarnate) not to pay us a flying visit but to dwell among us; to be God-with-us (Immanuel) in every aspect of our ordinary, everyday lives. The tradition of observing a forty day long Christmas season, embracing the

Dear Friends,

Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!

Sing choirs, sing, sing, sing!

When he comes,

When he comes,

Who will make him welcome?*

Wentworth doesn’t need any lessons in welcoming. Chris and I have been on the receiving end, so we know. Bells, singing, lavish and friendly hospitality to visitors from some of our former parishes and – as if that wasn’t enough – a pie and pea supper! Thank you all so much. We have greatly appreciated your kindness.

It’s quite a season for welcomes. Advent Sunday is the first day of a new Christian year, and the re-telling of ‘the old, old story of Jesus and his love’ begins once again. We hear it in the Bible passages appointed to be read in church Sunday by Sunday, so I hope

LICENSING OF THE REVEREND MICHAEL

A very warm invitation is extended to all to the Licensing service of Reverend Michael Champneys as the new Vicar (Priest in Charge) of Wentworth, by Bishop Peter, the Bishop of Doncaster. This will be a very special service and will take place on Tuesday 10th November at 7-30 and will be followed by light refreshments.

We do hope that you will be able to attend and support Michael at the start of his new ministry at Wentworth.

Church Wardens
Jim and Stephen


Dear Friends

Although I was born in Liverpool, I grew up in West Sussex a few minutes walk from the sea, and near to open country, where so much of my boyhood was spent on the beach, swimming and exploring the countryside by bicycle and on foot. My other great interest was music. In my teens I was the despair of my teachers, playing the trombone in two orchestras, being organist of the village church and indulging in informal music-making with friends to the detriment of my studies. However I did continue my studies at the Royal Academy of Music for three years and after

[Our October Article has been written by John Barrett]

Dear Friends

It has been hardly what one would call a great summer. When we wanted rain at the Oval it stayed dry - otherwise it rained and rained. Not as bad as 2012 but bad enough if you planned a special outing for Bank Holiday Monday. We had a three day trip to Bruges at the end of the month and we got soaked though every day especially on a rather sad trip on an open boat on the canals when our views of this beautiful city where completely obscured by our umbrellas!

It is said:
“England does not have a climate it has weather!”

I suppose this prompted Dr Johnson to write in his diary.

“When two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather!”

Considering those comments it made me think the Psalmists must have been Englishmen! Wherever you look in the Psalms there seems to be an illusion to the weather. It is almost

[Our September Article has been written by Ann Collier]

Dear Friends

SEPTEMBER THOUGHTS

This month sees the start of the new academic year for schools and most colleges and universities. For some, not only will it be a new year, but also a new location. We pray for all who are facing these new challenges that God’s peace and strength may abide with them. We particularly pray for our own Church of England school here in Wentworth at the start of a new school year, for all the staff and the pupils.

As regards the church’s year, our attention is also drawn towards new things at this time. The reading for Trinity XII, the first Sunday of September, speaks of God’s New Covenant with his people (2 Corinthians ch.3 v.4) “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”, (1 Corinthians, ch.15 v.22) and at the sound of those words the music of Handel’s Messiah thunders in our ears giving them the dramatic emphasis they deserve (some things, one can argue, are definitely better expressed in music!) This reminder of God’s wonderful and enduring promise to us is very reassuring as summer wanes, autumn approaches and winter looms ahead. It is also good to contemplate God’s New Covenant wit his people prior to Advent, which heralds the coming of Christ through who the New Covenant was enacted.

In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 3, Paul emphasises that God “has qualified us to be ministers of a New Covenant, not in a written code but in the spirit, for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life”. How well that sums it up! Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to try to lay down rules of “do’s and don’ts” that cover absolutely every eventuality so as to be just and fair? Moses tried and

[This article first appeared in the July 2015 issue of ‘Connection’ – the magazine of Christ Church, Virginia Water, Surrey]

Dear Friends

Whilst looking for an article for our magazine I came upon this piece which seemed to me to be rather apt for the time of year

“80 years ago this month, on 21st Aug 1935, the Rev John Hartley, the British tennis champion, died. He was the world’s number one player in 1879 and 1880, when he won Wimbledon both years. He was the only clergyman to ever win Wimbledon. Here Richard Bewes, a keen tennis man, looks back on Hartley’s life…

“Lawn Tennis,” wrote J.B. Priestley, “is a name with the mildest associations. It suggests a companion pastime to croquet, a late-Victorian thing, bright with petticoats and delicately clouded