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St George’s Church, Great Bromley

Newsletter

October 2021

From the Churchwardens

Firstly an apology for this second newsletter, but we thought a link to services in October is more useful than a link for last month’s.

Autumn is with us and we look forward to the harvest festival evensong on 17th October. We welcome as our preacher Fr Richard Tillbook, Vicar of St Barnabas’s Church in Colchester, Chaplain to the Parachute Regiment, and Canon of Ho Cathedral in Ghana.

Thank you to all who took part in the Service of Thanks and Hope in September, especially those from the Parish Councils, St George’s School, the Cheshire Home and the NHS who all lit candles or spoke. It was a lovely community event, enhanced by our first refreshments in church since March 2020.

With best wishes

Gregory and Jenny

St George’s Services in October

  • October 3rd ~ Parish Eucharist (BCP) 10.30am

  • October 10th ~ Parish Eucharist (CW) 10.30am

  • October 17th ~ Harvest Evensong (BCP) 6.30pm

  • October 24th ~ Parish Eucharist (CW) 10.30am

  • October 31st ~ Benefice Service at Lawford 10.30am

Services at St Mary’s, Little Bentley and St Mary’s, Lawford

Rector’s Letter

The Bible gives eloquent expression to the creative power and wisdom of God, and it is a natural instinct for communities to develop patterns of worship and prayer around the agricultural year. Ancient societies lived close to the land, and the ancient Jewish festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles have agrarian roots. The Christian tradition too has assimilated particular agricultural festivals and the Celtic tradition has a particular emphasis on Creation.

Much of this is bound up with the need to provide food to sustain human life, and the accompanying sense of humility and gratitude before God as the source of all things, as well as responsibility for stewarding the resources of the earth.

Harvest Thanksgiving is a more modern addition to the Church’s calendar. Its origins are usually traced in the adaptation in 1843 of Lammas Day by the Revd RS Hawker, a parish priest in Cornwall. He chose the first Sunday in October as a Christian response to coincide with the traditional ‘harvest home’ celebration on the farms. Church harvest festivals quickly became popular and were officially recognised by the Church of England in 1862. Since then, many local traditions for the celebration have developed and some great hymns have been written.

All good gifts around us, are sent from heaven above.
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord, for all His Love.

The Revd Laura Garnham

Praise by R S Thomas

Be surprised by the complexity and simplicity of God loving us in His creation. Click on the photograph of poet and priest R S Thomas to find his poem Praise.

Poet and Priest, R S Thomas in a Welsh churchyard.

Harvest Festival ~ 17th October at 6.30pm

Welcome to Harvest Festival Evensong when the choir will sing an anthem and there will be floral and fruit arrangements; if you would like to help with flowers or produce, please contact Jenny. We will be supporting Manningtree Foodbank and welcome donations of money in the bucket at the service (or at other times) so we can buy the exact things which are currently in short supply. Thanks for your support.

‘Light a Candle’ ~ 7th November at 3.00pm

At 3pm there will be a ‘Light a Candle Service’ when we can remember those who have died either recently or longer ago. Please put names of those to be remembered on the list in church or advise Jenny. If you can’t be there but would like us to light a candle for your loved one, please let Jenny know.

St George’s School, Great Bromley ~ governor vacancy

Our school needs a new Foundation Governor (three meetings per year). If you can help, please contact Gregory for details.

Saints’ Days in October

St Luke

We remember St Luke on 18th October. He is venerated for the Gospel he wrote and for the book of the Acts of the Apostles. He seems to have been multi talented. As a writer and poet we have from him the songs of Mary, Simeon, and Zacharias which appear in our daily services of Matins and Evensong. He was also known as a doctor or healer.

St Cedd

In Essex and London we remember St Cedd on 26th October. Bishop of the East Saxons in the 7th century, he came from Northumbria to carry out the difficult job of keeping Essex folk from reverting to paganism(!). He is usually depicted holding a model of the church he founded at Bradwell on the Essex coast, and amazingly the church survives to this day. Here is St Cedd at Little Bromley.

St George’s Mini-Pilgrimage

22nd October

A small group of St George’s folk and friends have enjoyed two visits so far this year. We visit a couple of specially interesting churches and have some short prayers and a hymn, then a picnic lunch, after which a garden visit or a little stroll. Our next mini-pilgrimage is on Friday 22nd October to Copford (picture left) and Little Braxted. You are welcome to join and people can share lifts if they wish. There is no charge. For details contact William at church@greatbromley.org.uk

October Charities

Refugees

We are gathering donations from St George’s to assist the Afghan refugees. Please bring donations to a service in October or arrange delivery/collection with Jenny or Guy, our treasurer.

Diocesan Appeal

October Music from the Baroque

Handel - O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness

Lynn Dawson and Ian Partridge

O sing unto the Lord, HWV 249b, "Chandos Anthem No. 4": Duet. O worship the Lord in the beauty...

Charpentier - Te Deum (We praise thee O God)

A musical and visual feast!

Charpentier - Te Deum - HD

Books

Lighten Our Darkness

Simon Reynolds believes that Evensong is providing a place of sanctuary for people seeking space for reflection in a frenetic world. This service is becoming a significant part of the Church of England's mission.

His book, ’Lighten our Darkness’ is available at all good bookshops.

Giving to St George’s

Thank you all for your support which is invaluable to the continuing work of St George’s. If you would like to help, please see the Donation details on the website.

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