21st November 2020
Benefice of Farleigh, Candover and Wield
Letter no 35 November 21st 2020
Benefice of Farleigh, Candover and Wield
e-mail: davidchattell172@btinternet.com e-mail:- stevemourant@btinternet.com
01256 389474 01256 381217
Living the life...telling the story....visit us at http://www.farleighcandoverandwield.org.uk
Dear Friends,
We are almost at Advent – tomorrow being the last Sunday before the 4 week run in to our Christmas celebrations – which may be somewhat muted compared to usual, but maybe that will help us to focus on the real meaning of God becoming human in Jesus, the baby conceived supernaturally, born in humility, in a far-off town 6 miles from Jerusalem in what was a far off province of the Roman Empire.
Advent begins a time of waiting in anticipation, in hope, but with patience too – a bit like waiting for a vaccine that will free us from the restrictions imposed upon us currently – but Jesus’ arrival gave a greater hope – of forgiveness, mercy, eternal life, power to change our ways from what destroys to what brings life.
Our services tomorrow – Stephen’s has been uploaded to You-tube, and is available now here: https://youtu.be/yUq46XzGhEk
Next week, Professor Julian Evans, who lives in Ellisfield will be speaker for the Farleigh service on “the Star of Bethlehem”
David’s will be on the benefice website shortly: https://www.farleighcandoverandwield.org.uk
Our Virtual Nativity is in course of production – the carols all recorded, 4 scenes still to be filmed, and the voice over narratives to be recorded, and then the big edit starts: please pray that we get all the scenes in and that this Children’s Nativity will be a blessing to all who watch it.
Lyn Hardy from Dummer asked me to add this thank you:” I would like to say thank you to everyone who sponsored me: I raised over £600 for Children in Need.”
Farleigh PCC will be meeting on Zoom soon to decide on the Christmas options for services, and similarly the southern parishes will be given the options for their services, assuming a lifting of worship restrictions at the start of December. Open air carol services may be the order of the day, so please also ask the Lord to show us the way forward, and to bless us with the right weather conditions throughout.
Prayer for the Winchester Diocesan Synod meeting next Thursday would be much valued, to discuss the huge financial hole the diocese has, due to many parishes’ giving dropping significantly. To make clergy redundant (“Dis-possessed” is the legal term) at a time such as this is the worst option possible, but with a £2 million projected deficit for 2021 this could be the only human way, but God is bigger than this and will answer prayer over it I am sure – just need some more financially blessed people to give some one-off gifts that could radically alter the current trajectory.
May God bless you this coming week as you lift up your eyes and see the hope and certainty of a Saviour who is real, and one day will return.
With every blessing,
In His love,
David and Stephen