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'Maureen's
Musings'
 March2015
"Come and have a coffee with the Vicar!"
During Lent
(and maybe beyond if it proves popular) I shall be making myself
available for informal conversation in the Lychgate Coffee Shop
every Saturday from 11am - 12 noon. Anyone can come and have
a chat - if the topic is confidential, we will arrange a more
suitable time and place to meet, but for more general inquiries
or just a natter, feel free to join me - and I promise to stand
you a cup of tea or coffee as you prefer! - Can't say fairer
than that, can I? And please spread the word around the community
- this offer is not just for existing church members, who probably
see quite enough of me!
During Lent
too I propose to start a group preparing youngsters who are too
young for confirmation, but who nevertheless regularly come to
church, have been baptised, and would like to be able to receive
communion along with the older members of the church. This is
now an established part of Church of England practice for families
who request it and gets us back to the original practice of the
church, where whole households - from tiny babies to grandparents
- were baptised together and admitted to the full fellowship
of the Lord's Table. Over the centuries it became custom and
practice for confirmation to be seen as the 'gateway' to Communion
- but in fact it was never intended to be. Confirmation is about
a rite of passage into adulthood; about confirming the promises
made on our behalf at baptism and about acknowledging our responsibilities
as adult members of the worshipping community. But our full membership
of that community is secured by the sacrament of baptism itself.
And receiving Communion is a sign of God's freely offered love
to all of us - so why should the children be excluded, if they
can grasp that fact? And I often find they understand it much
better than we adults.
So any youngsters - aged 7 to around 14 or so who are interested,
should contact me immediately (as by the time you read this,
the group will be underway already).
Anyone from
their teens upwards (and there really is no upper age limit )
who would like to explore what is involved in confirmation itself,
should also come and talk to me..... maybe over a cup of coffee?????
And Talking
of Lent initiatives, what about WASHDAY 2015? This is an idea
for churches to get involved, responding to human need through
loving service, following Christ's example when he washed the
feet of the disciples. Well, washing feet might not be much in
demand in Pattingham, but what about finding other things to
wash (with the owner's permission of course!) Might this be a
simple act of kindness to another that you could offer this Lent?
Who knows?
- maybe I will offer to do some washing up in the coffee shop
if there is too much of a rush!
Every Blessing,
Maureen.
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