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 'Maureen's Musings'
October 2009
November is the month of remembering in so many, many ways. Remember,
Remember the 5th of November; Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!
Well I hope there won't be too much of the latter around Pattingham
in November, but I am sure there will be a lot of remembering.
We begin on All Saints' Day - November 1st -with a Family Service
Sunday ' at which we will be baptising two little ones, Emma
Louise Hughes and Travis Cooper. And Travis is going to bring
along his Dad to be baptised too - which will, make it rather
special (No jokes please about the Vicar trying to lift him up!)
I think Daniel is doing a splendid thing - sharing in his son's
baptism, so we will have a wonderful opportunity to welcome these
two families into our church family and to give them both a day
to remember.
In the afternoon I shall be attending the welcoming service in
Lichfield Cathedral for our new Archdeacon - Chris Sims. Chris
has until recently been Vicar of Shrewsbury Abbey, in which role
I got to know him slightly in my previous existence, so it will
be good to be part of the welcome he and his family receive into
the Walsall Archdeaconry (of which the Trysull Deanery and Pattingham
& Patshull Parish are a part).
Then in the evening (of the 1st November) we shall again be holding
the special annual service at which the names of departed loved-ones
may be remembered as they are read out, and a candle lit in their
memory. The list gets ever longer - which is sad in some ways,
but f know brings comfort to many. Next year (2010) we shall
be inviting those whose loved-one died more than six years ago
to let us know if they want them still to be featured in the
service, but for this year all remains as it has always been.
As we move through the month we come the following Sunday - 8th
- to Remembrance Sunday itself. I, think, this annual event,
paying respect to those who have made the Ultimate sacrifice
for 'Queen and Country' - and for all of us - has become even
more significant in recent years with our forces engaged in such
dangerous theatres of war as Iraq and especially Afghanistan
-'Lest we forget'. It will be good to welcome the uniformed organisations
into church and to ;harp this day with you. When I was first
ordained, I, worked d in another St Chad's - in Shrewsbury, and
each year we hosted a bin Remembrance Day Service with members
of the KELSEY past and present, and RAF personnel from Shawbury,
and sometimes a representative of the Navy too ... so hopefully
I can make it as memorable for the Beavers and Cub Scouts etc.,
of our own community
All that and we won't even be half-way through the month ...
then before we know it the strains of Christmas Carols will be
upon us .... With all that coming up, perhaps I need to get into
training (brain training?) in plenty of time - there's a lot
to remember!
God bless and keep you all,
Maureen
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