For anyone who follows the Christian faith, Easter is probably the most important festival of the year, surpassing even Christmas. There has been the 40 or so days of Lent with its invitation to re-focus our commitment to faith, perhaps accompanied by regular fasting or self-denial as a spiritual discipline. Then comes Holy Week, where the scenes of Jesus entering Jerusalem to people’s acclaim, then on to confrontation with the religious authorities and the “Good Friday” crucifixion, are remembered. Then comes the splendour and amazement of Easter Sunday with the celebration of Jesus having risen from the dead. Easter Sunday in church is usually filled with such power and joy – a real cause for celebration.
Category Archives: Church
Church Matters
Here’s a joke my daughter recently told me: person 1 – “When a giraffe drinks a cup of coffee, the coffee gets cold by the time it reaches the bottom of its neck. Do you ever think about that?”; person 2 – “No”; person 1 – “And that’s just it isn’t it – you only think about yourself.”
Christmas With East Cornwall Bach Choir
East Cornwall Bach Choir presents:
A Christmas Celebration
including music by Bob Chilcott, and many others, old and new
East Cornwall Bach Choir
Conductor: Paul Ellis
Pianist: Jonathan Watts
7.30 pm Saturday 13th December 2014
St Petroc’s Church, Bodmin
Tickets available from Bodmin TIC (01208 76616) and Liskeard TIC (01579 349148), online at www.ecbc.co.uk , and at the door. Adults: £14, Full-time students: £7, School-children: free
Church Matters, November 2014
As we move into the Christmas season once again our thoughts are likely to turn to Christmas trees, decorations, food, presents and (perhaps) being with the family. Christmas is a time of celebration, whether you are religious or not, a time of special things even for those working on a tight budget. Many will say it’s a time mainly for the children, and there can be truth in this when you see the face of a child that is lit up by the excitement and wonder of it all. But I think as you get older, perhaps slowing down a bit, you begin to savour the specialness in a different way – not outright excitement, but a sense of quiet delight, particularly if friends and family are gathered round.
Parish Remembrance Ceremony
The customary annual gathering at the war memorial in Golberdon was attended by about 30 people. In this 100th year since the outbreak of the Great War, we held a short service of Remembrance for those who gave their lives in both World Wars, and in many conflicts since.
Neighbourhood Planning update
A Community Day was hosted by the Neighbourhood Planning Team at the parish hall in Golberdon on Saturday the 21st September.
Setting Up in the Parish Hall
The original idea for the event came from a suggestion by Cat Ede, and we would like to say a big thank you to her for this excellent idea.
Church Matters
So, at the end of October the Halloween season will be upon us once again. The season often causes confusion for many Christians and churches as they wrestle with something that seems intrinsically “dark”, but that within society has generally come to be seen as just a bit of fun. While many families who might engage with the Halloween celebrations and costumes may not go in for the mischievous “trick or treat” aspects, I’ve known of people (particularly the elderly) who are very fearful of responding to a ring on the doorbell on Halloween – fearful of what they may find and what could happen. It might be a bit over the top to equate trick or treat with the legalese of “threatening with menace”, but the effects on some people in their homes can be quite intimidating.
Church Matters August 2014
So we approach the holiday season when, hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity to take our foot off the gas a little and step back from the usual things of our lives. Whether the “usual things” are a full time job coupled with the struggle to maintain a balanced home/family life, or perhaps being home based looking after children, or perhaps dealing with the (busy?) schedule of retirement, or something in between all these scenarios, it’s always good to have a change in routine – a time when you can give space to something different. Sometimes you find the space achieved – getting off the treadmill – allows you to reflect on life in general, and maybe come to some conclusions about the things that are good, and not so good, in our lives. The space to think might lead you to embark upon a change for the future – it can be both a creative and risky process!
Parish Trip to Brittany…
The parish church of South Hill is dedicated to St Samson who reputedly was here in the 6th century AD . He travelled from South Wales, via Cornwall, to Dol-de-Bretagne in Brittany where there is a cathedral also dedicated to him.
St Sampson’s Church
St Samson’s, Dol
Church Matters June 2014
“Could the last person to leave the church please turn out the lights.”
At the time of writing this article I’m sitting in the restaurant of IKEA in Glasgow, just having consumed the obligatory cup of coffee and slice of chocolate almond cake. The quote comes from the front cover of the New Scientist magazine, 3 May. I spotted it on the drive up to Glasgow – my wife Pam and I are visiting our daughter who now lives in the city. The visit also affords a break from parish life – a time to reflect on life in general and the things going on in society. The past months have been fertile ground as far as the press and national debate on religion is concerned – one minute we’re declared a Christian country by David Cameron, the next we’re hailed as a progressive pluralist/secularist nation with no place for the Christian faith in public life. Continue reading