Page 87 - br-april-2019

April 2019 April 2019

the day from John 15 in which Jesus tells us that he is the vine and we are the DATES FOR
branches. The purpose of the branches is to bear fruit, fruit that will last. Bishop
Karen reminded us this requires that we always abide in Jesus and that where and YOUR DIARY
when necessary, we prune the branches in order that new life may sprout and
flourish. In other words, the work, first and foremost grounded in prayer, now
begins in earnest! With this in mind, we are underway from the outset. The two 2019
year Thrive Course, which looks to shape us for the future and in which 9 members
of the benefice will take part, begins next week.
September
As a former teacher, I admit that I had a bit of a soft spot for those who tested the
boundaries and often smiled (to myself) at some of the mistakes that students 3rd GC: Food for Free, Foraging for Wild Food, James Feaver 7.30
made. I remember well, for example, the time I marked an exam paper where
students were asked to describe a funeral service. One student was doing 10th FG: Willow Workshop, Puddletown
extremely well with the details until it came to the words of committal where
instead of ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’ I read ‘as the coffin is lowered the vicar
says these very important words: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’; such 11th AL: Rob Curtis, Dorset Curiosities
things always brightened the day. I’m quite encouraged that although, of
course, we should make less mistakes with experience, such things can still 18th WI: Local Artist
happen. You might therefore imagine my delight when a recent edition of the
Church Times (1 March 2019) had an article entitled “‘Lord, graciously heat us,’ 14th PiP: Bere Regis Alzheimer’s Memory Walk 10.00
st
and other service-sheet blunders.” The article listed the top-ten list of mistakes on
service sheets and booklets. Of these, my personal favourite was the church who 27th PiP: MacMillan Coffee Morning 10.00-12.00
decided to shred 400 copies of their Easter Day service leaflet when it was
realised that the printed words of a well known hymn invited the congregation to
sing ‘I know that my Redeemer lies.’ Such things still brighten my day! However, October
to return to less frivolous but perhaps related things, joys and sorrows…
1st GC: Harvest Supper
Those of us who have had the experience of birthing new life know well the
excitement and sheer joy that this can bring. When things so well and people do 8th FG: R Thompson, Up the Garden Path
well, often more than we might ever have hoped or imagined, we congratulate
and celebrate with them. Honesty, though, also leads us to admit that even with 9th AL: Tony Bates, Stunning Wildlife Photography
previous experience, birthing can be hard work. No two births are exactly the
same and things do not always go according to plan. Additionally, there is always
so much for us to learn and together with all that will go very well, there will also 12th PiP: Presentation Evening with Shaun Marx 7.30
be teething problems and we will make mistakes because we are fallible human
beings. This is as true of setting up a new benefice as it is of entering into a new 16th WI: The Watercress Company
phase of family and that’s because it is, of course, entering into a new phase of
family life; in our case the family of God in this place. At the time of a new birth November
we also experience change and we have to get used to the fact that somethings
will be different, sometimes radically so. Some people embrace change and 5th GC: Roaming Free - New Forest Ponies, Suzanne Kemp 7.30
thrive on it, other do not; either way it is something we do all have to face at times
in our lives as painful as it may be. At such times we’re called to support each
other.
I guess when something changes and we don’t like the change or, alternatively
as above, when someone makes a mistake, the temptation could be to complain

2 87