Hello everyone.
For our family, June is the month of birthdays. It has seemed very strange doing parties online but at least we can see everyone. For one of our grandsons, I made a cake with the right number of candles so we could all sing Happy Birthday and he could pretend to blow the candles out. He was more excited with his presents though. The grandchildren back at school are having a great time and don’t want the summer holidays to arrive. It’s good that some children can have a sense of normality – the parents like it too!
This week, in the church’s calendar, it is Trinity 2 on June 21st and also Father’s Day. We should have had the Potato Race by now and it was such a pity to miss our great village day. Also this week is Windrush Day and the special day for Alban, the 1st British martyr. The Birth of St John the Baptist who is our patron saint at Flitton is on 24th and Saturday 27th is Armed Forces Day. We would have been celebrating these so it’s a very different summer.
As you know, we are extremely lucky to have such a dedicated Team Ministry to help us during the time when we do not have a vicar. Our reader, Gillian Kern, is also a Licensed Anglican Chaplain at The Mount, the prison in Hemel Hempstead. If you listened to the evensong last Sunday, you will have heard the hymns sung by the men there. Also, Rev Anne Barker has just been appointed Anglican Chaplain at Bedford Prison. It’s wonderful that 2 of our team are doing such amazing work outside of the benefice. I hope that they can tell us a little about what they do in the prisons, maybe as part of a sermon or reflection.
The Ministry team on THE VIRTUAL VICAR is having a rest on Sunday but you can watch the online service from St Albans Abbey from 10am on YouTube. It is to mark the special day for St Alban and many local churches are using this as their weekly service. It is part of a pilgrimage which takes place every year.There is a link to it at http://www.3churches.uk on The Virtual Vicar. You will find lots of our previous services there too.
Simon Sadler and his team have been working on improving the churchyard, leaving some areas as a meadow which I think is lovely. One of the rose beds has needed a big clear out and we were wondering if anyone would like to SPONSOR A ROSE in memory of a loved one. If you would like to do so, please let me know.
Churches can now open for PRIVATE PRAYER. We are happy to do this if there is a call for it. If we were to open up the church, would you go? We may do this on request rather than having set opening times as we think that this is a safer approach. You and family members could be in the church without worrying about other people. Please can you let me know if you would like to go into the church for some quiet time. Several PCC members live very near to the church so opening it up for you is no problem. We are more than happy to do this for you.
Meantime, members of the PCC will be cleaning the church and getting it ready. The area for your use would be the side chapel, not the whole church and the mausoleum is closed for the foreseeable future. English Heritage have opened the gardens at Wrest Park which is a start in the right direction but their indoor sites have to remain closed.
I am having great fun researching our parish in World War 2. Amongst other things, I am trying to solve the murder of George Stapleton in April 1939. He was murdered on the footpath by the river between Greenfield and Flitton. Like many other aspects of local history, there are all sorts of theories but no definite answer. So far , I have been given the names of 3 possible suspects so if anyone knows anything about it, please let me know.
Please don’t forget the Food Bank Collections in the church porch. We are helping to make a vital contribution to those in need at this time when many cannot work. The problems of families in need has been highlighted this week with the continuation of Free School Lunches through the voucher scheme. The Food Bank is part of a much wider programme of helping poorer families so let us all try to do our bit to help them. The church porch is always open.
God Bless and keep well and safe.
Margaret, Jo, all the PCC and Team Ministry.