Ash Wednesday:
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'Create in me a pure heart, O Lord.'
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Karen students at Noh Bo Academy, on the Thai/Myanmar border, worship in St Gabriel's Church, Noh Bo on Ash Wednesday.
"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return. Turn away from your sin and be faithful to Christ."
Mothering Sunday: Mid-Lent Sunday.
Originally a day when the Christian faithful remembered the pastoral care of 'Mother Church', and made a visit to the 'mother church' of the district. This has developed into a day to remember mothers, and their care for their children. However, the act of 'mothering' is not confined to our genetic mothers, so this is a day to remember all those who 'mother' or care for us in any way during the course of our lives. This picture shows Mothering Sunday cards, made by my wife, and given to all those who were involved in 'mothering' at St Joseph's Church in Wolverhampton, on Mothering Sunday during the covid pandemic.
Passion Sunday
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Two weeks before Easter, Passion Sunday leads us into a deeper consideration of the full meaning of the coming season. We cannot escape the full significance of the cross. This is the means of our salvation. Christ died for our sins. As we sing, in the words of Cecil Alexander so frequently in this season: 'We believe it was for us, he hung and suffered there.' Come to the Lord Jesus, confess your sin, and seek the forgiveness that He grants us. I have always advocated the importance of displaying the cross, as a stark and visible reminder of its importance. This cross is outside the church in Brighstone, on the Isle of Wight, where it was always erected throughout the Holy Week and Easter season.
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday in Bangkok was always a great celebration. What made it so good was that we had the raw material available - palm trees. Not only could we make palm crosses - fresh and ready for the day, but the church could be beautifully decorated, as we celebrated Jesus our King, come to save us.
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Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
Maundy Thursday
"Do this in remembrance of me."
Maundy Thursday brings us to the heart of our faith. As we remember the Last Supper - the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before his arrest, trial and execution, we learn from Jesus' own words precisely why he had to do it. This is God's means of redemption. Christ, who was himself perfect, took upon himself the sin of the world and took it to the cross. Through his sacrifice, we are offered salvation. And so we are told: take this bread to remind you of my body, broken for you; drink this wine to remind you of my blood, shed for you. And so, through the bread and wine, we make His sacrifice real for us, as we appropriate God's blessing.
This window, from my boyhood church, Moulton in Northamptonshire has always been for me a reminder of this momentous event, and has been a constant within my faith.
Good Friday
"He died that we might be forgiven
He died to make us good;
that we might go at last to heaven,
saved by his precious blood.
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The Crucifixion: East window in Christ Church, Bangkok
Easter Sunday
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Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
The Resurrection, Christ Church, Bangkok
Ascension Day
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'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’
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The Ascension, St Mary's Church, Brighstone, Isle of Wight.
Pentecost
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I will pour out my Spirit.
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I have always liked the paintings of El Greco, so it was an immense joy to visit the Prado Museum in Madrid, and see some of his greatest works. Here is The coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost - a day that transformed the lives of the disciples, and began the process of world evangelism. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit, at work in the hearts and lives of all followers of Christ, can God's work be accomplished.
'Come Holy Spirit; anoint us with the fire of your love and power. Use us to the glory of God our Father. Amen.'
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Trinity Sunday brings us to the heart of who we worship: God is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: He is the source of life, the means of redemption, and the one who equips us for service. The Holy Trinity explains the nature of God in a way that we can understand and enables us to relate to him in a meaningful and personal way. This logo is (or was when I was there) the logo of Holy Trinity Church, Matlock Bath. It brings Father, Son and Spirit together. Holy Trinity Church marks a significant part of my spiritual journey. It was here that my faith took root and grew; here I first experienced my call to ordained ministry; and I met and married Julie. It was from here that we set off on the adventure to training in Durham.
Sea Sunday falls every year on the second Sunday of July, and is a day to pray for all who work on the sea. The Mission to Seafarers does an amazing job at supporting seafarers, many of whom live and work in extremely difficult conditions spending many months at sea, with only rare opportunities to go ashore. I was privileged to know the chaplain to the Mission in Bangkok - a young Filipino priest. But earlier in my career, on the Isle of Wight, I had greater contact with the RNLI. Lifeboats had played a significant part in the life my parishes in Brighstone and Brook. Although now superseded by the station at Yarmouth, the lifeboatmen of West Wight have played a distinguished role in the lifeboat service. Here is a memorial to Reuben Cooper in my church in Brook - one of many local men who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of others.
Harvest Festival: one of the most memorable Sundays of the year - Harvest is held in every church I've ever worked in - even in Bangkok. This is THE annual occasion on which to say "Thank you" to God for all that He gives us: food, shelter, clothing and so much more; and of course, it is an opportunity to share from the bounty of our Harvest with other people. So Harvest is associated with crocodiles of children carrying baskets full of produce to the front of the church to be distributed to local food banks, and shelters for the homeless. Here is a picture of St Aidan's Church, one of the churches in the Pennfields group in Wolverhampton, suitable decked out with its Harvest donations.
All Saints' Day, November 1st. This is the day when we recognise that we belong to the Family of God. All God's people, of all times and all places belong to this family - we are all the saints of God. What a family it is! Called to live in unity and love, with Christ as our Cornerstone. My vision of being a part of this family was greatly enlarged and deepened by my seven years in Bangkok. A worshipping community with people drawn from more than 40 nationalities was a wonderful picture of the Kingdom of God. "Yet all are one in Thee for all are Thine" (William How). This picture is from Romania - one of the painted churches of Bucovina - Voronet Monastery. It depicts the saints of God entering glory.
All Soul's Day November 2nd. Following directly after All Saints' Day, All Soul's Day has a similar theme, except that it is a day specifically to remember those who have trod the path of the world before us, and is an opportunity to give thanks for "those whom we have loved, but see no longer". We thank God for their lives their teaching, and their example.
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My family often laugh at me because of my love for visiting churches, but you learn so much from faith: not just about faith, but history and what makes a local community tick. I came across this memorial in St Mary's Church, Hulgate, nestled beside the Yorkshire Wolds. What wonderful sentiments! What respect that community had for its parish priest! What an example to follow! I just felt so humble, even to be standing there reading it.
November 11th Remembrance Sunday: Armistice Day.
One of my many mistakes in ministry occurred in 1995. In September that year, we held an enormous, village-wide celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, which included a church service, parade, and Act of Remembrance. Afterwards, I suggested to our uniformed organisations that they might prefer not to attend the November Remembrance Service, but maybe come to a Christmas service instead. I was wrong! Word got out that the vicar was trying to abolish Remembrance Sunday. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but I did just wonder whether our children may have done enough remembering for one year.
I did, however, think that after 1995, as the surviving participants of the war began to die out, the Remembrance celebration would slowly slide into history. Again, how wrong could I be! In the 28 years since 1995, the intensity of Remembrance Sunday has grown. As I have grown older, I too have become more aware of what a privileged generation I belong to. I have never been called up. I have never been asked to fire a gun in anger. Previous generations have not had this luxury, and this is a day to salute them and recognise the truth of the words of the Kohima epitaph: "When you get home, tell them about us and say, For your tomorrow, we gave our today." How utterly essential it is that we remember the sacrifice of those who gave their all that we may live.
I have many Remembrance memories. We did have terrific celebration in Brighstone in 1995. My family will never forget Iver, when the British Legion got my drunk after the service (or so they say). And then, of course, there was Thailand, where it was such an honour to conduct the Act of Remembrance at the British Embassy and in the Military Cemetery at Kanchanaburi, where the Bridge over the River Kwai still stands, and to meet veterans of the POW Camp. The pictures are of those who never returned home, and those who did - the veterans, POWs, who even in their late 90s, made the pilgrimage back to remember their friends and had such moving stories to tell. How humbling, to stand with them, in silence, and remember.
Kanchanaburi, 2013.​ The military graveyard, a group of veterans, the Bridge over the River Kwai)
Stir Up Sunday
I have been privileged to have travelled extensively, and have loved every moment of it. But for sky scenes, nowhere beats Australia. Maybe it's just that there are so many wide open spaces, but driving across the interior, every day produced a magnificent sunrise and sunset. This picture is in Coober Pedy, and it just feels right for the Sunday before Advent. Traditionally, this is Stir Up Sunday, from the opening line of the collect for the day: "Stir Up O Lord, the wills of your faithful people." The beautiful dawn sky in Cooper Pedy, an old mining town, quite literally on the road to nowhere, challenges me to Stir Up my will. As I reflect upon the beauty of the hope, it brings me hope, a sense of expectation, and a resolve to use the day well. May I be faithful in following Christ, and living for Him.
Christ the King
And so, I reach the age of retirement. Where has all that time gone? I find myself happily settled in York, and training to be a Minster Guide. So here, for the feast of Christ the King, is the window of God, at the top of the Great East Window of York Minster. If 'Stir Up Sunday' reminds of the importance of living out our faith, the 'theological' title for the day, 'Christ the King', reminds us whom we serve. We are citizens of heaven - members of the Kingdom of God, and this kingdom transcends all earthly kingdoms. Seven years in Bangkok, as pastor of a church drawn from over 40 nationalities, alerted me to the universal nature of God's kingdom. Christ is our King, over all human kingdoms. Membership of His kingdom unites all believers. This image of God, as the Alpha and the Omega, sits atop a window which depicts the Lordship of Christ - the beginning of creation as well as the consummation of creation: Lord of history; Lord of the new creation. Nowhere is there be a better illustration of Christ, Lord of all, than this magnificent window.
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Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again!
Advent
O Come, Emmanuel. Advent marks the beginning of the Christian seasons. We begin the process of looking for the coming of God amongst us. We begin to prepare for the coming of our Saviour amongst us, as we prepare for Christmas. But there is a deeper meaning: we prepare to welcome Christ when he returns at the end of time, when all will be fulfilled and he will make all things new. So most important of all, Advent is a season to prepare our own hearts, so that we will be ready to welcome Christ into our own hearts and lives. Emmanuel, God with us.
The banner was made by Julie's craft group in Bangkok - predominantly Pakistani asylum seekers. And the shofar horn - more properly used in Jewish worship to welcome in the Jewish New Year, is for us, as Christians, a clarion call, to wake up and receive Christ. Here is me, standing on the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem, calling all us to follow Christ.
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"Now is the time to wake up from our sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11)
The celebration of the birth of Christ was a late addition to the Christian calendar. To the first generations of believers, the date of the birth of Christ simply didn't matter. The main event (read St Paul's letters, and in effect, the only event which mattered, was the death and resurrection of Christ. It was only in the 4th Century, when the church was confronted with the theological issue of of how the define the true nature of Christ - fully God whilst at the same time fully human - that a celebration of his Incarnation - Christ's assuming of human form - became important. Of course, the really significant moment is not his birth, but his conception - that was the moment when God entered the human realm. The Annunciation was recalled on March 25th, historically the day which the Jews considered to be the fourth day of creation, when God created the sun and moon, and therefore the day on which time began. There was a symmetry in being this day as the occasion when God entered the human world (as well as being the day of the crucifixion, thus also inaugurating the new creation). So it was logical to mark the birth of Christ nine months after the conception of Christ. Hence Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25th.
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Christmas
So here are two pictures for Christmas.
For me, one of the most powerful images of the Annunciation in by the Pre-Raphaelite painter, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. A rather fearful Mary receives her commission with some trepidation, and yet a meekness and a willingness to respond to God's call. The angel, carries a lily - a symbol often associated with Mary - and points it directly at Mary's womb.
The nativity is depicted on a card from Myanmar. For me, it speaks with a simplicity of the wonder of the Incarnation - God taking human form in the most humble of situations, whilst placing the story in an unusual context - very Burmese in style, reminding us that the Good News is universal. We are so accustomed to 'European' interpretations of the story that it is good to be reminded that Christianity is not a European religion. Christ came for all people, of all nations. He calls all the world to believe and follow.
The Journey of the Magi: Aboriginal Art from Darwin Museum, Australia.
Epiphany
Falling twelve days after Christmas Day, Epiphany is one of the forgotten seasons of the Christian year. Officially, it is the day when we remember the final section of the nativity saga - the arrival of the wise men to worship the Christ-child. Epiphany means 'manifestation' or 'making known' and is a season to remember how Christ was made known to the world. Hence the story of the wise men - the first Gentiles to come and worship him. We are reminded that we each have a responsibility to make Christ known. All believers are called to be witnesses to God's gift of salvation.
The Season of Epiphany runs from January 6th until February 2nd, and is the season which focusses upon the importance of making Christ known to all the world. The coming of the Magi signifies the arrival of the first Gentiles to worship Christ, and over the following weeks we listen to stories which illustrate how Christ was made known to those around him: his baptism, in which we hear the voice of God asserting, "This is my Son, listen to him"; the call of the first disciples; and his first miracle - turning water into wine, which prompts St John to write, "he revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him'. To mark this season, here are three of my favourite pictures. On the right, The Baptism of Christ, by Piero della Francesca, which hangs in the National Gallery; to the left a Raphael picture, The Miraculous Catch of Fish, with Peter kneeling before Jesus exclaiming, '"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man", which prompts Jesus to reply, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men'; and in the centre, some street art - on a shop front in the town of Cana in Galilee - the site of the miracle - with Jesus instructing the servants to fill the ritual jars with water, a sign of the new life - the new wine - that God offers to His disciples.
Candlemas:
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
(February 2nd)
Window of the Presentation: All Saints' Church, Pocklington, Yorkshire.
Forty days after Christmas Day, we reach the final story of the Christmas cycle. When Jesus was forty days old, his parents took him to the Temple to present him to God, in accordance with the Law. This was the occasion when they met the elderly prophets, Simeon and Anna, who immediately recognised Jesus as the long awaited Messiah, and saw in him, the fulfilment of God's promise of salvation. Jesus is a 'light to lighten the nations'. Simeon also foretells that the Messiah will suffer, causing pain to his mother. So this is a festival that looks both ways: back to Christmas and the coming of the Messiah; forward to Easter and the promise of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Because Jesus is recognised by Simeon as being the 'Light of the World', this festival became the occasion to bless lights for use in the next twelve months, earning it the title of 'Candlemas'.