St Michael's Church, Alnwick

Tag: Vicar’s blog

  • Bishop Mark

    St. Michael’s Vicarage,  Alnwick

    February 2021

    Dear People of Alnwick,

    It was a delight and a privilege to have Bishop Mark, our new Bishop of Berwick, preach at our streamed service on Sunday 24th January when we celebrated the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

    Bishop Mark subsequently joined us for our Zoom coffee session after the service and, amongst a wide variety of topics discussed, he echoed the feelings of many of us when he pointed out how eager he was to be able to be out, meeting with people and engaging in a more natural way than through streaming and Zoom meetings.

    Of course we all recognise how fortunate we are to have modern methods of being in touch and the great blessings we can derive from instant communication in a way that our forebears would have thought impossible.

    We are perhaps equally aware of the way in which these technological miracles can be misused.

    Who would have thought that any world leader might find themselves removed from their greatest vehicle of communication because of their inability to express themselves in a temperate manner?

    So, yet again, we are reminded that things which are, on face value, such a blessing can, in the wrong hands, be spoiled and abused.

    In the world of communications St. Paul was, in his time, most definitely a leader in his field.  Undoubtedly some of his pronouncements were controversial but, as Bishop Mark reminded us in his sermon, Paul listened for the word of God in his life.

    The book of Proverbs (21: 23) reminds us: ‘To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble’.

    However we find ourselves communicating, now and when this pandemic has come to an end, let us do so with mutual respect, with an ear to what God might be saying to us and for the building up of relations and, above all, the Kingdom of God.

    With every blessing,

    Paul.

  • Welcome the Day

    Dear People of Alnwick,

    Some of us are naturally “morning people” – happy to get up at the crack of dawn, or even earlier: others are less so!

    Some people find mornings a real problem. For every one of us who greets the morning with a joyful “hello” there are many, many more who do so with a huge groan of dismay. The pressures and responsibilities of daily life can weigh so heavily upon people that they wake with a sense of foreboding rather than anticipation of what the day may hold in store for them.

    Yet we must remember that every morning is a gift from God: full of immeasurable potential and untold possibilities – but we do need eyes to see and ears to hear. The writer of the book of Lamentations puts it like this:

    The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’
    (Lamentations 3:22-24)

    Or, as John Keble wrote in his lovely morning hymn:

    New every morning is the love
    Our wakening and uprising prove;
    Through sleep and darkness safely brought,
    Restored to life, and power, and thought.

    So, it would be good if, during this season of Lent, we could all make a real effort to welcome each day as a gift from God: perhaps we could all take a few seconds (that’s all!) when we wake to acknowledge God’s goodness and commit to him the day which lies ahead.

    We could do a lot worse than to remind ourselves of all the possibilities each day brings: the innumerable opportunities for love, joy, fascination and fulfilment that every one opens up. And, as we consecrate each day to God’s service, it is also an opportunity to thank him for all the blessings of life.

    The aim of every Christian during Lent should be to do all they can to grow in grace and holiness. As we are reminded of Jesus’ suffering, passion and death over the coming weeks, to do so with a sense of thanksgiving for each day as it comes will add a new dimension and a richer quality to our understanding.

    Perhaps you may find the prayer of St. Richard of Chichester worthy of commitment to memory as you give thanks for every new day:

    Praise to thee, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits thou hast won for me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. Most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.
    Amen.

    May each new day draw you closer to Christ.

    With every blessing,

    Paul.