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The Rectory

Myddle

Tel: 01939 291801

Dear Friends,

 

In May we had a mixed day for Newtown Spring Fair, which was nevertheless a great success, as was the Broughton 150^th Anniversary weekend. A week later we had amazing weather for the Pimms Party at Loppington Hall, which was a lovely time of sharing after the Confirmation service, as well as a fantastic financial boost to the ceiling appeal for Loppington Church. In July we hope for similar good weather for the Fete at Myddle and the ‘Fun on the Field’ at Loppington, plus Songs of Praise at Sansaw for Broughton church. An enormous amount of hard work goes into all these events by members of the village and church communities – work often taken for granted, and I want to thank all who give of their time and energy to make these events as successful as they are in building up community and giving us all a chance to enjoy ourselves together.

 

Community is an important part of our life as churches – the church is a ‘fellowship’ of believers, the family of God, the Body of Christ with many parts but one body, branches of the one vine, sheep of the one sheepfold – however you express it (and the Bible uses all these terms) it is about belonging. We belong to each other, because we belong to God. We share a unity which goes beyond our personal likes and dislikes, beyond the natural and learned differences which can divide and separate. The first disciples, and the early church, was a wonderful mixture of people from all backgrounds, differing personalities, and a variety of ages. It was a kaleidoscope  of cultures – all brought together because they had received something from God – a new life, a new start. That new life, ‘eternal life’, was a new quality of life that was expressed in new attitudes – a new acceptance of each other, a new sharing of love