April Newsletter

Dear Friends,

As I sit with sunlight flooding through the window, primroses, daffodils and snowdrops on my lawn – Spring is here. When you read this Lent will be halfway through with Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week on the horizon. Having reflected throughout Lent we now prepare for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian calendar.

Whilst we remain in vacancy, without a Vicar for 18 months, we continue to function and worship in our 4 churches, throughout the parish and continue to develop as a church with new ventures. During this Lent and Easter time we have programmed: Compline throughout Lent at Brixton Deverill at 7.00 pm Tuesday evenings; on Good Friday there will be a performance by the Bristol Ensemble of Haydn’s ‘The seven last words of Christ on the Cross’ at 11.30 am at Kingston Deverill and then at 2.00 pm a reflective service, Stations of the Cross, at Longbridge Deverill. Our celebration on Easter Sunday will be at Kingston Deverill with Rev. Rodney Baxendale. Throughout the vacancy we remain very well supported by retired priests who continue to preside and lead our services.

The latest news on the vacant Vicar’s post is that it was advertised in January which produced a single applicant. The Archdeacon, Patron’s representative and our Parish Representative met to shortlist but unanimously agreed the applicant would not be called for interview. The Bishop’s message to us is that we have a good advert and Profile document and we should re-advertise the post as soon as possible, with a view to interviewing any candidates in late June. We await confirmation of a date from the Diocese.

After the self-examination of Lent, the solemnity and despair of Holy Week, leading to Christ’s torture and crucifixion on Good Friday, we can then experience the love, joy and hope in Christ’s resurrection with the promise of salvation in our troubled world. Wishing you all blessings and the hope of Easter.

Robert Shuler