As well as the published services and any other services announced, we have the Ecumenical Carol Service this year at St Joseph’s, Castletown, 8pm on Friday 22nd December.
The Covenant Service (7th Jan) is one of Methodism’s very own liturgies and was instituted by John Wesley, who was himself an Anglican! We are very pleased to be able to share with our Methodist friends on this occasion at Kinneigh.
My current Church book and Desk Diary finishes its pages in November. The new one starts on the first Sunday of Advent at the start of December and the new liturgical year. So for a few weeks I have to carry two large books around with me to make sure I have dates and fixtures that don’t clash. You may be saying why don’t I have an electronic palm top by way of a seamless and more practical appointments diary? I did once, years ago when they first came out, but one day it ‘crashed’ and I lost everything, as it wasn’t ‘backed up.’ This caused untold difficulties. The latest palm tops are very trustworthy I’m sure, but it was an experience I didn’t want to repeat. So went I back to a book diary.
I still like the psychological feeling of Advent being a real new start, a new book, a fresh page. It puts Christmas into the right perspective that not everything begins and ends at Christmas. Here in November as I write, Christmas is another book away.
Alas though, in the commercial world the big build up to the big Christmas spend has been going on all year. I am sure we are all becoming more and more aware of the way we are filling our world up with rubbish - especially that which will not biodegrade, is becoming an ecological disaster. I want to try and make my Christmas as rubbish free as possible – decorations made of natural wood and leaves, rather than plastic; items hand-made and local, rather than commercially made and impersonal. The spirit of generosity doesn’t mean wastefulness! There is nothing wrong with recycling gift-wrap. As a child we always had to undo parcels carefully so that the wrapping could be reused – and indeed I remember some beautiful paper reappearing for a number of years. (So OK, I’m a ‘Retro’ in more ways than one!)
October saw the wedding of Natasha Marchant and Glenn Payne at St Mary’s, Desertserges with a nearly all-English cast! It was great to welcome so many people from Kent!
In December we look forward to the weddings of Elizabeth Buttimer and Jason O’Halloran at Christ Church Kilmeen on the 15th; and of John Duke and Anna MacSweeney at St Bartholomew’s, Kinneigh on the 27th. More about these in February’s magazine as they take place after the January deadline. We wish all our newly weds God’s blessing on their lives together.
New arrivals in the parish include Killian third child of Keith and Helen Kingston and Katie Victoria third child of Henry and Olive Appelbe. The baptism of Melissa Anabel second child of Violet and Harold Shorten, will take place at St Bartholomew's, Kinneigh on 10th December. The baptism of Simon Paul, third son of Jennifer and Shane Jennings will take place on Sunday 17th December at Kilmeen.
Ernest Buttimer had a spell in hospital fighting an infection, but at the time of writing is safe home again. Barney Coombes at the time of writing is with his daughter Anne. Benjy Hosford is making slow but steady recovery from his hip replacement. We wish all who are suffering various aches and pains speedy recovery – or at least relief!!
Our thanks to David Bourne who headed up the Bible Society handwritten Bible project, last month; we ended up with a considerable number of people taking part.
Seasonal good wishes and blessings to everyone!