[This month, there is no 'Vicars Letter', instead a poem about Lent by Ann Weems]

Lent is a time to take time to let the power
of our faith story take hold of us,
a time to let the events get up
and walk around in us,
a time to intensify our living unto Christ,
a time to hover over the thoughts of our hearts,
a time to place

[Many thanks to our very good friend Richard for taking the time to write our leading article for the month]

Dear Friends

The nearest thing the clergy have to a trade’s union paper is the Church Times. Over the past century it has changed greatly. In January 1914 they printed a piece about the Germans arresting Cardinal Mercier of Belgium. He had written a pastoral letter counselling people to obey the invader whilst retaining an inward loyalty to their king and government. Clearly, the German army felt this was encouragement to resistance and put the Cardinal in irons. This showed, the paper wrote, the Germans' “entire lack of the finer feelings of gentleman”. One feels that the editors might have noticed the far wider atrocities committed by the enemy, but no, it was only the effect upon a Prince of the Church.

From being 'the Conservative Party at prayer' the Church of England has moved towards something more akin to a recruiting sergeant for the Labour Party (except at

Getting a good perspective on ageing.

[This months article has been written by David Coldrick]

As a tired old year is replaced with a new vigorous one how do readers in our Parish feel about ageing? When you are a child you want to be a teen and when you are a teen you want to be an adult. Then the media portrayal suggests we call a halt or go into reverse. What nonsense.

Artist Jennifer Yane once quipped ‘Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened’ – too true - and indeed real live older people tend not to exist in much of the media, especially advertising. So it is not surprising that getting older is often viewed negatively. If you are over 60 then magazines aimed at you contain pictures of 30 year olds with a

From the Vicarage

In bygone days – well the last century! – the King or Queen’s Christmas message, first on the radio and then on TV, was a national institution. Of course, times change and customs fade and die. I expect the pattern of pausing to listen to the Christmas message has ceased in many homes. Perhaps we are satisfied to hear and see the highlights on the News later in the evening.

However there have been occasions when the royal Christmas message really struck a chord and lifted the nation’s spirits. There is one in particular, of which I have no conscious memory, but I am sure some will.

On Christmas Day 1939, the then king, George VI ended his call for faith and hope as the Second World War began by quoting from an obscure, unknown author. The words which

Lest We Forget

[This month’s editorial has been taken from the ‘Parish Pump’]

One of the most amazing sights in London this year has been the art installation 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' at the Tower of London. The dry moat has been filled with 888,246 ceramic poppies, each representing a British or Colonial soldier killed in the First World War and commemorated in this centenary year.

Do we take the Bible for granted?

[The Editorials have been taken from ‘The Parish Pump’]

As we approach Bible Sunday on 26th October, we can easily take for granted our freedom to read the Bible in our mother tongue. Here David Williams, a former CMS missionary in the Church of Uganda, recalls the suffering endured by those who first translated the Bible into English, and remembers an occasion in modern times when the right of Christians in Uganda to read the Bible freely came under threat.

The Royal Horse Artillery - Wentworth Battery

[This month’s Leading Article has been written by Matthew Wiles to coincide with the centenary of the commencement of WWI and to remember those Wentworth and surrounding areas who took part in the conflict]

As August 4^th marked the centenary of the start of World War One, and I thought of the British Legion’s ‘Lights Out’ commemorative event, it seemed appropriate that we should remember and be reminded of the efforts given by those at Wentworth and the surrounding areas.

The Wentworth Battery initially formed in 1908 when Lord Haldane (Secretary of State for War) devised the Territorial Army. Under this, most towns and villages were encouraged to create a second battalion under the local regiment, however, landowners such as Earl Fitzwilliam, were

[Our leading article for August has been written by Rev Trevor Morley - Thank you Trevor]

Dear Friends

Here we are already in the month of August named after the first Emperor –Gaius Octavian – who became Augustus Caesar inaugurating the Imperial period of Roman rule after the civil wars that followed the murder of Julius Caesar who had authorised the Julian Calendar and from whom the month of July takes its name. Following the Roman system and their pagan gods our year now begins with January after Janus the two-faced Roman God, the God of gateways, looking into the past and facing the future. Then February –said to be named after Februa a goddess of purification, March from Mars the god of war marking the beginning of the campaign season, April from Aprilis and the idea of the opening buds. Next is May, Maia goddess of honour and the spring and June, Juno the consort of Jupiter followed by the aforementioned Roman Dictator with the first Emperor. Illogically then begins numbering: September a