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Letter from the churchwarden for February  ( To view the full newsletter in pdf format click on the following link for February 2012 )

Dear Friends,

The year is moving on!  February brings with it a looking forward to spring and the end of the cold dark months of winter, though winter often has a sting in its tail! For me it means starting to plan the spring and summer season at the allotment, what to plant where and when, and, of course, the digging and the perpetual battle with weeds!

February also signals the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday on 22^nd Feb. This is marked at the Good Shepherd with a solemn Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes as we enter the six week build up to Easter. Lent is a time for reflection, meditation, and sometimes austerity as we think of the tragic and miraculous events commemorated on Good Friday and Easter Day. During Lent there will be a course of study and discussion at groups to which all are encouraged to attend.

Maundy Thursday in Holy Week leads us into the Passion of Good Friday and is marked by special services and a night vigil (known as ‘The Watch’)  based on the events and arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

This year at the Good Shepherd for the Maundy Thursday service we have decided to re-introduce a communion service incorporated in an ‘agape’ supper which was for some years our regular practice. Many of us will remember this service well and recall the solemnity, calmness and fellowship it invokes. For those who don’t, it involves a two course cooked meal with wine (if you wish) with hymns and prayers, between courses and after the meal Holy Communion. The meal and service end with the reading of The Gospel of the Watch.  After this, if you wish, you can spend some time in prayer and meditation at ‘The Watch’ in the Pastoral Room until midnight.

Personally I find this a very moving service and would recommend it to you all. If you have never experienced this very special service why not give it a try!

Please give some thought as to how you are going to participate in the activities and challenges of Lent so that the wonder of Easter can be fully appreciated.

With best wishes

Rob