Notes for Sunday 14 January 2024
Dear friends, What turbulent weather we have had! The picture attached is of the river Mole at Flanchford bridge. I took it on the day I collected Dik from East Surrey Hospital, which was just hours before the bridge was flooded. It’s good to see how well a flood plain works and why we shouldn’t be greedy and use the land for other purposes than summer grazing. It’s also a reminder to look after our rivers: make sure they don’t get polluted and in turn contaminate the land and our food chain. I hope you all enjoy the calm, crisp winter weather that we are now having. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240114.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240114.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 9:05am on Monday January 13th, 2025
The post Notes for Sunday 14 January 2024 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear friends, The first image of the year is of new shoots of unforced rhubarb in our garden. What a wonderful early sign of spring. The old leaves have not yet entirely died down and are still feeding the root system that will be producing many young shoots to come. I feel there’s a lesson in there somewhere. Happy new year and God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd Readings-20240107.pdf Weekly Readings notes-20240107.pdf Weekly Notes Post expires at 12:23pm on Monday January 6th, 2025
Happy new year to all our readers! A packed issue to see in the New Year with the regular items and some interesting articles and puzzles to while away the cold, dark January days! A New Year’s Resolution To begin with oneself, but not to end with oneself; To start from oneself, but not to aim at oneself; To comprehend oneself, but not to be preoccupied with oneself. By Martin Buber (Austrian born Jewish philosopher) January-2024.pdf Post expires at 10:43am on Thursday January 2nd, 2025
Dear friends, The last day of the year is upon us and even if we don’t make new year’s resolutions, we probably think a bit about new projects or things we plan to do differently. For me, I will take Rev Liz’s Christmas sermon to heart and be creative: imagine what the future could be like and change my ways to make it happen. Let us remember but not dwell on the past and move forward into the future we imagine, guided by the Light of the world. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20231231.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20231231.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 11:02am on Monday December 30th, 2024
In our churches as the year drew to an end and we begin the new year there have been some small booklets published by the Church of England called ‘Follow the Star – Join the Song – 12 Days of Reflections for Christmas and the New Year. The booklet invites you to hear and respond to the angels’ invitation to gather in the presence of the newborn Jesus. Well as you read this you may well be thinking about or have already put away the Christmas decs for another year but of course the Christmas story goes on leading us through Jesus’ childhood with the story of Simeon and Anna – people who recognised him in the Jerusalem Temple when he was brought by his parents to be presented to God as was the Jewish custom. The Christmas child grew up and began his ministry at the age of thirty. A ministry that lasted only three years before the authorities found a way to silence him or so they thought! Our church year soon turns from Jesus’ birth to adulthood and his experience in the wilderness, led by God’s Holy Spirit. Lent begins in earnest as we follow Jesus to… 
Dear friends, Merry Christmas! I hope you all forgive me for using a wintry photo of 14 years ago. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20231225.pdf Christmas notes Readings-20231225.pdf Christmas readings Post expires at 1:22am on Wednesday December 25th, 2024
Dear friends, Some of you may remember Francis McFaul who came to our churches only a few years ago to lead our worship. The sad news reached us this morning that he died in the early hours of Saturday 23 December. We pray for his family and friends and the many people he inspired in the course of his mission. We hope to see many people in our churches in the next few days to celebrate God become Man. All the services are in the attached news sheet and in our website calendar. Today’s picture could be seen as the epitome of a bleak midwinter but look at the glorious sun and the signs of spring poking through. This was taken last year at the Seven Sisters. I hope we can all enjoy a bit of the outdoors in the coming days, close by or further afield. Have a lovely Christmas Eve, God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20231224.pdf Weekly notes Readings-20231224.pdf Weekly readings Post expires at 11:05am on Monday December 23rd, 2024
Dear friends, The weather is a bit dreary and it’s not really cold at all. Looking back on photos from previous years I came across some pictures of Warnham Nature reserve (as attached) from the time I worked in the café there. They were taken 16 years ago to the day. If you have some spare time in the days leading up to New Year’s Eve I can recommend a visit and a walk around the reserve. It’s a bird paradise in winter as well as the rest of the year. Do check the opening times before you set out! This Sunday is the third of advent. As always we have the evening service of readings and music in St John and we home to welcome many of you to this and the mulled wine and mince pies afterwards. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20231217.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20231217.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 11:42am on Monday December 16th, 2024
Dear friends, The picture today was chosen to whet your appetite for fairly traded chocolate. Most cocoa is produced in west Africa and generally the prices paid to farmers are so low that they can not afford to send their children to school and most young people are set to work from the age of 11 to boost the family income. The FairTrade logo ensures that fair prices are paid to the farmers so their families can work and educate their way out of poverty. Also please look out for the Fair Trade logo whenever you shop for coffee, sugar, spices etc. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to see me when I run the local stall: next time will be during teas in St John on 10 December. I hope many of you will make it to Café church, Christingle or Teas and LOAF on this second Sunday of Advent. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd Readings-20231210.pdf Weekly Readings notes-20231210.pdf Weekly Notes Post expires at 12:34pm on Monday December 9th, 2024