Happy New Year to all our Readers!
Good plans for the New Year
‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.’ – Jeremiah 29: 11-13
Post expires at 4:35pm on Friday January 2nd, 2026
The post Issue 89 January 2025 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear friends,
Last week we had a small fire to dry the chimney before sweeping it.
We hardly ever light a fire these days because we are all too aware that as a means of heating it’s very inefficient: 80% goes out through the flue to heat the great outdoors. Also wood fires have emissions that are not very environmentally friendly and we do have after all a most wonderful heatpump system. This time of year though, when we know the days are lengthening but we don’t quite see it yet, we indulge ourselves once or twice and enjoy a real fire in the grate.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you can soon experience the longer days of spring.
God bless,
Dineke van den Bogerd
Post expires at 3:19pm on Sunday December 28th, 2025
The post Notes for Sunday 29 December 2024 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear friends,
Today is the shortest day of the year and a star shining in the darkness seemed a good way to mark the hope of Advent. On this last Sunday before Christmas I would like to take the opportunity to wish you a good time and remember that Christmas has value only when followed by Good Friday and Easter.
God bless,
Dineke van den Bogerd
Post expires at 9:25am on Sunday December 21st, 2025
The post Notes for Sunday 22 December 2024 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear friends,
It’s the third Sunday of Advent already.
I decided to give you a picture of one of the rooms in the hotel/museum we stayed in when we were in Paris last month. The building is Banksy themed and this particular room was all about boat migrants. It made quite an impression through it’s simple but significant details. Let us follow Jesus’ teaching of welcoming the stranger who knocks on our door, looking for shelter.
Also we hope with them that when the time comes they can move on and be reunited with their loved ones back home as may now be the case for so many Syrians who fled the terror of the Assad regime and its war against his own people.
God bless,
Dineke van den Bogerd
Post expires at 1:54pm on Sunday December 14th, 2025
The post Notes for Sunday 15 December 2024 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear friends,
This year is the first I have used an Advent calendar (see picture). It has come as a bit of a surprise to me how it focusses the mind on the anticipation of the real Christmas. It serves as a meditation aid, a way to contemplate the imminent coming of Christ, the light of the world, in our darkness.
I hope that we all experience some of that in our busy lives of shopping and prepping for the family get-together, travelling and frivolous, enjoyable pre-Christmas activities. Let us not forget all, far and near, who feel the darkness more than we do and may we be generous with our time and and money.
God bless,
Dineke van den Bogerd
Post expires at 7:42am on Sunday December 7th, 2025
The post Notes for Sunday 8 December 2024 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear friends,
The season of Advent starts today: the dark days before the Light of the World is revealed. We count the days (with of without advent calendar) and wait.
Last weekend we were in Paris and the picture today is of the only vineyard in Paris, located on the slopes of Montmartre, a stone’s throw from the Sacré Coeur.
God bless,
Dineke van den Bogerd
Post expires at 2:32pm on Sunday November 30th, 2025
The post Notes for Sunday 1 December 2024 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Welcome to the Christmas 2024 issue. Wishing all our readers every blessing this Christmas and a happy new year.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Post expires at 7:35pm on Friday November 28th, 2025
The post Issue 88 December 2024 Happy Christmas appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear Friends,
Christmas comes early this year as the beautiful community Christmas trees gather once more to welcome everyone to church and bid us all a happy Christmas as we walk or drive past. I believe we have more than ever this year and because of the way the month falls they will be decorated and the lights switched on at the end of November (30th). Well Advent Sunday is the following day so we will then be counting down the days before Christmas Day, with many services and events happening in our churches this December. The usual Christmas services will be held with a choice on Christmas Day as to which church you would like to worship with family services at both churches. Communion will be offered at Ockley as well and of course at Capel we have Holy Communion at 11pm Christmas Eve. Christmas Day then is likely to be a celebration worship with traditional carols and readings. Both services are at 10am on Christmas Day. For our annual Nine Lessons and Carols we are celebrating these with our lovely village school Scott Broadwood staff and children this year. They will be helping us with some of the readings and some of the singing! We can’t wait! For the last two school terms we have been running a weekly afterschool Church Club for the children which has been a runaway success. We now have over half the school joining us each week and Mr Baguley says he has never known an afterschool activity to be so popular! How about that then? Bob and the band are holding a Christmas Café Church on December 8th. We have a very informal Christingle in the cosy surroundings of Ockley Cricket Pavilion later on the same day and the following Sunday, again at St Margaret’s church we have a whole parish communion with a blessing of the crib. At Capel we have our traditional Crib Service on Christmas Eve as usual. There are other carol events being held by the Capel Choral Society in church as well, so plenty to choose from. I am really looking forward to seeing you all, over the festive season.
At home at the Vicarage the Nativity will be assembled once again on our front lawn with the usual characters plus a couple of new animals! I am planning to have a QR code outside to collect donations for LeatherHead Start – formerly Leatherhead Night Shelter. LeatherHead Start provides emergency, direct access, short term accommodation for homeless men and women over the age of 18. I cannot think of a better charity to connect to our re imagination of the holy family all those years ago, sheltering in a stable. So please enjoy the nativity again this year and if you wish to you can donate. Alternatively please donate to another charity – that would be lovely.
Finally it with much sadness and regret that we have learned of the Church of England’s handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth made public through the recent Makin Review. This led to the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby with various statements by senior clergy within the Church of England, one of which stated that the Church is not safe. I would like to reassure you all that the levels of safeguarding in the Dioceses are high and especially in Guildford Diocese. Our own Bishop of Guildford himself was a victim of Smyth’s abuse and he is very aware that the Makin Review may stir up very deep feelings for some who read it or have heard of it through the media. If you or anyone else has been affected by this report or any concerns about safeguarding please contact Safe Spaces on 0300 303 1056 or the Samaritans helpline on 116123. If you have any safeguarding concerns at all don’t hesitate to contact:
Revd Liz Richardson – 07837408239 / 01305 711260
Leigh de Souza – Parish Safeguarding Officer – 07732 825908
As we celebrate the feast of Christ the King this coming Sunday as I write just before Advent, let us remember that our ultimate refuge is in God made possible by his incarnation of his only Son Jesus whose birth we celebrate in a very little while! With all God’s richest blessings, love and prayers for Christmas and the year ahead! Enjoy!
Liz
Post expires at 12:03pm on Thursday November 27th, 2025
The post Advent to Christmas appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear Friends,
Post expires at 8:04pm on Friday November 21st, 2025
The post Notes for Sunday 24 November 2024 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
Dear friends,
Last Friday I had the privilege of attending the Arts Alive Festival finale in Pippbrook House in Dorking.
It was a lovely event, organised by a team chaired by our very own Mary Huggins. It was great to see that the delightful decorations seem fairly unharmed by the building having been unused for such a long time.I’m looking forward to seeing how it will be used again in the not too distant future.
God bless,
Dineke
Post expires at 9:52am on Sunday November 9th, 2025
The post Notes for Sunday 10 November 2024 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.
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