Dear Everyone

As we all know, “March brings breezes loud and shrill, stirs the dancing daffodil” – is this why the RHS and the Plant Heritage Society have decided to conduct a survey of the nation’s daffodils and see how they are responding to climate change? I wonder how many different kinds of daffodils we have growing here in the Tillingham Valley, and what changes people have seen in them over the past decades… Of course, change is what goes with being alive. All created things are being changed – even the rocks are gradually shaped by the passing of time, and we living things depend on our ability to adapt to what is taking place around us. It will be fascinating to find out what effect climate change is having on the daffodils (to say nothing of our local vineyards).

This month we come to Ash Wednesday, and will be asked to “Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return”. That is not a threat – “You’re going to die one day, so behave yourself!” It’s a moving reminder that your life was given to you by God, who out of love shaped the one-and-only you from the raw stuff of creation and breathed His own life into you, and that one day our Lord will keep his faithful promise “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” [John 14:3, if you want to look up this beautiful passage of scripture]. To each of us the moment will come when we have no further to go in this life – possibly even to all of us if the present rate of dire and disastrous decisions goes on snowballing!! – and some really special members of our four communities have travelled on beyond our sight this Spring, but as we go into another Lent, life is still ours to enjoy and to do good things in God’s service. How will you use your Lent? You’re all very welcome to come and explore the Gospel according to Winnie-the-Pooh at Vine Cottage on Friday afternoons at 3.30 p.m. over tea and crumpets, and the world is full of other lovely possibilities.

By the way, if anyone challenges you about the recent alleged banning of gluten-free wafers by General Synod, do please reassure them that this was fake news. It was never even down to be considered by General Synod. It was a badly written answer to a private member’s question, and nobody is wanting us to stop meeting people’s dietary needs – indeed, at least one Bishop has already forbidden their clergy to take any notice of this so-called “decision”.

Yours with love, Sister Liz.