The Vicar's Letter (this letter written by Reverend Stephen Burge) has been appearing in the villages Focus magazine since August 2002
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Vicar's Letter

August/September 2022

Reverend Stephen Burge, Associate Priest of the Church of St Mary The Virgin, Eaton Bray with Edlesborough.

As I write this letter for Focus, we are in the middle of the July heatwave, which I hope when you are reading this is long and distant memory! Such prolonged heat, with such little rain has a huge impact not just on us but on the whole of creation - flowers and plants are struggling to grow, the soil is becoming dry and parched, and animals are finding it harder to find food. I think it reminds us all that while we may dislike the rains of autumn, and in the depths of winter we yearn for the warmth of summer, the rain is an essential part of how our world and everything within it thrives. We need both rain and sun for life to flourish. There are, of course, many places around the world which experience this kind of heat and drought on a regular basis, and it is impossible to imagine what having to endure such hardship must be like. There are many charities like WaterAid, Cafod and Christian Aid that go out into communities to help improve people's access to water, both to drink and to help irrigate crops. I encourage you all to think about supporting any of these charities, if you have felt it hard over the heatwave.

This summer heat has also made think of the beauty of the natural world and especially flowers. I am sure that we all have a favourite flower; something that really speaks to us - I know that I have a particular fondness for tulips. There is something very special about a flower, the way they are both strong and delicate - they are able to hold such complex forms and shapes, but are also so vulnerable to the world around them. We are like that too - we are wonderful, complex beings, but also so susceptible to the world around us too - like plants we need nourishing and tending and care to grow and to thrive. In the Parable of the Sower Jesus tells the story of a man who casts seeds into the earth, but some fail to grow because they are in hard, dry soil, or on the path, and that it is only the seeds that land in the good soil that grew. We all need nurturing, just like those seeds. We all need to find the best place to be that makes us the best people that we can be. We all need to be watered and fed by those around us.

Then, and only then, will we grow and be beautiful like the flowers.

All this talk of flowers, reminds me of an event that is taking place at All Saints' Dagnall, during the weekend of the 17th-18th September. All Saints' will be holding a Flower Festival, where you will be able to see a range of different displays of flowers, from the traditional to the modern. Refreshments will also be available and during the Flower Festival with a service Holy Communion among the flowers at 10.30am and will end the festivities with a service of Songs of Praise at 5pm. It would be great to see you there. But more importantly, I hope that you get an opportunity to see the beauty of flowers, and see how wonderfully they are made, and then remind yourself that you are wonderfully made too. I hope you feel empowered by that thought and that you can be reminded of all the good things that you can do to the world around you and all the people around you whom you can inspire and nurture. Amen

Rev'd Stephen Burge

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About the Vicar's Letter

The Vicar's Letter has been appearing in the villages Focus magazine since August 2002.

The Rev. Peter Graham also used to publish The Vicar's Letter in the parish magazine of 1964. Please see the area for these.