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Rector's Letter, September 2004 Dear Friends, To state the obvious (my youngest son says I should have a degree in it) it’s been a bit of a wet summer. I couldn’t resist starting the first of the term assemblies with Noah. Perhaps, ever the optimist, we’ll have a fine autumn. Talking of the obvious, it becomes more and more apparent to me that the ‘obvious’ isn’t as obvious as it should be. What seems obvious to some is very murky to others. There’s a notice outside a house in Ramoyle saying CAT XING. I walk past it frequently taking the dog for a walk. I hadn’t made it out in the five years and more I’ve been here. Perhaps they have a cat called Xing, I thought, but it seemed a bit odd. Then I mused, perhaps it was a Chinese breed – well we have Siamese and Burmese cats, so why not Chinese ones called Xing? But then it should be XING CATS, not CAT XING. Just the other week I walked past with David, my husband, and asked him what he made of it. “It says CAT CROSSING”, he said, in the incredulous tone he uses for my more stupid comments. It’s so obvious, but it had never crossed, or even xed, my mind. Sometimes we’re a bit like that with our faith. Something will suddenly become abundantly clear and we can’t think why it wasn’t obvious before. At other times we can’t, as they say, see the wood for the trees. Church can be like that. Sometimes we know quite clearly what we’re about and why. At other times we lose sight of the big picture and become fixated on things, which, in themselves, are unimportant, or of less importance. Lately we’ve spent a lot of time and effort on the buildings and will continue to do so. The hall has been gradually refurbished – first the kitchen, then the stage, then the disabled access and toilets and now the committee room and what will be called The Annexe. We’re getting to grips with what will be a Meditative Walk, in the gardens. The gutters are to be repaired on the church and then we can consider tidying the inside, especially the back of the church. What we must not lose sight of is why we are doing all this. If it is just so that we are comfortable in our particular ‘club’, then there’s no point in it all. It’s all very well maintaining a building for historic purposes but that, though laudable, is not our purpose. The church is for worship, for those who wish to follow the Christian way of life to come together, to strengthen and support each other in their faith. But that faith is unreal unless it shows itself in service. Our premises are not for ‘us’ but for all. Many people visit our church who have no connection with Episcopalianism, with the congregation or sometimes even with Christianity. The visitors’ book bears witness to visitors from across the world. Do we help them to pray, to come closer to God? Helping others to see what many of us may regard as ‘obvious’, as we look through the eyes of faith, must always be the vision we work towards, whatever we are doing. That way we help build the Kingdom of God. Janice |