Vicar's Blog - Jan 2026
Happy New Year! We've only been marking the New Year as we know it for 2072 years (46BC). It was changed by Julius Caesar as a nod to the Roman god of doorways Janus. I personally think that was a little unhinged (pardon the pun) and it would have been better to stick with the old New Year with better weather and brighter days, which started in March - after all, that's why our calendar months September (Sept=7), October (Oct=8), November (Nov=9) and Dec (Dec=10) are still named! Perhaps you can confuse someone on 1st March this year by wishing them an 'old school' Happy New Year!
December brought with it a host of exciting opportunities so scatter some gospel seed in our communities with wonderful initiatives and events. How amazing was it that we raised the funds and delivered a New Testament to every home in our parish as part of our Christmas card delivery?! Thank you for making that possible in just the space of two weeks. So many countries that are facing persecution of Christians today can only dream of such an opportunity, and yet we were able to do it just like that! What a gift the Lord has given us to freely distribute his living and life-giving Word in our society, and without persecution. Christmas highlights for me included all the events where the majority of people were non regular church attenders (or at least unfamiliar to me!) - this includes the St Bartholomew's Carol service (record crowd of 185 with extra chairs needed from the Sexton's cottage); the Carols at the Old Elm and the Christmas Eve Puppet nativity. Whatever initiatives, opportunities we've had as a church, or individually over the Christmas period, let's pray, as Jesus' parable from Mark 4 reminds us, for some of that good seed to land on good soil and reap a harvest.
Every January for the past 30 or more years (since a teenager), I've tried to make a plan to read the scriptures each day, as I believe our master Jesus would have done, and would encourage us to do. I have tended to alternate between reading the Bible in a year (such as Nicky Gumbel's fantastic BIOY mobile app that Alice and I did together each morning last year), and going a little deeper in either a few Bible books or with a theme. I'm going to be spending the next few months (unless I get bored and make another plan!) looking at the 55 parables of Jesus covered in Paula Gooder's excellent book 'The Parables'.
This week I've been reflecting on parables of weeds and wheat, sowing and growing. I love the fact that the 'seed' scattered about (think about our opportunities in December) appears to be wasteful, lavish even (like giving a New Testament to every home in the parish) and yet the seed that lands on good soil yields a harvest 30, 60 or a 100 times that sown (a typical agricultural yield would be 5:1 or 15:1 at best). I've been reflecting this week that God wants us to continue to be generous with his Word in every context we find ourselves, with no-prejudgment or 'ruling out' some (the type of soil) and simply and lavishly trusting God to bring his Kingdom harvest, His way and in His time. Let's pray for a harvest in 2026 this year in our lives and churches.
January brings with it the exciting opportunity to pray, pray, pray as we take part in our annual 24/7 Prayer event starting 11th January for a week. Please sign up for as many slots as you can- either in our chapel 9am-9pm or at home or wherever suits you at any time. It's so encouraging knowing that we are starting the year as we mean to continue, by telling God that we are utterly dependent on his Holy Spirit - for comfort, for identity as his children, and for power to be his witnesses and to live for him. Lord would you speak to us as we pray. Would you teach us how to pray (Luke 11), what to pray, when to pray and what to pray.
Please continue to invite folk to Alpha starting Thursday 15th January 7.30pm. It's not to late to come along, even if you have missed the first few weeks. This term we are starting a 14 week Sunday morning sermon series on the life of King David in the Old Testament. Do follow along with your Connect groups if you would like to.
Finally, we'd love you to come along either individually, or with your Connect groups to our 2026 Lent course called Foundations of our Faith, led by our incredible Dan Button (GTS) starting Wednesday 25th February 7.30-9pm (7.15 for refreshments) at St Andrews.
Love in Christ to you all, and I'm looking forward to scattering some more seed with you in 2026!
Ephesians 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."