One of the joys of the approach to Christmas is the number of nativity plays in schools, playgroups and Churches.  They are always well attended and those who see children and young people taking part see something which is very special and precious.  I am sure many of you will have attended such occasions and seen the story of the birth of Christ retold with familiar words and actions.

In the Bible, both St Matthew and St Luke tell the Nativity story, although they do so from different perspectives.  In both, angels play a significant part. St Matthew tells the story from Joseph’s view point.  Joseph has a dream in which an angel tells him to take Mary as his wife.  It is an angel who appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him to take his wife and child to Egypt because of Herod’s attempts to kill the child.  St Luke, tells the story from Mary’s perspective and begins with the birth of John the Baptist.  Luke’s account also tells of the involvement of angels.  An angel speaks to Zechariah the priest, Elizabeth’s husband, and then to Mary with the good news that she is to bear a child.  Angels also appear to the shepherds on the hillsides of Bethlehem who then go to see the baby.  While, in Matthew, it is the wise men who make a long journey to find the Christ child.

In the Nativity plays we will see over the coming weeks, the accounts of Jesus’ birth, as recorded by both St Matthew and St Luke, are combined to give the story we know so well.  All the plays we shall see also contain “added extras” – the Innkeeper (at least one, sometimes many more – often with a speaking part), the ox, the ass, and three kings rather than wise men.  We make additions all the time and we interpret the story in different ways because there is a timelessness to it.  It invites us to use our imaginations, to think, to wonder, and to become part of the story ourselves.  What is most beautiful is that at the heart of the Nativity story is a God who comes to us.  God takes on our humanity and makes himself known to us.  God chooses to enter into a new relationship with human beings, with shepherds and wise men, and with you and me.

St John, who does not have an account of the birth of Christ in his gospel, says: “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God …. And the word became flesh and dwelt amongst us”.  As Christmas approaches, we are all invited, once again, to celebrate God who makes himself known to us.  He comes to us to show us how to live and how to love.  All human life is part of this story, it is a story of care and concern, and of involvement with the world in which we live.  Jesus comes into all the complexities of human living to show us through his birth, life, death, and resurrection, that things can be different, things can be changed.  As Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, and the wise men play their part in the story of pointing to Jesus and the new life he offers, so too, we are invited to become part of this story once again this Christmas.

Please come and celebrate the closeness of God with us in any of the Churches of the Benefice. Everyone is very welcome. Details of all the services are printed in this magazine.

The Vestry Group

In January, the Vestry Group at St.Eustachius’ Church will be having a re-launch with a larger team of people involved and a new format. The Vestry Group is a wonderful group of young people who meet each week during the 9.45 am morning service where those who attend not only learn something of the Christian faith, but also enjoy themselves as well. We are always looking for new children to join the Vestry Group and if you know someone who might be interested please do let them know about it, or speak to me. Thank you.

Confirmation 2018

Look ahead, I want to encourage both adults and young people who would like to explore the possibility of being Confirmed in 2018 to get in touch with me over the coming weeks please. The Confirmation service with Bishop Robert will be held on Sunday, 24^th June.

I wish you peace and joy, and every blessing this Advent and Christmastide.

Chris Hardwick

The Advent Devotional Calendar can be found at the back of church from Friday 24 November and will also be inserted in the December issue of the parish magazine.

Please do take one for yourself and for any friends you would like to invite to share in the daily devotional exercise.

Families, Children and Young People

 On Thursday, 19^th October, at 7.30 pm, I am holding an Open Meeting in the Parish Centre to discuss our ministry to, and work with, families, children and young people in our churches and across the Benefice. This meeting is for everyone and I know it will be greatly enriched by the breadth of experience we already have within our congregations, and the desire that exists to do more, well. Please come along and share good practice and experiences, and hopes and aspirations, for the future.

Ministry with families, children and young people can, of course, take many forms and inevitably varies from church to church, and parish to parish. We are already involved in some of this ministry and can highlight areas where growth is happening. Rightly, this is to be celebrated and affirmed. But there is more to do. Traditionally the main focus has been on Sunday mornings, with a strong emphasis on Christian formation. However, increasingly, churches like ours are exploring other ways of engaging in this work. Some examples include:

• All-Age Worship
• Choir(s) and instrumental groups
• Mid-week groups based in schools and churches
• Carer and Toddler services
• Messy Church
• Open-the-Book
• Holiday Clubs and Fun Days
• Praise Parties
• Quiet Days
• Early Years groups
• Creative Prayer

Please pray for our ministry with families, children and young people and for this Benefice meeting. Please do come along if you are able do so.

With my love and prayers,

Chris Hardwick

Called to Serve

On Sunday, 10th September 2017, Judith Blowey will be ordained Deacon in Exeter Cathedral.  On Saturday, 23rd September 2017, Sue Tucker will be ordained Priest at St Andrew’s, Plymouth. Ordinations are always very moving occasions as we gather to support people as they make their commitment to the ministry of service, word and sacrament.

The ordaining Bishop invokes the Holy Spirit, lays hands on each Ordinand, and then prays:-

Over the Deacons: “Through your Spirit, heavenly Father, give these your servants grace and power to fulfil their ministry. Make them faithful to serve and constant in advancing your gospel in the world.”

And over the Priests: “Through your Spirit, heavenly Father, given these your servants grace and power to proclaim the gospel of your salvation and minister the sacraments of the new covenant.”

It is an awesome responsibility to entrust to our deacons and priests. It is an awesome responsibility to be entrusted to a ministry of service. It is an awesome responsibility to be entrusted to administer the sacraments. The most effective clergy recognise constantly that they exercise that responsibility, not in their own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them.

Those who begin their ordained ministry during September do so, I am sure, with a strong sense of call, with a sense of expectation, a sense of wanting to serve, feelings of joy and thanksgiving, and, I expect, with a healthy feeling of trepidation. That sense of call, that vocation, needs to be nurtured throughout ministry and it is important for us to realise that we all have a role in that nurturing – to help the deacon to be a deacon, and the priest to be a priest, rather than just doing the things that a priest or deacon does.

Please pray for Judith and Sue and for all those to be ordained at this time, and pray too that their vocation may remain as fresh throughout their ministry as it is on their ordination day.

With my love and prayers

Chris Hardwick

“The Way Ahead”

On the 14^th July over 150 people from our Church and community came to a buffet supper in the Town Hall in Tavistock to hear about the “The Way Ahead” and plans to celebrate the 700^th Anniversary of Tavistock Parish Church. Full details of forthcoming events will be published over the coming months. I want to take this opportunity to thank those who helped make this event possible: David Parkin for his organisation of the event, John Rea, James Teague and Katie Stevenson (from the Diocese of Exeter) for speaking at the event, and Sean Sweeney and the choir of St Eustachius’ Church, together with “Gin and Pimms” for their musical entertainment.  A huge thank you also to Cathy Sherlock, the Social Committee, and all the helpers who provided food and much needed help during the evening.  I have received many appreciative comments from those who came to the supper and thank everyone involved for making this Church/Community event possible.

Journeying with God

For many, August is a time for holidays.  For most of us, holidays are straight-forward and simple, but for some they have a deeper significance.   For some there is a need, almost an urge, to travel and to visit new places. Human beings are, by nature, wanderers and explorers. Our forebears were hunter-gatherers and not settled people.  In many cultures, there is a tradition of journeying – nations, tribes and groups “on the move”.  In the Bible there are lots of stories of people on the move.  The Exodus, where the people of Israel escaped from Egypt and, after a 40 year journey, entered the promised land, is perhaps the most well-known example from the Old Testament.  In the New Testament, the first disciples were literally followers of Jesus and they travelled with Jesus from place to place as he taught about the Kingdom of God.  They left their homes, their settled lives and their places of work as they responded to his call.  There is a tradition within the Christian faith of Christians being people who are on the move and on a journey – literally, followers of “The Way”.

The Christian faith has been spread by people who are prepared to travel, and the theme of life as a “journey”, or as a pilgrimage, is at the very heart of our faith.  It means that we are called to a life that is not settled, a life in which we are prepared to move on.  This is particularly true as we live in a time of significant change.

The idea of journeying is, of course, not simply about a physical journey, it is also about an internal journey which involves both the heart and the mind.  We know from our own experiences of life that often we travel huge distances inside ourselves because of experiences we have. These experiences can take us to a new understanding of what it is to be ourselves in relationship with God and with others.

The Christian life is a journey towards God, in the company of God, and in the company of each other.  It is a journey we are all to take and something which is beneficial for us all.  This month, if you are able to do so, set a little extra time aside for your journey with God.

With my love and prayers,

Chris Hardwick