From the Vicarage

Thank you …

Thank you to everyone from our churches for the tremendous amount of hard work that went in to making Judith Blowey’s Ordination and First Eucharist such moving and very special occasions. With our 700^th Anniversary celebrations in Tavistock, September was a very busy month for many people and I thank each and everyone for making these unique and special occasions so memorable.  Thank you one and all.

My thanks also to everyone from our churches for our Harvest celebrations.  It has been good to see so many come together for our services, Harvest meals, the auction of produce, and times of fun and fellowship, all focused on our thanksgiving for Harvest.

Bible Sunday

On the 28^th October two services will be held in Tavistock for Bible Sunday, 9.45 am and 6.00 pm. In the evening we will be joined by the Companions of the Melanesian Brotherhood and also members of Tavistock Area Christians Together. Please support these services if you are able to do so.

Commemoration of the Faithful Departed/All Souls’

“Jesus says: Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as        

            the world gives, give I unto you. Do not let your hearts be troubled,       

            neither let them be afraid.”

As I write this letter preparations are being made within our Benefice to remember those within our families and community who have died during the last twelve months. Sadness and grief can affect us in many ways and I would like to share with you words that I have always found to be very helpful. Mother Teresa says:

“Death is going home. Very often as we live, so we die. Death is nothing but a continuation of life, the completion of life: the surrendering of the human body. But the heart and the soul live for ever. They do not die. Every religion has got eternity; another life. This life is not the end: people who believe it is, fear death. If it were properly explained that death was nothing but going home to God, then there would be no fear.”

Although I am writing for the October magazine, I would like to use this opportunity to give advance notice of two services which are only a matter of a few weeks away, and which come at the very beginning of November. I am writing about these services now, so that there is time to let everyone know about them.

“All Souls Day” acknowledges human sadness and grief at the loss of our loved ones, and proclaims the message: “Death is not the end”. Just as the saints in heaven were the saints on earth, and death was the door from our earth to their heaven, so it shall be for us.” This is the Christian hope and it is founded in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. On the 2nd November, I am planning two services as a Special Act of Remembrance in Tavistock for all those who have been recently bereaved or who would like to remember a loved one from years past. These services to commemorate the faithful departed will be held at Tavistock Parish Church at 12.30 pm and 7.30 pm. During each service we will remember those who have died by name and candles will be lit as a symbol of hope. The services will be simple and, in the evening, will include well-known hymns.  At Christ Church Brentor, a service of reflection and readings will be held at 7.00 pm and, again, names will be remembered and candles lit.

I hope that many individuals and families will be able to come to these acts of remembrance and thanksgiving.

With my love and prayers.

Chris Hardwick

Patronal Festival

On Sunday 16th September, the patron saint of Tavistock Parish Church, St.Eustachius, will be will be celebrated. A patronal festival Eucharist will be held at 9.45 am and a festival Evensong at 6 pm. Our Church is named after a Roman general who became a Christian in the second century. It is thought that whilst hunting a stag near Rome he saw a vision of a crucifix lodged between the stag’s antlers and was immediately converted to Christianity. Eustachius’s name before his conversion was Placidus. He refused to sacrifice to heathen gods and died a martyr to his faith; he remained steadfast and faithful to his new found faith.

Ordination of Judith Blowey 

September will see a number of new priests and deacons being ordained in the diocese. It is always very exciting and humbling to be involved with ordinations when those who have been exploring, and sometimes struggling, with their sense of vocation for many years take an important step on the journey of discipleship. It is also hugely encouraging to see new ministry emerge alongside the existing ministry and encouragement of others.

We are, of course, all disciples. I am always greatly encouraged by the number of those who offer themselves for ministry, whatever form that takes. The exploration, discovery, and nurturing of new gifts and abilities to further God’s work is something which we should all celebrate and rejoice in.

Please pray for all being ordained this September, and from our own Diocese and Benefice for Judith Blowey to be ordained priest in Exeter Cathedral on Saturday, 29th September. Full details of our own plans to celebrate Judith’s new ministry are contained within this magazine but please do come to Judith’s first celebration of the Eucharist which will be on Sunday, 30th September at 9.45 am in Tavistock Parish Church. Everyone is welcome.

With my love and prayers.

Chris Hardwick

On Sunday, 5th August, the BBC will be broadcasting Sunday Worship from Tavistock to mark the Feast of the Transfiguration (6^th August). The Exon Singers, with Conductor & Artistic Director Joseph Judge, Festival Organist Josef Laming and the FIGO Ensemble, will sing movements from Schubert’s Mass in G. The service will be broadcast at 8.10 am on BBC Radio 4.

The feast of the Transfiguration is a hugely mysterious event recorded in the New Testament. Jesus took Peter, James and John to a mountain.  The Gospels do not say which mountain. Christian tradition has usually named Mount Tabor, although Mount Carmel and Mount Hermon have been mentioned as possibilities.

Matthew, Mark and Luke use slightly different phrases to tell the same story. In St. Matthew’s account: “He was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as light.” St.Mark says: “his clothes became dazzling white”, while St.Luke says: “his clothing became brilliant as lightning.” All three, in their slightly different ways, agree that Jesus was enveloped in a heavenly light as he was seen with Moses and Elijah.  Peter, James and John are witnesses to this light.  Peter, assumes he should do something.  He rushes to build three tents and Luke comments: “He did not know what he was saying.” James and John – the John who was to write so movingly about Jesus as the “true light” – say and do nothing. Suddenly a cloud passes over the scene and from the shadow they hear the voice of the Father saying: “This is my Son, the Beloved.”

The images of light and darkness are so common to us that we often take them for granted: “I have seen the light” or “I was kept in the dark”, and yet they remain instantaneous and powerful images.

The Church Fathers frequently meditated on the themes of light and darkness: saying: “light is the beauty of God”, or speaking of light as “a ray of the Divinity”. In John Henry Newman’s poem “The Dream of Gerontius”, the soul of Gerontius is brought before God.  For a split second Gerontius sees God as he is.  The light shows up the things of which Gerontius is ashamed with dazzling clarity.  Another poet, John Donne, wrote of the light of heaven in these words:

“Into that gate they shall enter, and in that house they shall dwell,

where there shall be no darkness or dazzling, but one equal light;

no noise nor silence, but one equal music;

no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings,

but one equal eternity in the habitations of thy glory and dominion”

In the Transfiguration it is this truth, the new “glory of God”, “the one equal Light” which is revealed to us.

With my love and prayers.                                        Chris Hardwick

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.