ONE of Dr Rowan Williams' first formal acts as Archbishop of Canterbury was to approve the appointment of The Rt Revd John Flack, the Bishop of Huntingdon, as the new Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome. As well as being Director of the Centre, Bishop John will be the Archbishop's representative to the Holy See.
Bishop John, who has been Bishop of Huntingdon since January 1997, takes up his new post on 1st July 2003.
He says that he is "very excited about the new appointment. It seemed to be right from the start. I love travel and languages and will greatly enjoy living in Italy."
Bishop John will also become an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Europe and as such will have some pastoral care of the Anglican churches of Greece and Italy.
Many in the Diocese of Ely will be very sorry to see Bishop John go, but recognise that this is a wonderful opportunity for him to exercise a ministry for which he has particular talents.
Well, the answer is Epiphany. The Feast of Epiphany falls each year on 6th January, though this year we will celebrate Epiphany in church on Sunday 5th January.
Contrary to what is suggested in some TV adverts, Epiphany is not just another word for a surprise or a revelation - it is about God showing off precisely who his Jesus is. For the question that comes with Christmas is 'So there's this baby been born - so what? What‘s so important about this Jesus character?' Epiphany answers this question firstly through the story of the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus. Symbolically, through the gifts they bring, they worship Jesus as God's Messiah, as a servant who will suffer for his people, and as one who is King.
Then, on the First Sunday of Epiphany, we hear of Jesus' baptism at the hands of John in the river Jordan. Here the dove and the voice from heaven affirm Jesus as God's beloved Son and commission him for his earthly ministry.
The Epiphany season closes with the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, often known as Candlemas, which falls properly on 2nd February, though, like Epiphany is often celebrated in church on a nearby Sunday.
At Candlemas we hear of the aged Simeon who worships Jesus in the words that have come down to us as the ancient song 'Nunc dimittis' and the prophetess Anna who tells all the passers by that this Jesus is God's long expected Chosen One.
You might say that Epiphany puts the meaning into Christmas.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas and Epiphany and hope to see many of you over the festive season.
Candidates should be aged eleven or above at the time of the confirmation (though dispensation can sometimes be arranged for slightly younger siblings of other candidates). Baptism prior to the confirmation service is not essential as it is now quite usual for baptisms to take place during the confirmation rite.
The Vicar will be starting courses of confirmation preparation both for adults and for younger candidates in the new year. Please get in touch with him if you would like further details of these courses.
Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust Sponsored Cycle Ride Thank you to all who took part in the CHCT Sponsored Cycle Ride in September. Wyn Oakman would especially like to thank all her sponsors and supporters who enabled her to collect £361.20 to be shared between the Trust and St Andrew‘s Fabric Fund.
The Concert by the De Merc Chamber Choir on 9th November was notable for the splendid singing, and the two organ interludes were also much appreciated.
At the time of writing we are looking forward to the visit of the Swavesey Ten Sing Group on 24th November at the Family Service.
P.S. Members of the Swavesey Ten Sing Group (which meets on Wednesday evenings at Swavesey Village College) indeed joined worshippers at St Andrew‘s on Bible Sunday and sang several worship songs to the glory of God and the delight of the congregation. We hope they will join us again in the new year.
Our churches cannot escape the trend and church councils have recently been asked to check the stability of all the monuments in their churchyards. In future such checks will become part of the regular pattern of five-yearly surveys of our churches which are carried out by a qualified architect but in the meanwhile we have been asked that preliminary surveys should be made. Particular concern has been expressed about stone crosses and obelisks though it is pointed out that some quite recent lawn memorials can easily have become loosened on their bases.
Churches have been instructed that if any monuments are found to be unstable, the loose parts should be laid carefully on the ground until repairs can be effected. We are sorry if this should cause any distress to the families concerned.
Responsibility for making any necessary repairs lies in the first instance with those who erected and still own the monuments concerned. In the case of stone crosses, for instance, it is recommended that stainless steel dowels should be inserted to strengthen the joints.
Where the owners of a monument cannot be traced, the Parochial Church Council will have to decide whether to make the necessary repairs at its own expense or seek permission to obviate the hazard in some other way.
I know that in many ways this may all seem to be just another chore, officialdom insisting that we make a fuss over nothing very important, but there have been a few serious accidents in cemeteries and churchyards over recent years and it is important that we all seek to act responsibly in this as in all matters.
This year we will follow a course designed by the Education Department of Ely Diocese which will lead us to think about various people‘s encounters with Jesus. Watch out for details nearer the time.
A pre-lenten innovation this year is to be a Pancake Party at St Mary's, Fen Drayton, on Shrove Tuesday, 4th March, at 6.30pm. The Ash Wednesday services with optional ashing follow as usual on the next day.
Alternatively you may like to join the regular monthly communion service in the Community Room at Thistle Green, Swavesey. This usually takes place on the first Monday of a month, but please check the Diary pages (pp. 2-3) for details of planned dates.