Harvest 2008
(New Series 14.3)
Readers may have read in the news that changes in the law on who can be married in church and where have been passed by the General Synod of the Church of England and by Parliament.
Up to the end of September 2008, the right to be married in a particular parish church has depended on the bride or groom either living in the parish concerned or being on the electoral roll of that parish church (this is sometimes confused with, but is different from, the electoral register for voting in local and parliamentary elections). Thus, in previous years, all clergy have sometimes had to say 'no' to people, often with historic connections to the parish, who wish to be married in a particular church. The only way round the problem was to go through the process of applying for an Archbishop's Special Licence, which is usually meant for exceptional or difficult cases.
The shifting nature of modern society has meant that increasingly people are mobile and wish to be married somewhere a long way from where they live but which is a special place for them: perhaps where they used to live, where their parents once lived or were married, where they used to worship or where they were baptised. The clergy and bishops of the Church of England have always had sympathy with such people but we have always been constrained by the Marriage Act 1949 in what was legally possible. To make the change required a change in the law, which was finally accomplished this year and come into force on 1st October.
In short, those who are now able, by right, to be married in their parish church are those who: a) live in the parish, b) are on the electoral roll of the parish church, c) were baptised in the parish, d) were confirmed and the confirmation is registered in the register of the parish, e) lived in the parish for at least six months in the past, f) habitually worshipped in the parish church for at least six months - and also those a) whose parent has, during the person's lifetime, lived in or habitually worshipped in the parish for at least six months, or b) whose parent or grandparent was married in the parish.
Those who are divorced but whose former spouse is still living may also qualify under these categories but with the same caveat that in such a case there is a process of discernment as to whether it would be right for such a marriage to take place in church. Archbishop's Special Licences will still be available in exceptional circumstances where a qualifying connection set out above cannot be established or, for instance, where one party lives abroad.
A right to be married in church does not bring with it a right to be married on a particular date or at a particular time. There are days when the Church is not available or when the vicar is not available. The reason for the change in the law is to respond to our changing society and to enable people to marry in a place which is relevant and special to them and to eliminate as much worry and uncertainty as possible.
The preacher at the Harvest Festival Services on Sunday 12th October at Lolworth at 3.30pm and at Conington at 6.30pm will be Ian Bell, Director of the ARC-Addington Fund.
The ARC-Addington Fund was set up by the Arthur Rank Centre at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire at the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury in March 2001 as the Churches' response to the Foot and Mouth outbreak. Since its inception the Fund has distributed over £10.3m at an administrative cost of less than 1.5%. The Fund also administers the Strategic Rural Housing Scheme which aims to help those who are forced to leave a farming business, where so doing results in the loss of the family home, to find appropriate, affordable housing.
Ian spoke at the Harvest Festival Services at Fen Drayton and Swavesey in 2007 and proved an entertaining and knowledgable speaker. We look forward to hearing him again at Lolworth and Conington this year.
In 1968 John Pensom of The Children's Society first introduced the Christingle service to the Church of England as a symbol of Christ's light and love. Forty years on and 6,000 churches, schools and groups around the country join the celebrations each year from Advent through to Candlemas.
Christingle Services will be held at St Andrew's, Swavesey, on Sunday 7th December at 4.30pm and at St Mary's, Fen Drayton, on Sunday 18th January, also at 4.30pm.
All Souls' Day is traditionally a time when we remember those who have died - the Faithful Departed - in our prayers. In particular, the families and friends of those who have died in the course of the past year will customarily come to church at All Souls' to give thanks for the lives of their loved ones and look forward to the coming Kingdom of Heaven.
On the Sunday nearest to All Souls' we read the list of those whom we have remembered in our prayers in the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed at all services and warmly invite bereaved families to join in worship on that day which this year is All Souls' Day itself, Sunday 2nd November.
Cambridge Mencap is seeking volunteers to support a child or young person with a learning disability.
You could support someone to play games, enjoy arts and crafts, play in the park, go swimming, or just watch a DVD in the young person's home. Your support could help the young person develop their social skills, interests, independence and self confidence, whilst also providing valuable respite time to parents and carers.
If you could spare a few hours one evening of every month then you could be doing something new, or something you already do and enjoy, whilst making a BIG difference to a young person's, and a family's, life.
Interested? Find out more by contacting Robert Wallace, Volunteers Support Coordinator, by phone: 01223 883140; text: 07835101621, or email: robert@cambridgemencap.co.uk .
After our last practice in St Andrew's, Swavesey, on 24th July we said farewell to Justin Looper who has moved to Sawston. Justin had been singing with us since July 2003 and will be missed by us all.
Practices resumed on 4th September in readiness for Harvest Festival on Sunday 5th October when we shall sing a cheerful anthem by John Rutter in the morning.
At Festival Evensong at 6.30pm there will be an anthem by Sidney Nicholson and, possibly the best known, of Stanford's Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis settings in C. The singers hope that the congregation will support them at this service in particular.
On 12th October we shall join the congregation of St Mary's, Conington, for the Harvest Festival Choral Evensong at 6.30pm.
Keith Lofts
The Fisherman backlist
the colour supplement backlist