Dates for your diaries ( and thoughts for you heads)
We have a couple of Rogation services coming up in the Benefice. Morcott Sunday 14th May, 11am, and Tixover Sunday 21st May, 5pm.
In Rogation services we ask God to bless the crops and animals of our farms. Hence the name, the word 'rogation' comes from the Latin word 'rogare', meaning to ask. Rogation services have been held in this country for centuries, probably for well over a thousand years. Such tradition gives us a long perspective on our contemporary lives, it helps us to identify things that are transient, and things that are fundamental. Our ancestors asked for God's blessing on their crops and animals because they were afraid of His wrath. We should know we can approach the throne of God with our petitions confident in the forgiveness made known through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The wrong we do brings destructive consequences of our own making, so it is good to seek to orientate ourselves on the right path, the way taught by Jesus. Prayer should lift our eyes to the horizon, and give us a better idea of where we are. Prayer changes things, but most of all it changes us.
Also coming up are a couple of concerts at Barrowden. Harry Jacques is giving a concert of classical and contemporary songs on the 14th of May at 7pm, and American Violinist, Lucy Alessio, and our own Jean Swinbanks, are performing a mixed concert of classical, folk and jazz music on the 9th of June at 7.30pm. Some of the pieces for solo violin will be written by me. So, is this just ticket selling opportunism on my part? Well, yes...but also like traditions, and like prayer, music has the potential to direct our souls to the eternal. Religion and art are not so far apart, if you don't believe me, here's a quote from Charlie Chaplian to explain,
‘Rachmaninov was a strange-looking man, with something aesthetic and cloistral about him … Someone brought the topic around to religion and I confessed that I was not a believer. Rachmaninov quickly interposed: “But how can you have art without religion?” I was stumped for a moment. “I don’t think we are talking about the same thing”, I said. “My concept of religion is a belief about dogma—and art is a feeling more than a belief.” “So is religion”, he answered. After that I shut up.”’
Rev Stephen Gamble