VICAR'S LETTER
3
The Beeches
Wrest
Park
Silsoe
November, 2008
Dear
All
You will all know by now that Roger has retired after 35 years as vicar of St Margaret's Church. Before I continue with this "Vicar's Letter" I must confess to being an impostor - I am not a vicar! So perhaps I should introduce myself for those of you who don't know me. My name is Martin Simmonds and I am a Licensed Reader at St Margaret's Church. The title "Reader" is a bit misleading and rather implies that many people who come to church cannot read! It dates back to many years ago when only a few people in the congregations could read. We have two Readers at St Margaret's - Ron Upton and myself. We both had to undergo a 3-year training course, run by the Diocese of St Alban's Ministry Development Team and we were both licensed in 1999.
As Readers we can lead services, preach and take funerals. We cannot baptise anyone, marry anyone or consecrate the bread and wine at communion services. We can, however, administer consecrated bread and wine. I expect many of you know I was a General Practitioner working in Luton from 1968 until 1985 and in Bedford from 1985 until 2005. I and my family have been going to St Margaret's church since 1969 BRW (Before Roger Wood) - enough about me.
When I was asked to write the Vicar's Letter I thought what should I write about? Incidentally during the Interregnum (sorry the "vacancy") Ron and I will alternate writing the Vicar's Letter. I thought back to a sermon I gave some weeks ago. A friend of mine, who was a lapsed Christian, said to me that he felt his life was like an express train rushing towards the buffers at the end of his life. I thought about this and realised that as Christians our lives are like an express train travelling towards a tunnel and when we finally reach the tunnel entrance we will leave behind our earthly lives, but travel through the tunnel to a new life with Jesus in heaven. For me, heaven lies ahead of earthly time and is a place of love with no pain, no wars and no worries.
In some ways, our interregnum will be a journey rather like that train going into a tunnel. For 35 years Roger has always been there for us, and of course we will all miss him greatly. However, at the end of the tunnel will be a new era for St Margaret's Church. Of course, it will not be without pain and worries but hopefully will be full of Christian love.
During the vacancy we have to keep alive that spirit of Christian love and fellowship which has been such a part of our church. To do that we all have to do our bit. We must use all the talents we have, and focus on the love which Christ gives to us all if we follow his track. There will obviously be changes we don't like, but time moves on, and as 21st Century Christians we have to look forward. We cannot turn the train around and so we must move forward.
I strongly believe with God's help and of course a united team we can keep many of the services and events we have come to expect running. Some services will have to go until a new Priest is installed.
Unfortunately this will probably take up to a year. You can blame Henry VIII. He promoted long vacancies so he could collect all the money saved to build more palaces and support his many wives! Fortunately we don't have to pay the Queen, but the bureaucracy still remains!
In the meantime please bear with us. We are all doing our best and many of us have made considerable sacrifices in our lives to keep our church alive. If you have any special talents which could be helpful please contact me or either of the churchwardens.
With every blessing to you all,
Martin