Parish Magazine
August 1963
THE VICARS LETTER
The Vicarage,
BREAM,
August 1963. Tel: Whitecroft 376,
My dear Friends,
GIFT DAY. Although these notes are being written several
days before the results of our Gift Day will be known, yet it is clear
that a word
of thanks is due to all those members of our congregation who helped
in the preparation for it.
It is comparatively easy to suggest that we have a Gift Day, but it isn’t
until one gets down to arranging it that it is possible to see how much
is involved.
I think the biggest task that was undertaken was the addressing of the
envelopes. This was done by our P.C.C. secretary, Mrs Ken Miles. With
the help of the Parliamentary Register of Voters, I for one am very grateful
for the willing way she undertook this mammoth task. Altogether more
than 800 envelopes were addressed, more than many of us would write in
the course of a year or two!
NOT ACCURATE. In this connection, I should say that the register is
not 100% accurate, for it is published several months after the ‘returns’ are
made, by which time new comers have arrived, and in a few instances others
have left. I believe too that not all who live in the village are on
the register. Also, so far as I can tell, the parish boundaries of the
church are not quite the same as those of the civil parish. This means
that some of those who worship with us, or who look upon our church as
their parish church may not be included in the Register of Voters because
they live in a different civil parish.
All this is by way of saying that if anyone didn’t receive a Gift
Day letter from me, then I’m sorry: and if same were delivered
to homes in which others now live, then I’m sorry again.
DELIVERY. Other thanks must go to members of the P.C.C. and at least
two others, who helped in the delivery of the letters. Again, this was
a big undertaking but one which was accepted very whole-heartedly. Indeed,
if some were disappointed that they didn’t have any letters to
deliver then it was only because those who were first asked delivered
more than was expected of them. It was a case of a few delivering a lot,
rather than a lot delivering a few.
One final thanks must go to those who folded all the letters and enclosed
them in their envelopes. I know that in one instance, this became a family
occupation. Nonetheless, it was a big task, even for two or three gathered
round a table.
To all these, and to those who will have returned their full envelopes
I offer my very sincere thanks. I feel greatly encouraged by such response
and my only regret is that I shall have to leave it to another to announce
the Gift Day total, for I shall be on holiday by the time most of you
read these notes, and before some of you will have been able to hear
the result announced in church.
HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS. This year it has not been possible to arrange
an ‘exchange’ between another Vicar with his family, and
ourselves. Fortunately, though, the Rev. Geo. Smith has kindly offered
to help but in order to fit in with his own commitments at Parkend, only
one morning service will be possible. This will be at 9 a.m and will
be Holy Communion with Hymns and a short address.
If those who normally attend either of the cancelled services attend
this one at 9.30 a.m. on August 4th and 11th then there should be a good
congregation which will be an encouragement to all concerned.
Evensong will be as usual, at 6.30 p.m. on both Sundays, and all services
at normal time will be resumed on Sunday, 18th August.
WITH HIM. I came across this the other day and think it has a bearing
on all those referred to in connection with our Gift Day, who in various
ways have and are putting into practice the Christian stewardship of
time.
“
If people who did not know their Bible very well were asked what was
the text which told about the ordination of the Apostles they would probably
say, He ordained 12 and gave them power’, or ‘He ordained
12 and chose them to be the foundation of His Church’, or ‘He
ordained 12 to preach the gospel’.
All these would be true, but they would not give what we get in this
verse, which gives us the root of the whole matter, and which was the
secret of the Apostles’ life. They were given power, and they were
sent out to preach, and they did become the founders of the Church. But
all these things happened because of that first thing, that they knew
a life of union with Jesus.
We must never let it go from us that our daily life is a very definite
part of our religion. We can be with Jesus in our work. He was a working
man, and His days must often have been very tiresome and crowded days.
We can imagine Him busy all day long, and yet that was glorifying God.
The secret of our religion is not in the things that we say or do, but
in the reasons and motives we have for saying and doing them. It is not
just saying the Creed, which is easy to do: it is not making all sorts
of professions, which is often a very hard thing to do: but it is just
to live with Jesus. If we can live a life of union with Our Lord, there
will issue from it something of that apostleship to which the 12 were
called”.
God Bless you all,
Your Sincere Friend and Vicar,
PATRICK WALTON.
FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS
Confirmation By the Lord Bishop of Gloucester at Dowdeswell Church.
June 19th: Beryl Eileen Gunter
Donald Francis Charles Treherne.
HOLY BAPTISM
June 30th:
Jonathan Ralph Macey.
Adrian Wayne Martin
Kevin John Hodder
HOLY MATRIMONY
June 29th : David Charles Brunsdon and Glenda Audrey Williams.
July 20th : Royston William James Thomas and Frances May Miles.
CHRISTIAN BURIAL
June 26th: Elizabeth Cannock, aged 82.
July 9th: Doris Kemp, aged 60.
July19th: Victor Edward Hoare, aged 58.
July 20th: Charles Vaughan, aged 80.
July 22nd: Emily Elizabeth Shingles, aged 58.
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