​I always think February is a rather odd month.  After the Christmas rush, Epiphany story and settlement into the normal pace of life, I find February a bit dismal.  Yes the days are lengthening but winter still holds its sting and the burst of Spring has not quite reached us – or has it??
The most significant focus and interest tends to be St Valentine’s Day.  Although it has become lost in time in terms of its origins, it is recognised as a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love.
St Valentine did exist.  He was a Priest in Rome in the third century AD.  There is some evidence that shows more than one Priest was tortured and executed around this time for advocating Christian marriage and became martyred for their faith.  Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought married men were poor soldiers. St Valentine was beaten with clubs and beheaded on February 14 AD 270.   He would not renounce his faith or compromise that he believed in.
During Medieval times a common belief in England and France was that birds began to pair on 14 February as Chaucer wrote in his “Parliament of Fowles”.  For this reason the day was dedicated to “lovers”.
 Although thought to be a secular day, there is a Christian message that should be remembered.  The love of our Lord is a sacrificial, selfless and unconditional love.  We are all called to express this in our own lives, for God and for neighbour.  Quite often this can be a challenge, especially for those who have loved and lost, have been disappointed or continue to search for something they don’t understand.  Love can be a hard option.
On this Valentine’s Day 2019 dedicate your love to the Lord, for only by doing so can we properly love those who are entrusted to his care.  Jesus said “this is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.  There is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  John 15: 12-13. St Valentine fulfilled this command, and may we do the same, by understanding love comes in many forms, love is the foundation of relationships and family life, love is something many search for and never find, love can be lost but never forgotten.  Love makes the world go round, but nothing can be greater than the love God has for all who come to him with a willing heart, an open mind, and a call that is special, cherished and valued.  Share your love daily.  A kind word,  a prayer, a note or a Valentine’s card.  At no point is your love ever wasted.
 
Margaret Kitchen
Pastoral Worker

​Café Church on Sunday 14 October

This month we continued our harvest theme with further discussion about the work of RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute) and their support to farmers in distress.  We decided to look to the bible to see where there is support and guidance for people working on the land, sea and with herds of animals, growing grain, fruit and vegetables to feed families.  Do we in High Legh offer our discipleship to the families farming the land which surrounds our village? We can learn patience from those waiting for the seed to grow, the work that is put in at the beginning (ploughing and preparing), with faith acting as a stabiliser, the crop ripening at different times as individual plants.  The field eventually ripens as a whole.    It is much like our Christian faith journey. 
We assume farming is a healthy job, working outside with a crop to be proud of but this is not always the case.  Many farmers suffer loss through death and disease, work long hours at the mercy of the climate and have long hours alone leading to loneliness. Many suffer financial loss leading to depression and suicide.    Let us remember what the bible says:
“ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. “ 2 Corinthians 9:10
Next time you see someone working in a field or sitting on a tractor, say hello and be grateful for all that they do to provide us with our daily bread.
Revd Trish, Stewart, Christine, Mags and Karen

Lots of fun was had on Tuesday night as young and not so young gathered for our Pancake Party Here's some pictures - we were impressed with Rev Philip's and Rev Trish's skilful pancake flipping!

​This fourth evening proved to be a very lively one! We discussed the importance and dangers of the words we speak – the things we have said that have hurt others and those things we haven’t said that could have encouraged others. We also recognised that what we say may not be received in the way we intended – that the attitudes, emotions and past experience of the person we are speaking to affects how they perceive what we say.
The bible warns us of our use of blasphemy, swearing and obscene talk. We discussed how that affects our attitudes and actions.
In the film we saw the affect that words have on the main characters – not just what is said but how it is said and we reflected individually on the past week and how we had encouraged or discouraged others with what we had said or not said and how our words had been received.
I shared my mantra – remembered from a sermon long, long ago
Before you speak, stop and think: “Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?!”

Last week we thought about struggles and successes; times and skills which we have found hard to acquire and what has helped or discouraged us. We acknowledged the need for perseverance but saw in the film how Bertie – and ourselves – need something more. Bertie worked hard at the “technical tools” that he needed to overcome his stammer but Lionel always knew it needed more. It came after the death of his father King George V. When Bertie visited Lionel he unleashed all his childhood pain and it was a breakthrough moment for Bertie.
We then reflected on the bible message that God will work with and indeed through our weaknesses and how being vulnerable and exposed makes us feel. At the end of the session we silently considered the pain that often lies deep and long buried inside ourselves.

Following our initial discussions on fear and the way that it limits what we achieve, we went on last week to discuss “calling”. We considered what defines a calling and whether we ourselves had ever felt a “calling” or vocation.
We were all heartened to read the words of Francis de Sale, a French seventeenth century Bishop who wrote:
“God requires the faithful fulfilment of the merest trifle given us to do, rather than the most ardent aspiration to things to which we are not called.”
This week on 22nd March we will meet as usual at the Church Room at 7.30 pm. 

Lent Group; Wednesday evenings in High Legh
“Finding a Voice” based on the film The King’s Speech
We began the evening by looking at the start of the film as Bertie (later to be King Edward VIIIth) tries to overcome his fear and stammer to address the crowd at Wembley.
We then identified the fears inside Bertie and related them to our own fears especially our social fears. In pairs we discussed how our fears sometimes prevent us attempting things because we fear not living up to the expectations of others.
We then watched Bertie several years later when, as King, he makes his first wartime address to the nation. We thought about those who supported Bertie and those who support and encourage us to overcome our fears and anxieties.
In the reading provided for the days following the session we were urged to find “supporting actor” roles for ourselves as we support and encourage those whom we meet in life.
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