October 2020

10 Buckden Roundabout October 2020 Church News Weekly Prayer Roster Each week during the year the Churches, in their prayers, remember the residents of particular streets in the village, those who work in the parish and village organisations. Those to be remembered this month are: 4th October Hunts End, Copes Close, Monks Cottages, Hunts End Court 11th October Manor Gardens, Manor Close, Glebe Lane, The Grove 18th October Park Road, Falcon Way, The Marinas, and those who live and work there 25th October Field Close, Lincoln Close, Silver Street, Beaufort Drive, St Hugh ’ s Road Thought for the Month As a newcomer to village life, and one where I understand Harvest is much celebrated, I might be forgiven for hav- ing expected the familiar opening words of the great 19th century hymn, ‘ Come, ye thankful people, come, Raise the song of harvest home! ’ to be vigorously ringing out across the churches of Buckden. But this is not the year when all is ‘ safely gathered in ’ at all. Whilst some of our churches are opening, capacity is severely restricted as we seek to ensure the safety of people in our community. Which perhaps serves to remind us that church is not the place God gathers us to anyway, as much as collective worship is a vital part of Christian life. And much less our church buildings however beautiful and precious they are in the fabric of our day to day lives. Where two or three are gathered together …… be it within our homes, on the phone, a distanced wave from the front door, a note, email or letter, God is with us. Whilst living in unprecedented times in our country, I am mindful that the uncertainty, fear for safety and worries about income with the vulnerability this brings – all which are becoming part of our ‘ new normal ’ , have been the daily reality for people in many countries throughout the world, long before Covid. Most of us have rarely, if ever, had to face such times. In thanking God for all we have, particularly at this time of Harvest when we celebrate God ’ s goodness and mercy, this is the time for sharing as much as we can, finding new ways to love our neighbours and to care for those around us. And to be mindful of those further afield rather than batten down the hatches as we seek to cope. Donations to the food bank is an important traditional Harvest time expression of concern for people in our midst who struggle and this year the clergy in Buckden invite you all to continue to drop off Harvest gifts to one of the food bank collection points – the NISA store, Buckden Towers or St Mary ’ s vicarage. And whilst we hope you spotted the Footsteps in Prayer initiative as people from our churches have together prayed the streets of the village, less obvious new shoots are much in evidence as Christian folk continue to meet frequent- ly on Zoom. Like Henry Alford, who revised his famous Harvest Hymn a number of times as circumstances changed, so we need to be prepared to think anew as to how we are and ‘ do ’ church to meet new needs and circumstances. All our churches are reporting the emergence of different networks of people coming together – those for whom coming to church buildings was never their preference, friends and families connecting across the country to wor- ship together and offering a new kind of witness to the ever presence of God in our lives. As with the seeds of the field, you can ’ t always see what is going on, but going on it is indeed. Revd Sue Baker - Maher Minister for Brampton Methodist Church