Rector - Revd. Teresa Townsend

Dear Friends,

On a very warm day in the July heatwave, I am sitting in my garden to write August’s Ramblings from the Rectory.  When the weather is as warm as it has been, both day and night, it does somewhat challenge the capacity to focus and this is one of them.

We don’t have any running water in our garden, but the image of Mole and Ratty from Kenneth’s Grahame’s tale of the ‘Wind in the Willows’ keeps coming to mind. There is the scene after Mole has decided he has had enough of whitewashing the walls of his home and he ventures up from the cool gloom of his home into the world above ground and finds himself at the river’s edge where Rat is. He is persuaded by Rat to join him on the river for the day and the description of the water, its movements, its colour bring to life what it must have been like for them that day. That and the most sumptuous feast for lunch too.

It is a summer idyll that I think many of us think is the best thing we could be doing – just relaxing with others in the beauty of God’s creation can be very restorative.  It definitely is a scene that comes to mind at times but, after so many adventures with Ratty, Toad and Badger, Mole realises he is missing his little home and what it all means for him and so he heads back. 

August is a traditional time for holidays – and a hopeful chance to get away from the routines of work and family life. Yet, whether our holidays prove as wonderful as Mole and Ratty’s day is rarely in our control. Weather, travel, and health can all impact on time off.

And not everyone is able to get out and do more and have summer adventures. Many struggle in the heat which means summer means confinement indoors during the hottest part of the days, often leading to isolation and the potential loneliness whilst loved ones are away and visits are fewer.

Thriving in the summer months is definitely possible and, in the Rectory Garden, we see it in the flora and fauna all around us. The vibrant colours of the flowers and the quantity of bees and other insects remind us that it can be a season of abundance in God’s life-giving world.  Yet we also see that the grass is turning brown again, withering above ground to preserve the root system below. It is a shame as Nic sowed the grass seed for the terrace part of the garden and it was looking glorious! 

Being a six-year-old in the heatwave of August 1976 meant that I had spent the summer holidays of that year enjoying the ice lollies and paddling pool. I was too young though to really notice the struggle my parents had to keep us all fed and cool and sleeping well. 

For our young people in our villages this summer, finding opportunities for them to have fun and enjoyment can also be a challenge. Not everyone has a garden that works for playing in. Getting to the park, or the local leisure centre is not always easy either.  We are trying to help out as churches. All our churches are open every day – offering a wonderfully cool, quite space to rest, reflect and connect with God in the stillness. All Saints has also just produced a Children’s Trail that can help children, and others, find out more about the church. And each August we hold our Messy Church activity day on a weekday which offer children games, crafts, stories and food. This year is no different. We will be at Abbotts Ann Memorial Hall on Wednesday 5th August from 10am-2pm (signing up for it is important in August). 

Whether you have a summer of adventures, or a summer tucked away indoors, please know that all of the ministry team are here for you if you need us to listen, to chat and to encourage.

With every blessing

Teresa