Thought for the Month
Join me each month as I ponder life with all the highs and lows we encounter along the way.
I hope you enjoy my blog whose aim is to raise a smile as well as give food for thought.
As always, I would love to hear from you, so please contact me 01278 781147 c.judson@btinternet.com
God bless you.
Rev Chris
July 2025 ‘Hew-manod!’
The year is flying by and we’ve arrived at the month of Hewi-manod!
Let’s take a gentle stroll through the month of Hewi-manod and see what surprises this month has to offers us. As we stroll let the beauty of the month bring you joy and hope.
In times gone by the month of July was known as Hewi-manod, or the month of hay making. The grass which has been grown for that purpose is now ready to be harvested and laid out to be dried, so that in time when it dries it is stored as hay. The drying time is an anxious time as no rain is wanted then, but unlike the rest of the year that time seems to pass very slowly!
July is also the time when the smaller gardens which have been dug and planted earlier in the year, are now beginning to produce delicious vegetables. Ready to be harvested, prepared, cooked and enjoyed on our plates within a couple of hours. Nature and humans working together, the result is a bounty of good and delicious foods.
The gentleness of the breezes and the warmth of the July sunshine offer a welcome to the now rare sight of butterflies. As we tread through the fields, we spy them fluttering by. Busy about their business. Gone too quickly but charging the air with excitement as they pass by.
School holidays come at this time too. They are a special space in the year. When “time can stand still” and many simple pursuits followed like pond dipping at the beach to making dens in the local woodlands. All worthy pursuits which will bring warmth to our hearts both in the coming Winter and in our later years.
Hold onto Hewi-manod /July it has much to offer you as you tread gently through it treasuring all that it has to give. It is a month that holds many wonderful surprises.
July…
July—a time to welcome nature into our hearts,
To let it fill us with joy.
A time for our eyes to behold the splendour of the green trees,
And the endless stretch of blue skies,
Renewing our souls with hope.
A time for the sun’s gentle rays
To mend the wounds of winter,
And gift us with refreshment and peace.
A time for the soft summer breeze
To lighten our footsteps,
To carry us forward with grace.
A time to pause, to ponder,
To gather our blessings,
And give thanks for the wonders of creation.
Go Well, this July,
Reverend Margaret.
June 2025 ‘Trinity Sunday, Father’s Day and Papa Leo (1)’
‘Papa can you hear me?’ sang Barbara Streisand in Yentl, as she cried out to her own Father in the night, and to her Father God too. The cry of Jesus on the cross: ‘My God, why have you forsaken me?’ is echoed in this phrase, and hits out in pain at the one who is always there and can take whatever is thrown at him in our moments of desolation.
Last month the Worldwide Catholic Church gained a new Father in Pope Leo IVX (the word pope derives from the Ancient Greek πάππας (páppas) ‘father’). It is early days for his papacy, but he is already standing in defence of human dignity, justice and labour – bringing together views from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and speaking with a gentle strength for peace and unity.
The role of Father is seldom an easy one, and is all too often portrayed in its failures and pitfalls, rather than in its successes and triumphs. That said, fatherhood is a hugely important part of our society and, as with motherhood, we may at times find that others around us take on the fathering roles – either in addition to our fathers or in place of them, but we all need that love, care and guidance and we thrive so much more effectively when we have it.
At a recent funeral of a colleague I was deeply struck by the beautiful tributes given from all of his children, including his step-children. He had proved himself to be a reliable, caring Dad to them all, with a merciless sense of humour and an endless capacity for ‘being there’ when needed. A very special man who embodied what fatherhood was truly all about.
On 15th June this year Fathers’ Day and Trinity Sunday coincide. As we celebrate the mystery of God, known to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, let us take time to encourage and value the fathers around us now, as well as remembering those we have known in the past. None of them will have been perfect – but so many of them will have done their best and made a huge difference. This month we also celebrate three very different Saints – Paul, Peter & Barnabas. Paul strove to establish and support so many early church communities. Peter, despite many mistakes along the way, led the early church and handed on the baton picked up this May by Pope Leo. Barnabas worked alongside Paul and was known as the great encourager. May they inspire us all to be the best that we can be in all that we do and are!
God bless you, guide you and encourage you,
Rev Chris