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
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
May 2025 ‘Rogationtide’
Rogation Sunday (25th May 2025) is the fifth Sunday after Easter. It takes place in the spring, during the planting season. The parishes of The Huntspills & Mark are each rural parishes, and Rogation gives us a chance to focus on the importance of all that goes on within them. This year we will be hosting a special Benefice Rogation Service at 3pm on Sunday 25th May at St Peter & All Hallows Church, West Huntspill, inviting people from across the Burnham and Highbridge Churches Together area. Please do come – especially if you are involved in farming, and help us to support our local farmers in all that they do and are.
Rogation comes from the Latin verb ‘rogare’, which means ‘to ask’. It is ‘a time of asking’, when we ask God’s blessings on emerging crops and pray for life and growth during the growing season. In times gone by when everything depended on the local harvest, this was vital. A failed local harvest meant starvation, so asking God’s Blessing at various points was seen as important. We still depend on farming today for our food but can draw on harvest from all over the country and beyond. It can be easy to feel disconnected from where our food comes from. Which makes this still a good time to pray for farmers who are at the mercy of the weather. The pandemic reminded us that farmers are key workers and need our support. The changing World situation that we are currently facing emphasises how important it is that we value all those who work to produce the food that we need.
As with many Christian festivals, including Easter, Rogation was taken over from Graeco-Roman religion, where an annual procession invoked divine favour to protect crops against mildew. The tradition grew of holding a prayerful procession, often around the parish boundaries, for the blessing of the land. The Rogation procession was suppressed at the Reformation, but it was restored in 1559. The poet George Herbert interpreted the procession as a means of asking for God’s blessing on the land, of preserving boundaries, of encouraging fellowship between neighbours with the reconciling of differences, and of charitable giving to the poor. Some communities still do what is referred to as ‘beating the bounds’, while others incorporate these themes into their services. Over time, the scope of Rogation has been widened to include praying for the world of work and for accountable stewardship, and prayer for local communities, whether rural or urban.
Rogation Sunday and the three following Rogation Days commemorate Jesus’ final days on earth before his Ascension. They focus on the earth, agriculture, and our dependence on God. As the earth is blessed, so the new life, renewal, and resurrection in nature is connected with the new life, renewal and resurrection of Jesus. Rogationtide also encourages us to seek reconciliation in our personal and community relationships – always a good thing to do!
God bless you and inspire you, at Rogationtide and always, Rev Chris