MONTHLY UPDATE FROM SIMON

February/March 2025

Dear Friends

February begins with the Feast of Candlemas - the celebration of Christ’s presentation in the Temple.  It’s a bittersweet festival when we recall how Simeon recognised Christ as ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles’, but also warned Mary that her soul would be pierced with grief on account of the suffering he would undergo.  And it marks the transition from Christmas to Easter, as our attention turns from his birth to his death.

This year we shall be celebrating Candlemas not just at our Sunday services on 2nd February, but also at a special service of Evensong at Harting the previous evening.  During the service we shall be dedicating a beautiful new lectern which was commissioned by Harriet, our former Rector, and has been made by Alex Jones, the son of the late Sue Jones, who is a highly accomplished craftsman.  Both Canon Harriet and Simon Neale-Stevens will be joining us for the service, and we hope that many of you will be there to welcome them back to Harting.   The service will start at 5pm and will be followed by refreshments.

The new lectern is a fine piece of church furniture, made in the form of an open Bible, with the words, ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth’, carved on its stem.  It will replace the rather undistinguished lectern that is currently used and is a much better height and shape.  Lecterns first acquired prominence at the Reformation, when Thomas Cromwell ordered a large copy of the Bible (in English) to be chained to them to allow people to read it for themselves.  They remain the principal place from which the Bible is read in church and therefore deserve dignity and stature.

I wonder what place the Bible occupies in your life and when it was that you last read it for yourself?  A few generations ago it was assumed that most people were familiar with it and had a copy on their bookshelves.  But times change, and in my experience few people, even among churchgoers, now read it regularly, if at all.  We may still know some of its stories, and it is certain that many of its sayings will be part of our everyday speech, but that is probably the extent of our biblical literacy – and it probably doesn’t bother us.

I’ve never found the Bible easy to read, and I’m certainly not a ‘chapter and verse’ kind of Christian.  I’m mindful of its complexity and the different circumstances under which its books were written; I’m alert to the danger of taking its verses out of context and using them as weapons to support one’s own prejudice.  But I’ve been fascinated by it ever since, as a teenager, I picked up a copy of the New English Bible and began to read it.  Something about it remains compelling, and there are numerous passages which both inspire and challenge me.

As we move towards the start of Lent, perhaps you would like to give the Bible a fresh chance by regularly reading a passage.  Try to do so with an entirely open mind and allow your imagination to bring its words to life.  Simply let it speak to you in whatever way it does.  Although I appreciate the beauty of the King James Version, I would recommend using a good modern translation, and I would start with one of the Gospels.  Don’t be intimidated by it, don’t try and read too much, just try and enjoy a few verses as part of your daily nourishment.  Your appetite might be stimulated.

With my prayers and best wishes

Simon

Bible Reading Resources

If you would like encouragement in reading the Bible, the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) produces excellent daily notes.  The most widely used is called New Daylight, each issue of which provides four months of daily readings and comment, with a team of regular contributors drawn from a range of church backgrounds. 

If you would like to read a wise and balanced introduction to the Bible, I can recommend a book called ‘How to Eat Bread’ by Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, who is the Archdeacon of Liverpool.  Its three sections explore the different ways in which the Bible has been read and interpreted down the ages.  Perhaps a few of us could form a group to read and discuss the book together in a relaxed way.

Wednesday Eucharist

A few months ago I mentioned the possibility of re-introducing a regular Wednesday morning Eucharist at Harting.  Unfortunately, this has been delayed both by my leg injury and by the recent cold weather.  I would therefore like to propose that we make a start in Lent, following on each week from Ash Wednesday (5th March). 

Confirmation/First Communion

If any of you, adults or teenagers, would like to be prepared for Confirmation at some point this year, please do contact me.  Alternatively, you may have children (Key Stage Two and upwards) who are too young to be confirmed, but who would like to receive Communion.  If so, they can be prepared accordingly.  God’s table is open to all!

The Feast of the Annunciation (Lady Day)

We shall be celebrating our Patronal Festival at Harting with a Sung Eucharist at which Bishop Ruth, the Bishop of Horsham, will preside and preach.  It will be on Tuesday 25th March at 11.30am and will be followed by a simple lunch in the Law Room.  We shall be delighted to be joined by members of the Mothers Union from throughout Chichester District.  Do come and help us make it a really special day!