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Welcome
to our website!
As you look through our pages I hope that you will find out all the
information you need to know about us. The Church of
England parish of Forest Row and Ashurst Wood is
set at the northern edge of the Ashdown Forest IN West Sussex. The Parish
straddles the beginnings of the The two
churches in the parish, Holy Trinity, Forest Row and St. Dunstan’s, Ashurst Wood, lie at the heart, physically and metaphorically,
of the two villages. These are in some ways traditional village churches, run
by the villagers and involved in the life of the local communities at every
level. However we hope that our worship reflects contemporary life and meets
the needs of people of all ages and backgrounds. Our aim is to be accessible
to all and to be places where all can come and hear of and experience
something of the love of God that we have found in Jesus and to join us on
the journey of faith. If you are
visiting the Villages for a holiday, for work or business or to attend a
course at one of our colleges or schools, please use this site to drop in and
join us on Sunday or at one of our events. Both churches are open during the
day and you are welcome to come in and be quiet, to pray and to know
God’s peace. Please contact
us if we can be of help in any way. We hope you enjoy your visit. Nick Lamb PARISH NEWS
DECEMBER 2008 Dear Friends Did you hear the one about why it never snows at Christmas?
It’s because it’s all about Reindeer (‘rain, dear’).
Get it? You may think this is terrible - but just you wait till you pull
those crackers! This kind of thing amongst many others is why a surprising
number of people really hate Christmas. It’s not just that they
can’t identify with the religious messages but it seems so pressured,
consumerism driven and tawdry. Carol tunes are blared out in the shops, endless
twinkling Santas fill the
streets and everyone seems after your money. Well, I’m no Scrooge, and
in fact I really love Christmas, but I can see the point. And we get to this Christmas experiencing things that we never
thought possible before: broken banks, rising unemployment, repossessions
through the roof, inflation and recession at the same time and more. Not all
bad news though – a charismatic beacon of hope in Barack
Obama the first black President of the And the real meaning of Christmas? Many go for the children
– giving them a spoil, seeing them in the Nativity plays and Carol
services. For some it is a good opportunity to have a party and get to know
people in the office in a way that will embarrass them for the rest of the
year. For others it is a time to be kind and show sympathy and care for the
homeless, lonely, shut in and frail. In our varied, extraordinary and gifted
Village we will all express a different meaning and find something different
to celebrate. For me? I love the traditional Christmas music, the expectancy
of Midnight Mass (Communion), being a bit silly and not so serious, opening a
stocking on Christmas morning and twinkly lights in
the dark. But for me the best meaning is that somehow the God who made the
heavens and the earth came to share this life, yours and mine, with all its
sorrows, heartaches and joys, by becoming a frail and powerless baby in a cattle shed behind a pub. God identified with us all.
I don’t understand how it happened or all that it means and I’m
happy to accept the mystery. But at heart I know that it is about love, a
love that is stronger than anything else in the universe. And it has reached
out to each one of us and is for us to share. So sing well, play well and eat well but remember to identify
with those who don’t have your hope, your joy, your
power. Be kind, generous, compassionate and caring – give others a
taste of heaven! God bless you Nick Lamb |
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