St Mary the Virgin Church

On Boxing Day in 2004 we watched our TVs in horror, as a tsumani engulfed coastal communities. People, boats, homes, livelihoods, lives – all tossed in the air as if they were nothing. A tsunami has engulfed our world. Not just health and lives have been overwhelmed by the coronavirus, but livelihoods and incomes, families and connections, stability and security. So much of what was normal has fled, at least temporarily. We are learning a new way of living. I write this in ‘self-isolation’ (one of so many words that have gate-crashed our vocabulary), due to a member of the […]

January: we turn over the page of our life story to a new chapter. What was 2019’s story for you? Who entered your story for the first time – new friends? a family baby? a close relationship? What were the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, the moments you’ll treasure – and those you’d rather forget? And so to 2020… A short while ago I penned twelve creative stories about people’s lives. They’re written from the perspective of characters in the Old Testament: What was Noah’s experience of the flood like, when he lost his community, his country and […]

An early very happy Christmas! Some years ago we had the opportunity as a family to spend Christmas with friends living in Peru. Christmas in Tropical temperatures – a wonderful prospect! But would we miss the seasonal darkness with its twinkling Christmas lights, the cosy fug of a living-room with curtains drawn, the chink of glasses fending off the winter gloom? Funnily enough, no! We soaked up the heat and savoured wearing sandals and T-shirts. We loved the Spanish-style Christmas Night celebrations which only got into full swing after midnight, needing to slip away in the early hours to carry […]

Does God have a Brexit mast that he nails his colours to? While you ponder this, I will nail mine. By the time the Referendum came I reckoned I was 70% Remain and 30% Leave. Only one vote though… I share this not to argue a position, more the opposite. Where we were living at the time of the Referendum turned out to be part of the experience for me. Coastal North Devon is ‘purple’ on the political map – solid UKIP territory (back then), and a large Leave majority. My instincts are pro-European. (If of interest, mainly because of […]

‘You can’t please all the people all of the time,’ sighed God, as the sports results came in on another Saturday afternoon. Not everyone’s prayers for victory could be answered. Not that so many prayers are uttered these days – though desperate times bring desperate measures. A sporting theme this month, only slightly apologetically. For it’s the time of year again when those who devotedly follow a football team, or of other sport, can have their hopes of a title or a promotion teetering on fulfilment, or they may be staring into the jaws of relegation. As Bill Shankly, one-time […]

Once upon a time there were three lovely parishes called Escot, Feniton and Payhembury. They nestled cosily together in the equally lovely valley of the River Otter. One day the new Vicar said, ‘We need a strapline.’ ‘What’s one of those?’ came a sensible enquiry. ‘Keep up!’ piped another up cheekily, ‘it’s one of those trendy phrases people feel they have to have these days.’ So the parishes talked amongst themselves and said, ‘How about Love, Hope and Faith? What things could be better? – and three to match the three parishes.’ ‘Excellent!’ cried one, ‘Bingo!’ cried another. ‘But we […]