Hertingfordbury Parish News: May 2003

Clergy Letter

Dear Friends,

On Maundy Thursday, I attended a service in St. Albans Abbey. It had a rather long title: "Holy Eucharist with the Blessing of Oils and Act of Commitment to Ministry." But the service itself was one of beauty and simplicity. The three Bishops were in attendance, as was the Dean and Sub Dean, and as many of the Diocesan Clergy that were able to attend, plus Deacons, Readers, and Lay Workers. The service of Holy Communion was exactly the same as the one we use in our own Parish Church week by week. A wonderful sermon preached by the Diocesan Bishop, who spoke of the man Jesus having 'dirt under his fingernails" (not something one would ordinarily think of when speaking or thinking of Our Lord). During the Distribution of the Sacrament, the girls' choir sang two anthems and then the congregation joined in with two hymns. The second (the Servant King) almost brought me to tears as, short by a week, it was nine years since I had sung that very hymn in the Abbey at my Ordination to the Priesthood. The first verse and refrain are as follows: 'From heaven you came, helpless babe, entered our world, your glory veiled; not to be served, but to serve, and give your life that we might live', refrain: This is our God, the Servant King, he calls us now to follow him, to bring our lives as a daily offering of worship to the Servant King. Then there followed the Act of Commitment to Ministry. The call came in the words of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians Ch. 12 vs 4-6. Concluding with Bp. Christopher St. Albans, pronouncing God's Blessing and the Dismissal, and several hundred clergy and workers in God's name left the Cathedral. Later that same day, seven people (including our organist and myself) gathered in St. Mary's with St. John's for our service of Holy Communion and stripping the altar, five remained for Compline (the evening office) and four for the one hour watch. What was the difference between these gatherings? Quite simply one was in the Abbey Church and Cathedral, the other in our parish village Church, both houses of prayer, both places for people of like mind to come together and worship God through his Son Jesus Christ. As I write this, I am preparing to go to share in the Service of the Veneration of the Cross in our Church at 2.30pm. I do not know how many will be there and in many ways it doesn't matter, for Jesus said: ''where two or three are gathered in my name there I will be amongst them". I have said in many ways numbers do not matter, and that is so but when I think of the Sacrifice He made for us, I do wonder&On Easter Day we will light a new Easter Candle, we will proclaim: 'Christ Risen, He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!' Perhaps we should first remind ourselves of the hymn line that asks, 'were YOU there when they crucified my Lord?, and then recall the refrain of the hymn The Servant King.

May the Blessing of God throughout this Eastertide be with you and all you love, and may His Peace rest with you and the whole of his Creation.

Love and every blessing.

Rev'd Rosemary

Please note: Although the Hertingfordbury Parish News is produced by St. Mary's PCC, the opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the PCC.