Midweek Letters began as a resource during the Covid19 pandemic, when we were not allowed to hold public worship in the church. Our late Chaplain Fr Ron Corne wrote them, and his letters can be seen at this link: Fr Ron’s Midweek letters
Midweek Letter – 28th June
I am fortunate to live overlooking the coast, on the Southwest of Tenerife, which means that at this time of year the sun sets directly in front of me into the sea. As Spring turns to Summer the sunsets become more spectacular. The colours of yellow, orange and pink light up the vista and the sun´s rays spread out across the sky. Each sunset is unique and my favourite place to watch the dwindling light and changing sky is from my hammock. I´ve noticed that cloudy skies earlier on can sometimes be the precursor to a stunning sunset.
As the sun sets here it begins to rise over our friends in the Western hemisphere…and as it sets there it returns to rise over us the following day. We wait in the dark for the light to break forth and there are days when the clouds hide it totally. Hammock reflection has made me wonder about the “clouds” that colour and cover my personal sky, that prevent the sunlight shining through?
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross writes: People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is light within.
There´s no perfect life, no perfect job, no perfect childhood, no perfect marriage and no perfect set of people who will always do what we expect them to do. What we do have is a perfect God who is able to lead us through this imperfect life with unfailing strength, incomparable wisdom and infinite love. Talking about what gets in the way can be a way of enabling us to live and love with our whole hearts.
Now I´m pretty sure that we all know what healthy eating constitutes and we have access to a wealth of information around the topic so why is it that some of us struggle to eat healthily? Perhaps it´s because we don´t talk about the things that get in the way of doing what we know is best for us, our families and our communities.
Naming and having honest conversations about our “clouds” can enable us to develop resilience, courage, compassion and connection. We live in a world where expectations can tell us that being imperfect means being inadequate. Secrecy, silence and judgement can prevent us from developing resilience. We are encouraged in scripture to love each other as we love ourselves. Some of us are not so good at loving ourselves, naming our “clouds” and talking about them, owning and telling our story. Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we are supposed to be and embracing who we are. Choosing authenticity means cultivating the courage to be imperfect, to set boundaries and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable. It encourages us to exercise the compassion that comes from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle and nurturing the connection and sense of belonging that can only happen when we believe that we are enough in the eyes of the God who loves us unconditionally.
Belonging to a community of faith, as we do at All Saints, enables us to connect and share ourselves and our stories. As we look at the sun´s rising and setting we are reminded of the faithfulness of God who is above, beneath and beside us. We experience a Creator God who lit the world and breathed life into each one of us. We are enabled to know more of the Son who saved the world and stretches out His hand to each one of us and we experience the Spirit of God who encompasses each one of us in our world. This coming week may we see the sunset as an opportunity to reset knowing that the sunrise brings the promise of a new dawn. Our horizons may change but the sun, the Son does not.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship leader
Midweek Letter – 21st June
This week sees the summer solstice which is the first day of astronomical summer and the longest day of the year for people in the Northern Hemisphere. In ancient times, solstices and equinoxes were important in helping people to maintain calendars and grow crops. The solstice itself has remained a special moment of the annual cycle of the year since Neolithic times and over the centuries has been marked by festivals and celebrations.
In Anglesey, (The Island from where my ancestors come) lie prehistoric sites such as at Bryn Celli Ddu. This open burial chamber dated to around 2000BC, is so perfectly aligned that for only 20 minutes each year, a beam of sunlight aligns exactly with the opening to the chamber.
With the coming of Christianity, people were encouraged to give up their old traditions, by their incorporation into new Christian practices. For example, the summer solstice became known as the feast of St. John, the Baptist.
Here in the North of Tenerife every year on the “octava” (eighth day) of Corpus Christi – i.e. the following Thursday after the date of the religious feast – the northern Tenerife town of La Orotava celebrates its Día de las Alfombras (Carpet Day), when, since 1846, carpets of sand and flowers have been made in the streets as a traditional part of the celebrations.
La Orotava families, many still with the same surnames since the 15th Century conquest of Tenerife, start making the flower carpets from the early hours of “carpet day.” The central sand carpet – created entirely using sand and soil from Teide National Park – created each year in the square in front of the town hall. (It made the Guinness World Record for Largest Sand Painting; the 859.42 square meter “alfombra” or carpet of sand created in June 2007.)
In the early evening the procession walks all over these ephemeral carpets and destroys them, so the “window of opportunity” to see them is very short. Don’t miss them, because as works of art, they are breath-taking.
Peter Lockyer
Reader
Midweek Letter 15th June
As a child I remember being read the book, “Pollyanna” about a girl who, following her father´s death, is sent to live with her aunt who undertakes the responsibility out of a sense of duty rather than pleasure. Pollyanna affects everyone who meets her with her exuberance and positivity and she spreads joy and love wherever she goes. Nothing deters her excessive cheerfulness and optimism.
This week in the UK is National Loneliness Awareness week with the emphasis being on the Power of One. The campaign encourages each to explore the difference that one person can make to someone experiencing feelings of loneliness. During the pandemic we heard many reports of those who felt lonely due to the isolation imposed by the various governments around the world. In this post pandemic time many have made significant lifestyle changes in the light of their experiences during lockdown. Others however do not have the option, dare I say luxury, to make changes. The characteristics of Pollyanna are a challenge for many in our world. Yet as individuals the power of our one can make a difference to many living in loneliness.
If you are reading this that means you have the access to either a computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone. You have electricity and connection to the internet. You are more fortunate than over a billion people across the world who are unable to read.
Several times recently I´ve caught myself bemoaning a situation. My car wing mirror needs replacing…but I have a car. The water filter has broken…but I have access to clean water on tap. The power is off…but I have access to electricity and had been informed it would be switched off briefly. The price of my shopping has increased. Within a week I noticed the Pineapple juice jumped from 69c to 1.15 – yet I have a choice in our supermarkets and the ability to buy without needing to make a choice between food or bills. Starvation is the daily situation for millions. The lens through which I choose to see my world can be one of gratitude as I recognise the riches that I have in comparison with so many.
The Passion translation of St Paul´s letter to the Philippians 4:4 reads “Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let your joy overflow!” Paul continues in this letter to encourage his listeners to be saturated in prayer throughout the day and to tell God every detail of their life.
This week let us pray in gratitude for the riches that we enjoy and pray for the ability to reflect joy. Facebook reminded me recently that; “Today you could be standing next to someone who is trying their best not to fall apart. So whatever you do today do it with kindness in your heart.” In this way the power of one can become the power of many to influence and affect change within family and community.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter 8th June
After four days of watching a weekend of pageant, pomp, celebration and thanks, the one word that sticks in my mind is DUTY. Some seventy years ago I was a young boy who joined a wolf cub pack, there we had to make a promise to do our duty to God and the Queen, to keep the laws of the wolf cub pack and to do a good turn to someone every day. I have tried to achieve this every day since then, despite having got a little bit too old to be a member of the cub pack or even the boy scouts!
Watching the trooping of the colour, I was conscious that all those on parade had also taken an oath to do their duty to The Queen and country. All serving members of the armed forces also respect and have a duty to honour the regimental colour which, after being blessed, was then presented to the regiment by Her Majesty.
At the Service of thanksgiving, in St Paul’s Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury also was doing his duty, after being tested positive for COVID, by self isolating. The Archbishop of York doing his duty, presiding over the service and giving a very heart-warming address of thanks for Her Majesty’s seventy year reign, recognising that she has always done her duty, to God and the country, as promised in Her coronation vows,, and also pointing out that Christ had also done his duty, as required by God the Father, by dying for Man’s sins.
Here at All Saints, we joined in the celebrations by having a ‘Street Party’ the congregation also doing our duty celebrating Her Majesty’s long reign.
I feel that the whole platinum jubilee can best be summarised by Paddington Bear’s closing remark at the ‘tea party’
“Happy Jubilee Ma’am, and thank you – for everything”.
Peter Lockyer
Reader – All Saints Puerto de la Cruz
Midweek Letter – 1st June
I wonder how many different flags you´ve been aware of this week?
With our celebrations locally for Dia de Canarias (30th May) the food, culture, music and sports have for the most part taken place under and around the Canarian flag. This flag is formed of 3 identical vertical stripes of the following colours, starting on the pole, white, blue and yellow.
Many over the past months have placed Ukrainian flags in their windows as a symbol of solidarity with the Ukrainian community. The two bands of azure and golden yellow represent grain under a blue sky. How poignant that the exportation of grain to Russia is contributing to an impending global food crisis.
With the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth´s Platinum Jubilee the Union Jack and associated bunting is seen to be flying in many places up and down the UK and across the Commonwealth, and indeed in All Saints in preparation for our own celebration on Saturday.
A single piece of fabric can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. Depending on where they fly flags can represent freedom or control, danger or safety. Originally flags were used mainly in warfare and to some extent they have remained symbols of leadership – as a way of identifying friend or foe. Local flags help to foster a sense of identity and create a symbol which members of a community relate to. The Canarian colours of white, blue and yellow have been festooned around many parts of the island this weekend. Children and adults alike have proudly celebrated the day to mark the anniversary of the first session of the parliament of the Canary Islands held on 30th May 1983.
Flags are used to share the past, present and future vision of a community. Whether it be a simple Church Parade of uniformed organisations or the impressive Trooping of the Colour this ceremony reflects how the flag is held in high esteem as part of the history, the sacrifices made by the people and for the qualities for which the community and its people stand.
Words that come to mind when reflecting on the flag and its symbolism are service, duty, looking forward with faith and hope, solid, enduring, courage and strength…not because of the flag itself necessarily but because of the people who it represents and who serve under it.
There was a worship song some years ago that started: The Lord is mine and I am His. His banner over me is love. It contained several scriptural truths: He brought me to His banqueting table. He lifted me up into heavenly places. He is the vine and we are the branches. Jesus is the rock of my salvation. There´s one way to peace through the power of the cross. Each verse concluded with the words; His banner over me is love.
This coming week may we each know the hand of God´s love on our lives. May we reflect that same love within our families and communities. As a church family we pray with gratitude for all who serve their country and community – remembering all standing for truth and justice in places of war and remembering particularly the 70 years of service given by Queen Elizabeth. I conclude with her words as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England:
We are all visitors to this time. We are all visitors to this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe. Our purpose here is to learn. Our purpose here is to grow. Our purpose here is to love and then we return home.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 25th May
This week here in All Saints we celebrated a Service of Thanksgiving for Revd Ron. Amongst other things it was a time of remembering and sharing the memories.
Memory is the process of taking in information from the world around us, processing it, storing it and later recalling that information, sometimes many years later. Memories help shape the way we live and experience certain things that occur in our lives.
Remembering the past, living in the present and looking to the future are all important, however remembering the past can affect how we live in the present and the future. The good and the bad of our experiences will both determine the acts of our futures. Ultimately reflection can empower us to determine what´s important to us and one simple way to start reflecting is through memory keeping.
Facebook reminded me of a memory this morning from 7 years ago. Sifting through photos and videos on my phone, calendars and journals is a way to piece together not just a narrative – not just the story of what happened but, like historians we can decipher which significant moments mattered in our lives.
The concept of remembering recurs prominently in the bible, especially in the Old Testament. God remembers his covenant with his people whereupon God´s people are encouraged to remember Him. There are many times stones are placed as a marker or piled together to stand out in a place. Climbing various Welsh mountains in my youth there were frequent cairns contributed to by those who had completed the task and left the stone as a lasting memory.
The most enduring memorial in the bible is one that can´t endure: the loaf and the cup at the Last Supper – and Jesus´ words, “Do this in remembrance of me.” What lasts is the meaning. The body and blood are seen and shown and shared in the memorial of that meal in the upper room. It vanishes through being consumed but it endures in not just the memory but the behaviour, the actions of those who by eating and drinking together come to see how they now form themselves into one body.
This week perhaps we can take time to name and contemplate what has shaped us in the past. We will each have formative moments that have shaped our life. Memories are reflections of the heart we happen to gaze on once in a while. The choices we make reflect the memories we create. As Christians we try to become more like Christ. As we pursue this transformation let us consider the invitation God gives to each one of us to be led and guided to a deeper awareness of His love and care for each of us. Calling on God to remember his people or an individual is the essence of prayer. The repentant thief alongside Jesus on the cross called out: Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. We pray for all who have asked us to remember them in prayer this week.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 17th May
Yesterday I found a map and a torch in my car door and I realised that both reminded me of my journeying over the past few weeks. My map gets much less use now thanks to the Sat Nav but it is handy to show visitors where we are in relation to other parts of the island and to view the contours and communities in Tenerife. Both the Sat Nav and the Map have their place and I realise I am helped by visual descriptions – turn left at the red house on the corner or right at the petrol station beyond the bridge. Solely sticking to the signposts, road numbers and street names doesn’t give me the confidence that I will reach my destination. Trusting my Sat Nav totally means I rely on my phone battery not to let me down. The more I use it the less reliable it is. There´s a place for each at different times and in different places.
These last few weeks journeying has been from place to place in England but as well as the physical journey there has been a spiritual and healing journey at a retreat centre. My map has been my bible and the Sat Nav has been the opportunity to join with other Christians and with direction from team members. The journey has been about spending time with God who is both my destination and my origin. The familiar question asked by children as they are travelling, “Are we there yet?” was one I asked several times. Over time I realised that peace was not the absence of something but the presence of someone.
The torch I found in my car reminded me of the analogy I used when looking back and describing my time at Crowhurst. When a torch grows dim or stops working you don´t throw it away. You change or recharge the batteries. Some torches need AA: Attentive listening and Affection. Some need AAA: Attentive listening, Affection and Acceptance. Some use C: Courage and others require D: Direction. If after all these have been tried and there´s still a lack of light then there are those who simply sit alongside and share their light and The Light – Jesus, until the terminals are ready for the right batteries to be inserted and the torch can shine and shed its light once again, to illuminate other dark spaces and to light the way ahead. As Spurgeon said: To trust God in the light is nothing but to trust Him in the dark, that is faith.
We each have our own faith journey to take and we can’t walk anyone else’s. This week let’s pray that we will find the tools required for the journey that we are taking and know more of God who is with us, alongside and within us as we do so.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 4th May
Over the past months while out and about and passing children in their pushchairs or out for a meal at a restaurant something has struck me forcibly. Many children were sitting with a phone or tablet in their hand, and in fact one buggy had a clip with the phone mounted on it in front of the toddler. The children weren’t engaging with what or who was around them. Their heads were down and they were engrossed in whatever was on the screen in front of them. The thing that seemed sad was that in most cases the adult(s) with the child(ren) were also on their phones or speaking into the air, using airpods or similar. In a restaurant one family group of 2 children and 2 adults all sat looking at their screens and there wasn’t a word spoken between them from ordering their meal until it arrived – and then there were strong words exchanged between child and adult about putting the device on pause to eat the food while it was hot.
I contrast this with a family sitting across from me on a train recently. The children were excited about going to visit their grandparents. There was conversation between them and Mum had them looking for various objects out of the window to see who could gain the most points…can you look for…and they were given several things to look out for between this and the next station: a field with animals in? Can you count them? Are there more than 10? The list of things to find on their train hunt was interesting and kept them engaged and chatting together. Then out came a drink and a bag of fruit pieces with paper plates and the challenge to make something recognisable. There was a face, and a lighthouse and a pattern! The children were then given paper to write or draw something and then fold it over and pass it on – after it had done the rounds several times Mum then told them a story following those prompts. I´m sure I wasn´t the only one enjoying the adventures of the dog who had long floppy ears! When the time came to get off the train the children were eagerly looking out for Grandad who would be on the platform to help with the luggage and they rushed into his arms for a hug. Not one phone or screen between them for the duration of the journey and time for conversation, fun and listening well.
The contrast between this poverty of attention and the gift of being fully present was marked. I was reminded of a phrase I heard once: We are not machines that need to be fixed. We are humans who need connection.
Sometimes we accept this deficit of attention as part of life but we can feel a little less validated, a little less valued and a little less loved. Time and complete attention are precious gifts to give. One vicar in a parish many years ago had the gift of making you feel as if you were the only person he had to listen to and he was totally focussed on what you were saying when you were with him – no checking watch or phone for messages or rushing to fit you in to a full schedule. It might have been full but you were never made to feel anything other than you were the person to whom his complete attention was being given for the time you were with him.
Self-giving listening creates a safe place for vulnerability and trust. It allows pain and confusion to be articulated. This characteristic is one which God shares with each one of us. He is wholly present, utterly available and listening attentively. We have a God who suffers with – who meets us in our disappointments and joins us in our mourning for his world and people. In the Book of Job chapter 12 verse 10 we read: “In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind”. As we are conscious of our world and all its pain let us pray this week that we can allow the true nature of God to shape our pain and not let pain shape our image of God.
Exodus 3:7-9 tells us that God sees our misery, hears our cries, knows our sufferings, comes down to deliver and brings us into a new place. We know He suffered for us at Calvary and because of this he suffers with us today in our darkest hours. Desmond Tutu said: Hope is being able to see there is light despite the darkness.
We pray this week for our brothers and sisters in all parts of the world at war, for light in their darkness and hope in their uncertainty and we give thanks for all who offer aid and are present with and alongside them in the struggle.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 26th April
This past week I found myself noticing a scar which I have on my left hand and being reminded of how I received it – and the fact that because of my obstinate nature I carry it with me today. I´m not left with any pain or wound just the visible reminder of an experience of many years ago. We each carry scars, some more visible than others. But the thing about physical scars is that, while at one time they were wounds, they are now healed. They point us to a memory or an event but they are a healing of that same event.
On Sunday our Gospel reading was the story of the disciples together in a locked room following Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus came among them and offered them the gift of peace – “Peace be with you”. Thomas however wasn’t with them and despite their proclamations he announced that he wouldn’t believe Jesus was alive unless or until he could have proof – and that proof was to see the wounds that Jesus bore. A week later they were together again and Jesus appeared to them. He said to Thomas, “Look at the nail marks in my hands. Touch the sword wound in my side. Stop doubting and believe”. Thomas didn´t need to look or to touch. His doubts had gone. On hearing Thomas´ declaration of Jesus as his Lord and God Jesus responded: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” …that´s us! In all our wounds and scars of life Jesus offers us an eternal hope.
This midweek letter will be uploaded on Tuesday, the day before Revd Ron’s funeral when we will be coming together to share fond memories of Ron and give thanks to God for his life, but we don’t just have our memories of Ron we also have hope – the Christian Hope that death is not the final word – that although there is parting, there is also re-uniting; although there is death – there is also resurrection. At the Bible study which followed the midweek service the morning after hearing the news of Ron´s death I found myself staring at the chair where he usually sat and reflecting that Ron had left a large Ron shaped hole. It felt quite wound like.
Despite that, we know that Ron had a firm faith in the resurrection to eternal life. Ron preached on this very gospel to the Tenerife Virtual Church 2 years ago. He told us that the Early Church rather than kneeling were required to stand and look up, because Easter was such a glorious time. He likened it to the sense of Heaven and said, “When we get there as you go to kneel as you would naturally do before the throne of Christ, He will be lifting you up under the arms and looking you in the eye and saying Welcome brother / sister”.
He and those we know and love who have gone before us have experienced a total healing of all wounds and scars. As an Easter people we experience new life and hope and we pray today for Ron´s family and friends that, over time, rather than wounds scars will form and memories will be a source of comfort.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 19th April
What are your memories of Easter, I wonder? Hiding Easter Eggs for the children to find after church on Easter Sunday I was reminded that as a child in those days many patients brought their GP, my Dad, an Easter present – and knowing that he had 4 children we were inundated with chocolate eggs. They were lined up and as the oldest I got to choose first so my sister as the youngest inevitably got the smallest eggs. We experienced the same choosing but our memories are different and unique to each.
With Siri on my phone it was very easy to establish that Easter Sunday in 1980 was on 6th April. So it is likely that the chocolate had been eaten and the Easter holiday had been and gone by 25th April. Life was back to the normality of the ordinary. Except for many people their world would never be normal or ordinary again. Dan Air Boeing 727-46 G-BDAN, rather than landing at Tenerife North Airport, crashed into the high ground and forest in La Esperanza. This resulted in the death of all 146 on board, 8 crew members and 138 passengers. In All Saints we have a memorial rose garden and this coming Sunday 24th April after our 11:00 service we will be remembering all those who lost their lives and those who live with the impact of that memory.
Each family and friend will have their own jigsaw pieces of that disaster and its memory. The same could be said for the disciples and the women on Easter Sunday. They had pieces of a story and an experience – finding the tomb empty, running to tell the others, not believing the news, walking along the Emmaus Road and not initially recognising Jesus. Each had their own experience of the risen Jesus and the circumstances surrounding his resurrection and their part within it. They had been through the horror of Good Friday and the grief, loss and disappointments of Holy Saturday. Their Messiah had died and their hope had died too. It took time to experience the resurrection of Easter and that the cry of Jesus on the cross, “It is Finished” didn´t mean the end as they understood it. Jesus had defeated death. On the cross he spoke to the repentant thief alongside Him, “This day you will be with me in paradise”. Paradise – what´s your image? For me it certainly isn´t that death has the last word. The tomb of the Risen Jesus on Easter Sunday morning was filled with hope and freedom.
As we remember and pray for those impacted by the disaster and all who are grieving across our world today we pray the prayer from the Celtic Prayer Book:
Into my grieving weave the strength of the Father.
Into my grieving weave the compassion of the Son.
Into my grieving weave the comfort of the Spirit.
Into my grieving I receive the presence of the three in one.
Into my anger I weave the patience of the Father.
Into my numbness I weave the healing of the Son.
Into my confusion I weave the wisdom of the Spirit
And we shall grieve together, one in community with the three in one. Amen
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 13th April
Earlier this week I heard of a friend who has decided to take up running. To ensure this isn´t a whim and that she doesn´t give up she has signed on to take part in a half marathon in a couple of months’ time.
As I was reflecting on our conversation I was conscious that no amount of inspiring books or motivational YouTube videos will make someone a runner. You just begin to run, just the tiniest distance initially and gradually building up. The only way for a non-runner to become a runner is to run. It clearly takes time to prepare for and time to recover from the end goal of the half marathon but each day is part of the preparations.
Our Christian journey through Lent has been an opportunity to walk more closely with Jesus. Perhaps we have been on a journey of taking on something new, learning and growing with Jesus, sharing hopes and dreams, setbacks and mistakes. This week we reach Holy Week. It´s often known as Passiontide. The Greek root for the English word Passion, which we often associate with romantic or sexual love, derives from Pashko which means “To Suffer”. Passion is not just about what/who you love but it is what/who you are willing to endure and suffer for. The Greek term Persona is translated Stage Mask. Suffering forces us to choose whether we want to lose the “persona”, unmask ourselves and embrace the true person. Putting the two together if we truly want to find ourselves in the midst of our losses we must be prepared to risk the uncertainty of vulnerability. In the Holy Week journey of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Jesus walks this path of total selfless giving and vulnerability. We know the end of the story. There is Resurrection.
Resurrection reminds us that light shines in the darkness, not outside it or into it from outside but within it. In the darkness of war zones, whether literally or our personal “war zone” of isolation, fear or loss, we who have seen suffering, pain and love will also be able to share in His resurrection.
How do we tell counterfeit money from real? By learning what real money looks like! Similarly with artists, we study their work, their ways and their style. This helps us recognise the counterfeit and the fake. So this week may we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and know the truth of his suffering and death, his love for each one of us and the freedom we can enjoy in his resurrection life.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 6th April
On Tuesday March 22nd we in All Saints learnt of the unexpected and untimely death of Revd Ron, known simply to many as Ron. There have been many and varied emotions expressed since then. Conversations have included shock; sadness; no time to say goodbye; it doesn’t seem real; we didn´t know how ill he was; what happens now; it hits in waves. I’m sure these are only the tip of an iceberg.
Earlier I was watching 2 children playing with a ball in the swimming pool. After throwing and catching they started to push it down and then let it burst through the surface of the water. It went where it did. The further down they pushed it, the higher, more forcefully and more randomly it emerged. The way the ball behaved reminded me of grief. It pops out in unexpected places and the more we push it down the more likely it is to emerge randomly.
I am holding onto Psalm 31:7, “For you have seen my troubles and you care about the anguish of my soul”. Loss is woven into the fabric of life. The valley of the shadow of death and the way of suffering, grief and loss is a terrain which Ron walked and which we are now travelling. We read in scripture that Jesus promised life to the full. I´ve thought of that as a life of joy and miracles but this week I´ve been reminded that the life of Christ was marked by suffering as well as joy. The story of Holy Week which we remember from this coming Palm Sunday is one of disappointment, struggle and pain. Love and loss, presence and absence, suffering and resurrection aren´t sets of opposites. Rather they ebb and flow together in our life. In describing the loss of a friend C. S. Lewis writes: “Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything”. We will each have our own memories of Ron and a grief journey to walk, both individually and as a church family. We will move through it at different paces. At our car boot sale on Saturday one of our young members spoke to me: “Do you know that Ron has died?” “Yes I do and I am very sad” was my reply. He continued; “But I love Ron. He can´t die. He was my friend”.
May the words of Julian of Norwich encourage us in the coming weeks: “From Him we come. In Him we are enfolded. To Him we return”.
There will be an opportunity for us to remember and celebrate Revd Ron and his contribution to life in All Saints in the coming weeks. Meanwhile we pray for his family and each other.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 30th March
This past few weeks I´ve found myself in various “waiting” situations – waiting for flights, trains, news and results. Many of these “waitings” have meant “watching” too – a watching with, a watching for or just simply being and observing the world around me.
Sometimes it´s easy to wait and watch. At other times the watching and waiting has stirred many emotions. Sometimes words have got in the way and what was important was just the being there, waiting in the stillness, alongside. At other times, as when I was sitting at a train station, I was aware of the birdsong, the people around me and the sound and smell of freshly mown grass (I was in England and not Tenerife)! I was both a part of and apart from life going on around me.
In Matthew´s Gospel in the Garden of Gethsemane while praying to His Father Jesus asked his friends to stay, to keep watch and to pray. They simply had to wait and watch, yet they fell asleep. Each time he returned and asked them to watch and pray. Each time they fell asleep and He was left to carry His present anguish alone.
We have seen many pictures of the Ukrainian people waiting in underground shelters, waiting for an end to the horrors of war and watching the devastation occurring around them. The world watches from a distance but with the instancy of the media we are part of the horror. Many have been moved to action and across the world many have committed to pray, that the present won´t be the ultimate reality, that there will be an end to the horror of war, with healing and peace overcoming the pain and darkness experienced by so many.
In the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus prayed to His Father, after asking his friends to wait, watch and pray, despite the darkness, pain and suffering it wasn´t the ultimate end.
Our feelings and circumstances can appear despairing and yet within them Jesus comes alongside us. He has known the pain of suffering and despair. He told his disciples: Wait to receive the Holy Spirit. He will give strength and power.
Have you ever climbed up a tower? The landscape is seen from a different perspective than from the ground view. It enables us to see further and to see beyond the immediate. Today we pray for strength and power for all those who are in the darkness of waiting and watching, for a different viewpoint and a sense of light in their darkness.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 23rd March
This past year we seem to have become very used to having covid rules and regulations and their being changed depending on the situation locally. I’ve found it interesting how they have varied from country to country. My sister in Sweden has had very little disruption by any rules. Here in Tenerife the rules have depended on our “level”.
Are you naturally a stickler for following rules or do you tend to sail as close to the edge as you can get away with? Do rules give security or are they a frustration? One year for Lent I decided I would stick to the speed limit (shameful, yes I know) rather than regularly exceeding it.
Our upbringing can affect how we view rules too. “Do to others as you would like them to do to you” was a rule that was emphasised when I was at primary school. It encompassed love, peace, compassion, kindness, gentleness and inclusivity – encouraging us to include everyone in our games.
It´s interesting how some rules stick. We still today must keep our liquids to under 100ml when flying with hand luggage.
Perhaps you have your own rules for life. The Diocese in Europe encourages us each to have a Rule of Life. It includes 4 aspects.
The first is Knowing God: To commit ourselves to regular participation in an act of worship.
The second is Growing in Christ: To commit ourselves to regular prayer and intentional study of our faith and where possible to seek guidance from another to resource us as we seek to journey with Christ.
The third is Building Community: To offer time, treasure and talents to work constructively with our fellow Christians in building community within the church and in the places where we live.
The fourth is Living beyond ourselves: To seek purposefully to find a specific way or ways to relate our faith to the wider world in which we have been placed by God our Creator.
As Lent is a time when we can each focus on our journey of knowing Jesus and growing closer to Him I hope that using a Rule of Life could be one way to do this.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader
Midweek Letter – 16th March
For the past 2 days Tenerife has been hit by Storm Celia. We’ve seen videos of trees being uprooted, patios covered in palm leaves and husks which have been torn down by the wind, waves crashing high over harbour walls, lashing rain making tiles lethal to walk on and sand being whirled along beaches stinging anything in its path.
It’s one thing to sit inside and watch it happening from the warmth and safety behind the patio doors – though I have to admit to wondering whether the doors would be blown in as the sunbed was thrown from one side of the terrace to the other! It´s quite another to be outside in the midst of it. I live overlooking the harbour and from it there are frequent boat trips to see the whales and dolphins. There were no sailings over the past few days as the waves crashed onto the rocks and the turquoise swirling foam poured over the walls.
I didn´t venture very far during the height of it but last night I sat on the outdoor settee under the shelter of the roof, watching the palms bend with the wind and observing the changing colours of the sky. In one direction it was jet black and you could see the rain falling further out over the sea and La Gomera. In the other direction there were whisps of white cloud and pockets of blue sky. Suddenly the black clouds parted and a ball of brilliant sunlight shone through so brightly. I had to squint as it shone directly onto me. Despite what I could see the sun was still there, hidden, and it would be setting as it always did, whether it was visible or not.
Storms are part of life. They were certainly part of Jesus´ disciples´ life. On the lake as the disciples were tossed about in a boat fearing for their safety, Jesus slept. When I saw the water yesterday I asked myself how anyone would be able to sleep through a boat being tossed up and down in the storm. As a child I remember having a bible storybook and seeing a picture of a wooden craft with slender mast, sails and Jesus asleep in the stern on a pillow as the boat rode the crest of the swirling lake water. The disciples looked petrified as they clung onto the sides.
Haven´t we all been there, facing whichever storm we find ourselves in the midst of? Our media is full of the most unspeakable and unthinkable storms which the people of Ukraine are enduring. That storm is known to all and thankfully many are coming to their aid and standing shoulder to shoulder in support. However perhaps you are facing your own storm – known to a few or just yourself.
Let´s return to that boat on the lake in Galilee. Jesus was woken by the disciples. He spoke to the storm: Peace. Be Still. He told his fellow sailors: Do not be afraid.
He tells us the same.
In this coming week let us cling to the anchor in our storms, Jesus. In the final verse of Matthew´s Gospel we read: Know that I am with you always…Jesus is our companion in the storms as well as in the calm. Let us pray for all who are storm tossed and for those who are clinging to their boat in the hope that Jesus will speak words of peace to them, that they will know his presence alongside them and see the sunlight behind the darkness of their clouds.
Judith Rigby
Congregational Worship Leader