Jenny’s letter 10th November
Dear Friends,
In the rhythm of our busy lives, it is essential for our health and well-being that we pause and reflect.
One of the reasons we have increased the number of benches in our churchyard is to create in Bromborough, a space and place to enable that. I am always pleased to see people of all ages there.
This Sunday in St Barnabas, and in Bromborough Pool on Monday, I will be helping to lead services and Acts of Remembrance that will help us all pause and reflect.
As Christians, remembrance holds profound significance. God calls us to remember His works, His promises, and the sacrifices made for us. The writer of Psalm 77 says, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago”(Psalm 77:11). During his last meal with his friends, Jesus tells them to remember him always in the breaking the bread, and as we share the cup of wine.
This act of remembrance, often called Holy Communion, happens in every parish every Sunday. Those who believe are spiritually fed and renewed through the receiving of bread and wine and in hearing the word of God.
In our local community, at this time of year, remembrance takes on an added and very specific layer of meaning. It’s about honouring those who came before us—those who paved the way with sacrifice, faith, and love.
Their stories remind us that war is awful. There are few alive now who can speak from personal experience, but we who live in the present, have a role in passing on from generation to generation, what has taken place. We pause and reflect together. We honour those who gave up their lives for our freedom. Remembering their sacrifice inspires us to build a future rooted in gratitude and service.
This week I have spent several hours with some of Bromborough’s children. I have shared with them some of the treasures that St Barnabas church holds, including the battle front wooden cross, brought to our village at the end of WW1. We have shared stories about the making of our local war memorials and how the changing circumstances and attitudes to war in Bromborough affected their design. In the churchyard, we can trace stories of families through both World Wars and even to the conflict in Afghanistan.
I have also learnt from our village children. They have shared with me the poetry of John McCrae who wrote the famous poem, ‘In Flander’s fields’. I have been reminded by them of the extraordinary event when men from both sides of the Great War played football in ‘no man’s land’ on Christmas Eve. I have seen some amazing artwork and watched as children crafted heartfelt prayers full of sadness at what people have done, with real hope for a future that is yet to come. As we teach them about the past, they teach us that the desire for peace is inherent in us all and the hope for the future that can come through remembering.
Bromborough is a very special place to live. It is close to public services, industry and shops, but still has the characteristics that a village identity can give.
Even for non-believers, St Barnabas is still important, and many generations of families are buried in the churchyard. However, our village church is so much more than a heritage site. It is a place where new life is celebrated and new relationships are blessed in marriage. It is a place where the end of life is mourned and Sunday by Sunday, people come to remember a God who in Jesus died, but who lives on in the Word of God, in bread and wine and though the power of the Holy Spirit.
During the World Wars many people lost their faith whilst others saw a loving God, who was alongside humanity when people’s wickedness led to the destruction of places and homes and families.
In the midst of the world we live in today, there are those who turn away from God alongside people in our village who can testify to what God has done and is doing in their lives. In our business, we do not always have time to look and listen for God. But if we pause and reflect, we can also see that where good is, God is. We can see where there are positive new things happening and new possibilities being created all the time. Christians believe God is love. If we look carefully, we can see love.
This season, let’s come together to honour the legacy of those who have gone before. Whether through prayer, gathering with neighbours, or acts of kindness, let us embody the spirit of remembrance but also take time to reflect on how God’s faithfulness calls us to loving action. Together, we remember. Together we have strength. Together, we grow.
Every Blessing,
