Dearest friends,
Forty days after Easter, the Church celebrates the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. It can sometimes feel like a quieter feast, overshadowed by the joy of Easter or the fire of Pentecost, yet the Ascension is one of the great turning points in the Christian year. Without it, the story of salvation would feel unfinished.
The Ascension is not simply Jesus “going away.” It is the moment when the risen Christ returns to the Father in glory, carrying our humanity into the life of God. In the Incarnation, God came down to us; in the Ascension, humanity is lifted up to heaven in Christ. As the ancient Church loved to say: where the Head has gone, the Body is called to follow.
This feast also marks a transition in the Church’s calendar. Eastertide begins with the empty tomb and reaches its fulfilment in the Ascension. The disciples who once clung fearfully to Jesus must now learn to trust his presence in a new way. Christ is no longer bound to one place or one people, but is present to the whole Church through the Holy Spirit. The Ascension therefore prepares us for Pentecost, when the Spirit is poured out and the mission of the Church truly begins.
The Ascension reminds us that Christ reigns now. He is not absent, but enthroned; not distant, but interceding for us before the Father. In a world often marked by uncertainty and anxiety, the Church keeps this feast to remember that our hope is anchored in heaven, where Christ has gone before us.
Far from being an ending, the Ascension is a promise: that our life is hidden with Christ in God, and that one day we too shall share in his glory.
In love,
Fr. Matthew
Notices
Blessing of the Bikes
On the 10th May we’ll be at Exeter Cathedral for the Blessing of the Bikes. This is a wonderful new worshiping community that we’re launching from our churches – a great way to invite people who would not usually cross our path. Let’s make an effort to be there and have conversations and invite them to church. 3:30pm, Exeter Cathedral, 10th May www.holymotorbikes.com
Holy Trinity Sunday – Joint event in Bovey Tracey.
Much planning is going ahead for this wonderful Sunday. We’ll meet at St. John’s at 10:30am and process to Marsh Park where we’ll celebrate the Eucharist with our brothers and sisters from PPT. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop James (and he’ll also preach for us). Rev’d Graham and myself will serve in various respects. We have coffee immediately afterwards and then a family BBQ – a perfect event to invite your friends and family to. There’ll be a children’s tent with various activities and lots of fun for the whole family.
Sunday 10th May
6th Sunday of Easter
9am – Sung Parish Mass [SJ]
11:15am – Sung Parish Mass [SL]
3:30pm – Blessing of the Bikes, Exeter Cathedral
Year A(II), Psalm week 2, Easter 6
Upcoming Dates
May
10th – Blessing of the Bikes [Cathedral]
16th – Table Top Sale [WH]
Rosary Group, 10:30am [SL]
17th – Lecture, World Religions (4pm) [SJ]
Afternoon Tea (5pm) [SJ]
Evensong (6pm) [SJ]
20th – St. Luke’s APCM, 6pm [SL]
21st – St. John’s APCM, 6pm [WH]
31st – Joint service & parish outreach with PPT [SJ]
NA Benefice Evensong, St. Luke’s
June
3rd – St. Luke’s Ladies Group
7th – Explorers
20th – Table Top Sale [WH]
21st – Lecture, Christian Denominations (4pm) [WH]
Afternoon Tea (5pm) [WH]
Evensong (6pm) [SJ]
July
1st – St. Luke’s Ladies Group
4th – Parish Outing to Exmouth
5th – Explorers
10th – Evening Lecture – History of the Anglo Catholics in Devon [WH]
18th – Table Top Sale [WH]
19th July – Joint mass with BBQ [SJ]
25th – Quiz with Fish & Chips [SL]
26th – NA Benefice Evensong, West Ogwell
Sept
2nd – St. Luke’s Ladies Group
5th – Glastonbury Pilgrimage
10th – Winter Term & Christmas Planning Meeting [SL]
11th – Bingo [SL]
13th – Explorers
20th – Lecture, Church Vestments (4pm) [WH]
Afternoon Tea (5pm) [WH]
Evensong (6pm) [SJ]
27th – NA Benefice Evensong, St. Mary’s
No Ladies Group in August
No midweek Mass in August
Fr. Matthew on pilgrimage from 24th July to 4th September
[SJ] St. John’s | [SL] St. Luke’s | [WH] Wickham Hall
[SC] St. Catherine’s School