Dear Friends
November has always been a time of festivals and celebrations marking the end of Harvest and beginning of Winter. In this Parish of Wokingham St Sebastian’s and neighbouring communities of Wokingham and Bracknell, it is also a time where through baptism we become members of one another in Christ and also of a company of saints whose mutual belonging goes beyond death. We celebrate this shared longing on Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) at St Sebastian’s Church on Sunday 3rd November at 3pm.
All Souls Day allows us to remember with thanksgiving before God those who have died – those personally known, those who gave us life, made sacrifices for us and who nurtured us in our faith.
We then come to Remembrance Day on Sunday 10th November, 10am. We explore the theme of memory, both corporate, personal and individual, as we confront the ongoing issues of war and peace, loss and self-sacrifice, memory and forgetting. Recent global atrocities and escalations which are too many to list remain deeply concerning at present. The need to pray for God’s intervening peace and counsel through negotiations is ever more important.
A characteristic of November is the shorter days after the UK clocks go back an hour. We respond differently to the annual change in the Greenwich Mean Time and longer nights. For some persons, they experience what the NHS describes as “Winter Depression” because symptoms are usually more apparent in the winter than other seasons. My advice in such cases is first to always see your Doctor (or General Practitioner). S/he can carry out an assessment to check your mental health. S/he may ask you about your mood, lifestyle, eating habits and sleeping patterns, plus any seasonal changes in your thoughts and behaviour and provide the relevant support.
If you are able to take part in any local community events, that is just as important. Meeting others, talking about the exciting and mundane things also matters. You can also join our church community to meet new friends and why not! We’re social beings, and we are not meant to live in isolation. Community is critical for us to thrive, celebrate and journey together. This matters a lot for many who could be experiencing mental health illness and common symptoms of loneliness and isolation, particularly, in the winter months of shorter days.
There is another aspect to light and dark nights, according to the 5th chapter of 1 Thessalonians: “For (we) are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night”. We become light emitters bringing love and kindness into our community in the midst of darkness. But a word of caution, according to John Hagee. “We are indeed the light of the world – but only if our switch is turned on.” We let our light shine naturally in the words of Dwight L Moody. No need to tell others about the light, just like lighthouses. “Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining – they just shine”. Light emitters daily positively impact communities and surroundings. We plant love, we forgive, we encourage, we empathise, we comfort, we share, we pray, we worship with joy all within challenging environments. We still experience negative encounters and relationship challenges. Sometimes we are overwhelmed with personal circumstances not knowing where to turn. However, there is not enough darkness in all the world to put out our light. The 8th chapter of John’s Gospel cites: “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” I am assured by these words of encouragement and I hope you are also.
We hope you are able to join us on All Souls Day and Remembrance Day, key markers for coming together in the life of our Parish community.
Stay blessed with love
Reverend Rickey Simpson-Gray
Parish of Wokingham St Sebastian’s
A Prayer in November for anxious times
Restless with grief and fear,
the abandoned turn to you:
in every hour of trial,
good Lord, deliver us,
O God most holy, God most strong,
whose wisdom is the cross of Christ.
For peace and safety amid unrest
O God, who would fold both heaven and earth in a single peace:
let the design of thy great love
lighten upon the waste of our wraths and sorrows:
and give peace to thy Church,
peace among nations,
peace in our dwellings,
and peace in our hearts:
through thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.