Haslemere LINK

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life”

John Ch 3 : Vs 16

April/May 2023

Suggested donation for a printed copy: £2

Rector

Rev Chris Bessant 658107 rector@haslemereparish.org

Curate

Rev Justin Manley-Cooper revjustin@haslemereparish.org

Older Children’s Worker

Verity Sutherland children@haslemereparish.org

Children & Families Worker Victoria Martin families@haslemereparish.org

First Steps

Mondays in St Christopher’s 0-5 Year Olds

Sophie Bessant & Victoria Martin (email as above)

LLM (Reader)

Peter Sellars: midsummer4peter@gmail.com'

Church Warden

Geoff Martin 641907

Gareth David 643617

Deputy Wardens

Howard Body 658762

David Simmons 644826

PCC Secretary

Katie Morgan 07794 149111 secretary@haslemereparish.org

Treasurer

Andrew Culshaw: 07889 855239

Stewardship Secretary

Geoff Martin 641907

Outward Giving Vacant

Director of Music & Organist

Clive Osgood 07747 785 940

Parish Contacts

Parish Office

The Link, Derby Road

Haslemere GU27 1BS

Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9am-3pm office@haslemereparish.org www.haslemereparish.org 01428 644578

Parish Administrator

Kari Hayden

Link Bookings

Parish Office (see above)

Verger

St Bartholomew’s

Carol Skeates 642662

Magazine Secretary

Jane Slevin 07949 633979 office@haslemereparish.org

Advertisements Manager: Geoff Martin 641907

Electoral Roll Officer

Bryony Atkinson 644578

Bell-ringers

Paul Bagshaw 656129

Friends of the Parish

Chris Lemar 651435

Flowers

St Bartholomew’s

Sarah Mulliner 643504

St Christopher’s

Frances Reincke 607206

Church Care Group

Roscelin Rees 651561

Churchyards

Philip Hunt 644120

Pastoral Visitors

Church Office 644578

Pastoral Assistants

Ruth Pattenden 653033

Ros Webb 648916

Bereavement Visitors

Linda Donaldson 644473

Frances Gaiter 648843

Sarah Mulliner 643504

Homegroups: Vacant

Safeguarding Officer

Cathy Moore 07593 814438

Mothers’Union Treasurer

Sue Davis 661115

BRF Representative

Sarah Mulliner 643504

Facilities for the disabled

Both Churches and The Link at St Bartholomew’s have ramped access and space for wheelchairs. Toilets suitable for use by the disabled are available in The Link and at St Christopher’s

Facilities for the hard of hearing

Both churches and The Link have Sound amplification and hearing loops.

Facilities for the visually Impaired

Both churches have good interior lighting and large print weekly notice sheets and service sheets.

Dear Friends

Did you ever watch that TV programme ‘DIY SOS’ (I think it was called)? The basic scheme for each episode was to totally renovate a person’s home in just three days. Most of the time the plan was to make the home more suitable for those disabled, unwell, or their carers. A whole squad of tradespeople (let’s call them angels) would ascend and descend their ladders as they went to work on profound domestic change. It was all rather marvellous and often emotional when those whose homes were transformed saw the final result. Life changing? Quite possibly.

The gospels record Jesus’s plan for a rebuild project of the Jerusalem temple. In John 2:13-21 Jesus is in a fit of rage as he turns over the tables of the money changers in the temple precincts. When challenged by the outraged religious authorities he claims ‘‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” I wonder if that included waiting for planning permission?

Can you remember how many days Jonah spent in the belly of a giant fish? It was three days. For how many days were the great crowd in hunger, before Jesus fed them with loaves and fish? It was three. How many days did St Paul spend struck blind by the light of God when confronted about his persecution of the church? Three again. How many days were required for Jesus to die for the sins of all people and then rise again to new life and hope for us all? It was - wait for it - three! It turns out three days is quite enough to make some really big changes to our lives.

Easter is coming, hadn’t you noticed? We have our established annual pattern of things as you might expect each year, with all the usual themes and traditions. Nevertheless, I worry that these important Christian festivals can come and go without us actually absorbing them spiritually. Surely, we can follow them along, but do we expect that God might have anything new for us?

Lately I’ve been asking myself and others whether or not we are settling for too little from God? Might we have our holy expectations set too low? Can we imagine something new or fresh beyond the rational and reasonable shapes that normal life offers? If ever there was a season to do so, Easter provides the three days to ask for radical change, new life and new hope.

Take a moment to look up Ephesians 3:14-21 in your bibles. The words may be familiar, but I’ll pick out these two verses: ‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.’

Consider this: Are you asking God for anything fresh, or imagining some new change or blessing this Easter? You should. I will be. Please take encouragement to spend some time (three days?) thinking about these things, with a new openness to how God might be working in your life.

2023 will provide another episode of the long running series called ‘Easter’. It’s been going for years but is always popular. Expect it to be rather marvellous and often emotional when those whose lives are transformed see the final result. Life changing? Definitely.

Rector Chris