Saturday 31 August 2013

What's the excuse this time?

Well ...
Most recently a wedding at Saint Nicholas ...
The delightful couple (from Italy) enjoyed the warmth of Saint Nicholas' and the welcome of the Parish Halls as they celebrated their marriage on 22nd August.
May God's blessing surround Cristiano and Elizabeth as they set up home together.
There are some more photographs of this wonderful day on the Parish Website ...
https://saintnicholasparishchurchbelfast.shutterfly.com/pictures
Before the wedding ...
... the odd walk on the beach at Newcastle ...
... a WOW (Worship on Wednesday) barbecue in the rain ...
... time to smell the roses at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park ...
... being around Saint Nicholas' ... the church is open most lunchtimes and on Saturday morning (for tea/coffee) as well as the regular Sunday programme.  You'll find me in Saint Nicholas' on Mondays and Saturdays ...
Sometimes you're driving along and your memory is jogged ... hot summer days tying stooks ... arms and legs scratched, tea (with milk and sugar already added) brought to the field in cans ... a slower, simpler lifestyle ... but hard work!
The Parish Magazine comes out six times in the year ... so the August-September edition was produced with Eliot's contribution on the back page.  There are spare copies around the church if you want to see it ... or you can read it on the Parish Website ...
 https://saintnicholasparishchurchbelfast.shutterfly.com/themessenger
Life as a rector is certainly full of variety ... it even included a session at the BBC to record some "Thought for the Day" items ... they were aired over the last few Thursdays.
Meanwhile there are sermons to prepare, hospitals to visit, people to see ... studying to do ... there aren't enough hours in the day!
It is good to look up and enjoy the beauty of God's creation, to rejoice in the care that God has for humankind and to pause to give thanks.

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies,
Christ our God, to thee we raise 
this our sacrifice of praise.
Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1835-1917)

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