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Bill’s Letter for November 2017
I would like to start with a big thank you for the best wishes and prayers for me after my unexpected visit to hospital. For those who have not heard, Viv and I were down in London to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our children had booked 3 nights in a nice hotel for us…
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Bill’s Letter for October 2017
On 27th September this year the United Benefice of Outwood, Stanley and Wrenthorpe officially came into being. The Revd Dr Joanne Kershaw was licenced as assistant priest at St Anne’s, Wrenthorpe and Revd. Jonathan Bish was licenced as priest in charge at St Mary Magdalene Outwood. As Incumbent of Stanley, I then became the Priest…
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Bill’s Letter for September 2017
I have been struck afresh this summer and moving into September about the extraordinary contrasting experiences that are part of ordinary life. The current news is full of dangerous and worrying situations, such as North Korea which is pursuing its own path to nuclear capability, despite the efforts of its neighbours and the rest of…
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Bill’s Letter for Summer 2017
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make our Summer Gala such a success, and thank you to all who came to support us. It is really encouraging to see the community coming together and to catch up with friends and neighbours . People keep telling me how time goes quicker as one…
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Bill’s Letter for June 2017
One of the great inevitabilities of life is that we all die; we just don’t know how or when. This aspect of our experience has been brought home in a number of ways. Brian Kirkham who was a much loved and respected member of our community died suddenly recently. He was well known in the village…
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Bill’s Letter for April 2017
We approach Easter this year with the sadness of having lost one of our most faithful members of the congregation, Don Somerville. Don was born in Paddington, London, and brought up there. As a child in the war he was evacuated to Crowcombe, a little village in Somerset, which he remembered as a happy time.…
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Bill’s Letter for March 2017
As is often the case, the March magazine is published as we begin Lent. Once again we have an opportunity to use this month as a preparation for the great festival of Easter, with the powerful themes of death and resurrection; themes that we see all around us. Death and resurrection are themes that we…
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Bill’s Letter for February 2017
This is the first magazine of 2017, so I would like to begin with wishing you all a Happy New Year. We are at the beginning of the year, but already significant things have happened for the life of the Parish. The vacancies at Outwood and Wrenthorpe have given the opportunity to start a new…
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Bill’s Letter for December 2016
I was in London last week and was rather overwhelmed by the number of people. I went to catch a morning tube and the platform was completely full of commuters so the whole station was packed from the edge of the platform to the tube walls. As each tube train came in a number of…
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Bill’s Letter for October 2016
Last month I wrote that we were starting our latest series of groups for people exploring their faith. The groups have started but it is not too late to join. The idea of the groups is not to tell people what they should believe, but rather to help explore some of the big questions of…