September has been a month of mixed emotions. It’s so good to have been able to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the Consecration of St. Cuthbert’s Church – and we did it on the exact day, 12th September, led in celebration by Bishop Frank White. It was a terrific occasion, so wonderfully prepared for with imagination, skill and much hard work.
All that we have tried to do in attending to the fabric problems of the church this year has been a testimony to our people’s determination that this building should continue to stand here as a witness for the glory of God – and for celebration and service to others by his people. Much work has been unseen – not least so many days of painstaking labour by Dave Short in renovating the church doors and yet again attending to the peeling paintwork; through all the preparations in decorating the church so beautifully with flowers and with displays depicting the work of so many groups which link us with our wider community; and then the massive work of catering for the Anniversary Reception and Harvest Lunch – with an Autumn Fair thrown into the mix!
The end result was exhilaration and exhaustion! Thank you to everyone who played their part!
But at the same time we could not but help feel a sense of loss. Claire Bean died just a matter of days before the celebrations began. She has been so much part of our lives – together with Ian, Rachel and Stephen. Their response has been quite remarkable. I was glad that the bell-ringing with which the Anniversary Weekend began was a quarter peal in memory of Claire. I asked if it was going to be “half-muffled” – but the answer was “No. Claire wanted the bells to ring out for all to hear.” And of course the ringing continued – not only before services, but also with a full peal, conducted by Stephen (and Rachel’s first) in record time, and a “date touch,” 1850 changes rung to mark the year of the church’s consecration. In between Stephen went off to Hull for an additional peal!
There are things in life – and in the face of death – which make us question how to make sense of everything. This last month has been one of those times. There’s been the death of Malcolm Bates as well, with all the waiting which Nora and her family have faced. And inevitably the looking back which we have done is a reminder of the losses in which we all share.
But that same looking back also shows that loss is the other side of “gift” – what we have been given by those who have gone before, whose legacy we have inherited, whose lives we have shared. 175 years of the lives of those who built and maintained our church – through all our struggles, but also joys. All those meetings where we have sought the way forward, the search for the resources we need, the encouragement that has grown from a shared life, the worship offered, and our deepening in prayer. And then most recently in those recent bereavements. I reflected on how Claire faced death at much too early an age. Much of the work in that was accomplished simply by the life she lived, and the love and friendship shared. She showed us how important purpose is – and that it’s more than calculation. How to die is very much the same matter as how to live.
This is all rather complex, yet at the same time quite simple. I realise I have more work to do on how I live – and how I face my own mortality. It’s something we all need to work at, though mindful of the grace, mercy and love of God. I hope we can receive all that we find in our hearts after this month that is passed – and do so with gratitude. Martin Jackson
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