Newsletter - 30/01

30th January 2026.

This week the wider Church has marked the confirmation of Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. 

I attended St Paul’s Cathedral for training on Tuesday and noticed people preparing the cathedral floor for the next day's ceremony. There was a real buzz of excitement both for the significance of the event, and also security concerns from those who did not wish Dame Sarah well. That there was only a single heckler on the day was, I guess, a relief; but the tip of an iceberg of hatred that has been directed towards the Bishop of London since her appointment to Canterbury was announced. The news coverage as the procession of dignitaries gathered at the West Door captured the sense that I have, of an exciting new chapter in the church. Please hold all our church leaders in your prayers.

In an interview on Wednesday, Archbishop Sarah reflected on her calling with the words of an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Faith is rarely a race. The light of Christ is something we should perhaps carry slowly, often with others, sometimes imperfectly, and always faithfully.

This Sunday we celebrate Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. In Luke's Gospel, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into a shared place of worship, trusting God with what they do not yet understand. Simeon and Anna recognise him as “a light for revelation”, a light discovered not through certainty but through patience and waiting.

Candlemas invites us to reflect on how we carry Christ’s light in seasons that are tender or unsettled. It reminds us that light does not need to be bright to be real. Sometimes it is enough simply to hold it together, and trust that God sees what we cannot yet make sense of.

As we bring our prayers to God this weekend, we do so without needing answers. We bring what we have, and who we are, and place them quietly in God’s care.

This week we especially pray for the families and loved ones of Christopher Robertson following his funeral at St Lukes, and Brodie Hall, whose funeral will take place on Tuesday at St Mary’s at 1pm.

A prayer for Candlemas, suitable for night prayer:

Keep us, O Lord, as the light fades and the day draws to a close.

Give rest to the weary, peace to the troubled, and comfort to those who carry sorrow or uncertainty.

As we place our lives into your hands, hold what is unresolved, heal what is wounded, and guard what is fragile among us.

Be our light in the darkness, our calm in the silence, and our hope through the night.

Into your loving care we commend ourselves, and one another, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Yours in Christ

Lisa

 In this edition:

Ø  Services

Ø  Life Events

Ø  Learning and growing

Services:

Sunday 1 February

10:00 - Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst

10:00 - Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway

Sunday 8 February

08:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst

10:00 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe

10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s

Sunday 15 February

10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst

10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway

16:00 – Forest Church at Penshurst

Life Events:

We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday. 

Learning and growing:

Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk

Mailing
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