Newsletter - 20/03
Rector’s Weekly Newsletter – 20th March 2026
This past week began with the joy and tenderness of our Mothering Sunday services. For some, the day was difficult, though perhaps made easier through the fellowship of the church. It has otherwise been a relatively quiet week in the parish; something of a rarity!
I have taken the opportunity to continue the ongoing task of “dachshund-proofing” the garden boundaries. This has, of course, become something of an arms race: I reinforce the fence, and a certain low-slung canine of great persistence soon discovers a new and creative route to freedom. Dibley the Labrador is proving to be an excellent big sister and mentor; together, they are quite a formidable pair!
Looking ahead to Sunday, there will be services of Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway and St John the Baptist, Penshurst, both beginning at 10:00am.
On Tuesday at noon, there will be a funeral at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone for Kathleen Pocock. We hold her family and friends in our prayers at this time. My sincere thanks to Jane Rosam for leading this service.
There is a service of Confirmation at Edenbridge Church on Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm, which I will be attending as Area Dean. If anyone would like to be prepared for Confirmation later in the year, there are further deanery services in September and November. The service in September, which will be in Hildenborough, will include special provision for young people. If there are any older children, young people, or those young at heart, please make contact and we can arrange confirmation classes for them over the summer months. Please do let me know if you or a member of your family would like to be confirmed then, or at the Confirmation service at St Stephen’s, Tonbridge, in November. I can prepare individuals or a group to suit the needs of each candidate.
As we move further into Lent and approach Passion Sunday, our worship begins to take on a deeper, more reflective tone, inviting us to walk more closely with Christ on the road to the cross. We are reminded that God’s love is not distant or abstract, but deeply present, especially in suffering, loss and sacrifice.
A Prayer for Passion Sunday
Loving God, as we turn towards Passion Sunday,
draw us deeper into the mystery of your love,
a love shown in humility, in sacrifice, and in the cross.
Walk with us in the days ahead, in our joys and in our sorrows,
in our remembering and our hoping.
Hold close all who grieve, strengthen all who are weary,
and open our hearts to the transforming power of your grace.
May we follow Christ more nearly, love more deeply, and trust more fully,
knowing that even in the shadow of the cross, your light is never overcome.
Amen.
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
Services:
Sunday 22 March: Passion Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 29 March: Palm Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
1600 – Forest Church, Penshurst Rectory Garden
Thursday 2 April: Maundy Thursday
1800 - Maundy Thursday Service and Reflection, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1830 - The Communion of Maundy Thursday, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Friday 3 April: Good Friday
1000 - Good Friday Service (followed by hot cross buns) - St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
1400 - An hour at the cross - St Peter’s, Fordcombe
Sunday 5 April: Easter Day
0900 - Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
1000 - Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
1030 - All Age Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, 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
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
And finally, please note that following a new broadband contract for the church, the network name and password have both changed. Please check the welcome table for details so you can update your phone.
