Dear Friends
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It is wonderful to see the onset of Summer. The warmer weather and the light evenings give us all a lift. We can look forward to spending more time in the garden, enjoying Barbecues and looking forward to our summer holidays.

The month of June begins with the Feast of Pentecost or Whitsun when we recall how the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples so long ago. It is often said that the Christian Church began on that first Whitsunday when all those in Jerusalem were united by the power of the One Spirit even though they were from a mixture of cultures and spoke different languages.

The other great festival day is on 11th June, which is Trinity Sunday. This Sunday celebrates the full revelation of the Godhead in that, from the beginning of the Christian year at Advent, God has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is not three Gods, but One, revealed in different aspects as circumstances have required. This is the day when our own Walden-Offa Group meets to worship together. I hope you can join us at 10.30am at St Peter’s Church, Lilley, for this event. The previous magazine said that this service was at Offley which was my mistake: it is at Lilley.

Another theme which arises this month is that of martyrdom. On 22nd June we remember St Alban who was the first Christian martyr in this country. On 29th June we recall the ministry of St Peter, apostle, disciple, martyr and possibly the first Bishop of Rome. The Roman Catholic Church certainly regards Peter as the first Pope so this feast is particularly important to them. Sometimes the feast of the Conversion of St Paul, normally 25th January, is celebrated with St Peter to give more thrust to these great exemplars of Christian ministry. It is highly appropriate the main ordinations to the ministry occur at this season.

The summer months herald the annual wedding season. Church weddings in general are in decline and, in this parish, we have about eight marriages a year.