WELCOME TO MELTON TEAM PARISH WEBSITE

Welcome to the Melton Mowbray Team Parish!

There’s so much useful and interesting information about our Team Parish on this, our new website – do take time to explore it.

And, if possible, we look forward to meeting you in person soon.

Every Blessing,
Mary (Barr)
Team Rector

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, do contact Julia, the Website Administrator by email julia@meltonparish.org.uk.

Team Rector Writes

“Lighten our darkness” 

Dear Friends,

As we move into autumn, the days are certainly getting shorter. Later this month, the clocks in the UK will go back by one hour at 2am on Sunday 26 October. This will mark the end of ‘Daylight saving time’ and our return to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), giving us an extra hour of sleep (for one night!) but then bringing darker evenings.

As the evenings draw in and the darkness increases, this also seems to reflect the state of our world. We are reminded in the daily news that the world is an increasingly ‘dark’ place. Devastatingly destructive conflicts, widespread corruption and injustice, reckless abuse of our planet for short term selfish gain….  all continue in so many places. And when we look to those in authority, we find the widespread failure of so many leaders to rise above self interest and to work together for the common good. This, combined with  shorter days and longer nights, can leave us feeling gloomy and depressed.

Yet in the midst of the darkness, there is still the light of hope. Perhaps you have come across the saying: “it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”. It reminds us that, rather than complaining about the darkness, we can play our part in spreading light. And this lies at the heart of the Christian calling. At baptism, the newly baptised receives a lighted candle with these words: “You have received the light of Christ; walk in this light all the days of your life.” Towards the end of this month (26^th October) Bishop Saju will give the same commission to the newly confirmed adults, and everyone present will join in saying “Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.”

Every follower of Jesus is sent out to help to spread the light. Yet we need to remember that it is not our light, and that we cannot spread it in our own strength. The light comes to us from God through His Son Jesus Christ, the One who said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”. (John 8:12)

Whatever the state of our world, and whatever difficult situations you and I find ourselves in, let’s pray for God’s light to be present with us in the darkness. As a traditional evening prayer puts it: “Lighten our darkness, we beseech Thee, O Lord; and by Thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of Thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ”. 

Yours in Christ’s service,

Upcoming Events