Good Morning One and All,

I hope you are feeling lovely inside and out!

In our prayers today we give thanks for Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Companions of our Lord. The Gospel reading tells us ‘Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.

A very succinct, intimate and beautiful description of devotion.

However before I looked at the reading, but knew who we were thinking of, I thought of a different Mary and Martha story:

At the Home of Martha and Mary

 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,  but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Again we see an intimate example of devotion, but this time there is an interesting contrast between Mary and Martha.
They have both welcomed Jesus into their hearts and home. Martha wanted Jesus to feel welcome, to feel special, to feel loved, cared for, looked after, fed and watered, and we all know that is a beautiful response. I know that if I was expecting a special guest, I would do my best to make them feel all those thing.
But Mary could not tear herself away from Jesus, but sat at his feet and listened to what he said. She let the distractions of the world pass her by, and she opened her mind in order to hear more of the message of our Lord.

Listening to Jesus is not a merely passive activity, because we never have a Christ encounter that does not change us.
Listening to Jesus moves out thought processes away from us, and into Him. It is not about ‘What shall I do to please Him? ‘But,’ What does he say that leads me? And ‘Where will it lead me?’

Jesus reply to Martha includes one of those incredible sentences that really focuses our faith ‘Few things are needed –  indeed only one’
And I think that it to be in the presence of our Lord.

For me this really comes alive as I receive my Communion, and in particular if I am a place where we can sing. That moment when we have sat back down, and gently and beautifully we hear those powerful words

Be still and know that I am God, 

Be still and know that I am God, 

Be still and know that I am God.

I am the Lord that healeth thee, 

I am the Lord that healeth thee, 

I am the Lord that healeth thee.

In thee, O lord, I put my trust, 

In thee, O lord, I put my trust, 

In thee, O lord, I put my trust. 

Or this gorgeous hymn

Be still, for the presence of the Lord, 

The Holy One is here.

Come, bow before Him now,

With reverence and fear.

In Him no sin is found,

We stand on holy ground.

Be still for the presence of the Lord,

The Holy One is here.

Be still, for the glory of the Lord

Is shining all around;

He burns with holy fire,

With splendour He is crowned.

How awesome is the sight,

Our radiant King of light!

Be still, for the glory of the Lord

Is shining all around.

Be still, for the power of the Lord

Is moving in this place,

He comes to cleanse and heal,

To minister His grace.

No work too hard for Him,

In faith receive from Him;

Be still, for the power of the Lord

Is moving in this place,

Or, if I am at home, there is a great track by Eric Clapton called The Presence of the Lord which includes this line
I have finally found a place to live, oh, in the presence of the Lord
In the presence of the Lord

So, my friends, I am away from my computer for the whole of August, so you will not hear from me until September, but I leave you with a little homework. Take some time to reflect on Jesus words about only one thing being needed in our relationship with him. And ponder on what that means for you.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,

Until next time,

Fr Marcus

Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting their now regular communion service on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live on Sunday at 10am Spanish time (9am BST) and then available all day on Sunday, to join at your leisure. As always both the live broadcast and the recording will be available on the following page – https://www.facebook.com/rodney.middleton.940. If you are not ready or not able to join us in one of our churches this is a wonderful way to share our worship.
Our churches are all operating services at their normal times, with each celebrating the Eucharist. In Javea, until the end of September, as we did last year, we are moving our weekly service to Wednesdays at 10:30. (because our Roman Catholic hosts will be using the church on Sundays). Our weekly service in Alfaz continues on Thursdays. 

In all our churches we are committed to abide by the regulations; sanitation, social distancing, mask wearing and personal sanitising on entry. We continue to keep a record of attendees for track and trace purposes if needed. 

Do join us at one of our services if you can. 

Full details of these weekly communion services can be found at this page – https://costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org/churches-and-services-3/.

Remember to tune in to Fr. Marcus for his live Sunday radio programme, between 6pm and 8pm, Spanish time, on Pure Gold FM. You can listen on the radio on 94.1 FM. Or on your computer, tablet or phone join through the listen live button on https://puregold.fm/.

If you wish to make a donation to support our Chaplaincy, which is entirely self-funded, you can pay directly into the Chaplaincy bank account in Spain (please show your name and the congregation that you support, if appropriate). The full IBAN number is –

ES24 0075 1294 6206 0012 5274 

Or just click the following link to do so by PayPal – 

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=rVvulkO-iq_P_Vk6WVwiTZRJ54e48i96Ym0d3smbDbAN6GE5MxhSrInGqvfwAmR2FHH-_-kUKe3SUeB4&fromUL=true&country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GB

Here is the link to Fr. Marcus’s new video message – https://youtu.be/BEJOkywdn_U

I just called to say ‘I love you’ Part 2

Last week we explored something around the nature that ‘God is love’, and that he is the source of our being. We set off with a line from a Stevie Wonder song.

Today we take a line from another song. Not so well known, but brilliant none the less. The band Delirious? (Their name does have the question mark) had a hit with Our God reigns, and it includes the line ‘God did not screw up when he made you’.

This has always struck a chord with me. The title is from that popular Christian Chorus of the late 70s, and it reminds us that whatever is going on in the world God is creator and ruler, this version written in the 80s with Aids and Famine in the headlines questions whether or not we accept that. It is a huge paradox, and the song hits it head on –

40 million babies
Lost to Gods great orphanage
It’s a modern day genocide
And a modern day disgrace

If this is a human right
Then why aren’t we free?
The only freedom we have is
In a Man nailed to a tree

100 million faces
Staring at the sky
Wondering if this HIV
Will ever pass us by

The devil stole the rain
And hope trickles down the plug
But still my Chinese take away
Could pay for someone’s drugs

Our God reigns, our God reigns
Forever Your Kingdom reigns

And then late in the song

Psalm one hundred and thirty nine
Is the conscience to our selfish crime
God didn’t screw up when He made you
He’s a Father who loves to parade you

For me the words force me to look beyond the immediate to our understanding of God. It makes me ask that fundamental question, Does God reign, or have we abandoned him, and of course the answer is, Yes he does, and even if we have abandoned him, he has not abandoned us.

As the source of our being, he made us out of the love which is himself, and each one of us  unique. God is unique, and so that is what it means to be made in his image. To be unique. And each of us has that divine love, that spark of the sacred within us. Those who suffer, those who struggle along with those who thrive and those who find love. God dwells within each of us.
The message of our Christian faith is that we are called to love God, and our neighbour whatever their circumstances, wherever they are from and irrespective of the things that they do.

God does not force us to do anything – he loves us too much for that – and so it is up to us to learn how to love our neighbours and to value and care for them.

Another of the statements we are familiar with is that God is Truth.
If we accept that, we can then accept that we are true expressions of his love, and that includes the incredible diversity of human life. Not only are we all unique, but we are all different, wanting, needing, expressing, believing and exploring different things. And God so loved the world – not, God so loved the people like me.
Sometimes we need to look beyond what people do in order to accept this. Make no mistake, human beings can, and have done, and continue to do the most despicable things, and that is not OK. But there is something within each person that causes them to be loved, and maybe if folk were loved more they may do less dreadful things.
Parents usually love their children whatever they do. Good parents share their love selflessly for their parents. God is the ultimate parent, and his loves his creation. 

Our scriptures teach us that God wants to be with us, and wants us to be with him, and he wants us to be joyful, and he commands us to love one another.

Try reading this next section which are verses from John 15 out loud

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 

 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  This is my command: Love each other.

So, we are made from love, we have love dwelling within us, we have Christ’s joy inside of us, and we are called to love. This is big stuff.

I think our task is to do three things. The first is love God. We do this by endeavouring to grasp the meaning of who he is by listening to the teaching of Jesus. That in turn can lead us to worship during which we hear the message come alive through hearing the Gospel, and receiving some pointers through the sermon. We also take something spiritual into ourselves as we receive our Communion when we can.
The second is to love our neighbours – and this is our lifetimes work. We are called and gifted to serve, to share, to care for and to include all those who have that spark of the divine within them. We are not called to judge.

Thirdly, we are called to love ourselves. That means being the person who we love, which in turn means being the person we believe is the best representation of the love of God that we can be. The simple question is ‘Do we believe what we do, and how we live our lives brings joy to God and neighbour? If not, we have some work to do.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,

As ever,

Fr Marcus

Our churches are all operating services at their normal times, with each celebrating the Eucharist. In Javea, until the end of September, as we did last year, we are moving our weekly service to Wednesdays at 10:30. (because our Roman Catholic hosts will be using the church on Sundays). Our weekly service in Alfaz continues on Thursdays. 

In all our churches we are committed to abide by the regulations; sanitation, social distancing, mask wearing and personal sanitising on entry. We continue to keep a record of attendees for track and trace purposes if needed. 

Do join us at one of our services if you can. 

Full details of these weekly communion services can be found at this page – https://costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org/churches-and-services-3/.

Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting their now regular communion service on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live on Sunday at 10am Spanish time (9am BST) and then available all day on Sunday, to join at your leisure. As always both the live broadcast and the recording will be available on the following page – https://www.facebook.com/rodney.middleton.940. If you are not ready or not able to join us in one of our churches this is a wonderful way to share our worship.

And remember to tune in to Fr. Marcus for his live Sunday radio programme, between 6pm and 8pm, Spanish time, on Pure Gold FM. You can listen on the radio on 94.1 FM. Or on your computer, tablet or phone join through the listen live button on https://puregold.fm/.

If you wish to make a donation to support our Chaplaincy, which is entirely self-funded, you can pay directly into the Chaplaincy bank account in Spain (please show your name and the congregation that you support, if appropriate). The full IBAN number is –

ES24 0075 1294 6206 0012 5274 

Or just click the following link to do so by PayPal – 

https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=bDbqJgopVqdQyFGovFcPytndSgXVK1Oc_RzmxgislCOG267DLHpzzYBfDLFYRq7d9yEfbENa66VIVoHC

Please find below my Friday Offering. It is part 1 of a mini series, part 2 coming out on Tuesday,

As ever,

Fr Marcus

Friday Offering from Fr Marcus  16^th July 2021

I just called to say ‘I love you’ Part 1

What a classic by Stevie Wonder, and what a great name he has!

It is always good to be reminded that we are loved, so much so that in my report to Albir Church Council on Wednesday I began by saying

‘The Good News is that we are loved more than we could ever imagine. Never forget that, and our response is to worship God.’

But it is one of those statements that means such a great deal, that we tend to pass over it, and get on with our business. So, let’s unpack it and see where it leads us.

Firstly let me say how much I am excited by the whole idea of us trying to describe or define the thoughts of God or the mind of Christ. They are beyond us, and at best we can get a glimpse into the depths of what we are exploring. We are searching for meaning and sometimes longing for certainty within what is the ultimate mystery. Which means, for me, that there is always so much more for us to learn and discover.

From our early years we tend to create an anthropomorphic view of God. That is we put all of our (best) human characteristics upon him, and try to describe him, and what he does in ways that we can understand. The example I have used in that sentence was the pronoun ‘He’.
We talk about his Power, or his Presence, or his Will, and we describe him as Creator, or Father, or Almighty, all knowing.

But every definition, or every description leaves us short, and sometimes we are in danger of just adding lovely human attributes to make God seem nice and cosy. An  old man with a beard sitting on a cloud, or A jealous God who just tells us loads of stuff we must not do!
But thankfully we know it is not like that.

One of the consequences of all of this is that sometimes major ideas about the nature of God sound great, but most of the time they pass us by because they are too big to grasp – or they are misinterpreted to make us feel weird at best, and guilty at worst.
There was a lad in my school who used to say that ‘If  you were the only person on earth Jesus would still die for you’. No he wouldn’t. We would go for a walk, anyway what did I do that was so bad!
( I sort of knew what he was trying to say, but it doesn’t translate to reality’)

So all of the above is an introduction to us trying to grasp what it means to say that God loves you more than you can ever imagine.
We will never be able to grasp the depth and beauty of it, but here are some pointers.

For me the best ‘Definition of God is from 1 John 4, 7-12

God Is Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

So let me take that as our starting point God is love.
Then let us think about creation. Simply put God is pure love, and in his own mysterious way he brings about creation in order that he can love it. What else would he do with it! So, you and I exist in order that God can love us. That is why we, and everyone else, and everything else is here, so that God can love us.

There are, of course all sorts of discussions about what does ‘God creating the world’ mean.
the bible gives an account of creation in Genesis, and it is beautiful. It is not meant to be taken literally. Of course – and the ‘Days’ represent great periods of time.
There are those who dismiss creation because they believe in evolution, but for me, they sit perfectly together. The world, the universe and everything in it emerges over a huge amount of time, and there is a sense of order and balance that allows it to work.
For me, a helpful phrase in all if this is ‘God is the source of our being.’
I remember watching a post mortem when I worked in the hospital. The whole human body was taken apart bit by bit. Brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, spleen, liver etc etc.  You try and convince me that the wonder of life, let alone the incredible nature of the mind just happened by accident!

The next theory of creation revolves around the question ‘From what?’
Because the only thing that ‘is’ was God, he had to get the stuff of creation from somewhere. So he either created Ex nihilo, which means he created from nothing, or he created from that which already was, namely himself. I sit firmly in the second camp, and believe that God is the source of all creation in every sense. You and I were brought about by love and from love, in order to be loved. How great is that!

We will go on next week with part 2 and try and grasp what this means.
Bless you, Bless you, Bless you.

As ever,

Fr Marcus

Here is the link to Fr. Marcus’s Wednesday video – https://youtu.be/26C2udbzmCs

Tuesday Offering From Fr Marcus 13^th July 2021

In my first parish, St Mary’s Eastbourne, my Training Vicar, Fr Cyril Bess, was a very large and lovely man. Full of wisdom, joy, humour and common sense. He taught me a great deal, often by letting me make the mistakes that he saw coming, and then guiding me through the confusion I had made for myself.

However he had this ‘interesting’ habit of always preaching about death and dying whenever he returned from holiday. He used to say, people want to hear about the glorious views of fishing boats bobbing about on the sea in Cornwall, but I want to talk to them about being ‘Glory bound’, and the wonder of heaven, and to remind them they are going to die before they get there!’

Well, sadly we need to talk about this now, and one reason is that I heard a story just a few days ago about a family not too far from here, who were not able to find an English Speaking priest / vicar / minister to conduct the funeral of their loved one. Sadly they didn’t understand enough Spanish for the service to mean anything for them, and they felt so unsure as to what had been included. They felt both lost, and had no sense of closure.

Of course there have been huge issues for folk dealing with loss due to Covid. The restrictions have meant that in some cases there was no funeral, at others, only 3 people being allowed to be present, so they chose to have no minister. On so many occasions family members from the UK have not been able to come, and of course so many missed the comfort that comes from hugging those who are there. It has been so tough for so many, and my heart goes out to all who have suffered in this way.

So maybe this is a good time to remind you of some of the options, and please feel free to share this far and wide. The following points are in no particular order.

If at all possible, take someone with you when you go to make plans for the funeral, or have someone if the funeral director comes to your house. You may feel under pressure to make decisions, and please be assured, you can take time, and get things right.
Most Tanatoria staff, and Funeral Plan advisors are brilliant, but if they don’t ask you the right questions, you may end up with something different from your ideal.

There is a tradition here that funerals happen very quickly. I have had calls from the Tanatoria to take a service later that day! Please try not to be bamboozled, you can certainly say you want more time, even if it may cost you a little more. Most funerals are planed for sometime in the next few days.

There are a range of people available to take the service, ranging from Humanist, Funeral Celebrants, Just having a friend to lead it, and a variety of Religious Ministers.
I can only speak with confidence about what we in the Anglican Chaplaincy can offer. I can assure you that we would do our best to make the service as personal, fitting and meaningful to you as possible. So let me lead you through how it works.

We are asked to take the service by the Tanatoria / Crematoria, rather than you asking us directly. (One of the things this means is that when we speak we do not have to deal with talking about fees and such like)
So, they will contact us if you say you would like an Anglican, or Church of England Minister or Priest. Don’t assume it would be us just because you said that you would like it in English.
We have a range clergy up and down the Costa Blanca and normally we would use the person nearest you. But if you know one of us, and would like that person, it is best to mention that when you are making plans. Our current staff members are Fr Marcus Ronchetti, Fr Jim Booker, Fr Rodney Middleton, Fr Robin Pettitt, Fr Paul David Dean, Stephen Carden (lay Reader). We also have some retired clergy who are here some parts of the year. So between us, we can cover every request, but if you want Fr X, then please ask for him if possible. If you want me, just ask for the good looking one!

Once we have been asked, one of us will contact you and arrange to come and see you, and we will talk everything through.
We will talk about your loved one, and get a clear picture of who they were, and what they were like. Don’t worry, they don’t have to have been particularly religious, or C of E. Most services we take are for people we have never met, and yet after we have spent time with you, it will seem as if we know them.

We will decide if we are going to give the eulogy, speak about the deceased, or you, or someone else will speak. It may well be more than one person. We often do this, as we are used to it, but by all means anyone can speak.

We will talk through the service, and agree what it should contain. Please feel free to say you don’t want it too churchy, or you would love such and such a poem / prayer / reading etc. We will make it perfect and personal for you.

We will get the balance right between honouring your grief, and celebrating the life of your loved one. We will also acknowledge the great mixture of emotions that everyone is going through, and most of all, we will listen to what you have to say. Some people talk about a Funeral Service, others  a Celebration of the life of……We will make it fit.

We will talk about music. Let me say that you can have whatever you want.
Most people have some music played on the way in, and on the way out. Anything from something classical, something stirring, beautiful or gentle, or great Rock ballads right through to ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ by Monty python. The choice really is yours, and is limitless.
You may want hymns as well, and we can provide for those, and produce either hymn books, or a service sheet with the hymn(s) printed on. We can provide music.  But don’t feel you have to have hymns. Some people choose to listen to a piece of music during the service, for example after the Eulogy, and just spend time reflecting.
If you want to provide your own music, CDs or downloading on to a stick are easiest. But we can do that for you.

We will make sure the service reflects the personality of your loved one, and we will guide you right the way through the process.

There is something very comforting having a professional leading the service who has the authority to Commend and entrust your loved one to God, and someone who understands where you are coming from. Also who can conclude, again with authority as they say ‘Go forth upon your journey from this world O Christian Soul…..

Please remember that we are happy to conduct the service in English for anyone who would like one. Our congregations are made up from folk from a huge variety of denominations, we happen to be C of E, but of course we happily engage with anyone who would like our services, and we make the service just right for you.

If there has been an occasion where you have not been able to have the funeral you wanted, for whatever reason we can hold a Remembrance Service, at a time and place of your choosing. This way, all your family and friends can be there to remember your loved one, and to Celebrate their life.

If you are thinking about a Funeral Plan, and they can be a great idea, then remember to include that you would like a Religious Minister if you would like one, and be specific if you want to.

To save your nearest and dearest extra heartache when they are grieving, it may be worth putting together your own ideas of what you would like at your funeral. This is not morbid, it is caring and helpful. You may include choices of music, hymns if you want them, readings or poems – even dress code for guests. Tell your family that you have done it, or even talk with them about it.

Just so that you know, the fees we charge are in line with that in the UK. €220.
(One of our new clergymen recently went and introduced himself to the Tanatoria, offering his services, and giving his contact details. They happily took them, and asked what his fees were. He said what do other people charge, and was told €400! But to be fair, there are others who will do it cheaper)

We have seven churches along the Costa Blanca, and I every one has members who have joined because they were so pleased with the service taken by one of our ministers.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,

As ever,

Fr Marcus

695 874 166   603 259 769
marcusronchetti@yahoo.co.uk

www.costablanca-anglacanchaplaincy.org

Here is the official Diocesan report of Fr. Marcus’s appointment as canon, to the stall of St. James in the Cathedral of Gibraltar. We are, of course delighted and honoured.

https://europe.anglican.org/main/latest-news/post/1710-two-new-canons-in-the-diocese?fbclid=IwAR3Yn4QYWiUFFvTBCknrSG8WVHcVez9jP8nz59UqdBLE1yB91syDJEi3FgQ

https://europe.anglican.org/main/latest-news/post/1710-two-new-canons-in-the-diocese?fbclid=IwAR3Yn4QYWiUFFvTBCknrSG8WVHcVez9jP8nz59UqdBLE1yB91syDJEi3FgQ

Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting their now regular communion service on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live on Sunday at 10am Spanish time (9am BST) and then available all day on Sunday, to join at your leisure. As always both the live broadcast and the recording will be available on the following page – https://www.facebook.com/rodney.middleton.940. If you are not ready or not able to join us in one of our churches this is a wonderful way to share our worship.

Our churches are all operating services at their normal times, with each celebrating the Eucharist. In Javea, as we did last year, we are moving our weekly service to Wednesdays at 10:30. (because our Roman Catholic hosts will be using the church on Sundays). Our weekly service in Alfaz continues on Thursdays. 

In all our churches we are committed to abide by the regulations; sanitation, social distancing, mask wearing and personal sanitising on entry. We continue to keep a record of attendees for track and trace purposes if needed. 

Do join us at one of our services if you can. 

Full details of these weekly communion services can be found at this page – https://costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org/churches-and-services-3/.

And remember to tune in to Fr. Marcus for his live Sunday radio programme, between 6pm and 8pm, Spanish time, on Pure Gold FM. You can listen on the radio on 94.1 FM. Or on your computer, tablet or phone join through the listen live button on https://puregold.fm/.

If you wish to make a donation to support our Chaplaincy, which is entirely self-funded, you can pay directly into the Chaplaincy bank account in Spain (please show your name and the congregation that you support, if appropriate). The full IBAN number is –

ES24 0075 1294 6206 0012 5274 

Or just click the following link to do so by PayPal – https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=d_9PfXsoKFrqC3SWFTPbQxlhMYMqqOU63Zq-lNRTL54SBMmv0mWdC0NfKe6cc2wkv34UScTO7akmzCcJ