Written before the sun returned

My Dear Friends, 

What is going on? It is cold and wet and miserable, and I don’t know why, but experiencing this weather in Spain always surprises me! Of course it is nothing new, but we are so used to the sun trying to shine every day. 
But even though the rain is falling, our flights have been cancelled again, and my paperwork pile grows the more I do, it is still glorious to be alive! We are continuing with our Easter Season, and Alleluia is our song. Well almost. This Sunday we will be singing everybody’s favourite Praise my Soul. Here it is to whet your appetite.

Praise, my soul, the king of heaven!

To his feet thy tribute bring.

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,

Who like me his praise should sing?

Praise him! Praise him

Praise him! Praise him!

Praise the everlasting king!

2. Praise him for his grace and favour

To our fathers in distress;

Praise him still the same for ever,

Slow to chide and swift to bless.

Praise him…

Glorious in his faithfulness!

3. Father-like he tends and spares us;

Well our feeble frame he knows;

In his hands he gently bears us,

Rescues us from all our foes.

Praise him…

Widely as his mercy flows!

4. Angels, help us to adore him;

Ye behold him face to face;

Sun and moon bow down before him,

Dwellers all in time and space.

Praise him…

Praise with us the God of grace!

This lovely hymn was written by Henry Francis Lyte, Curate at Lower Brixham in Devonshire. It is particularly fitting at the moment as it was sung in the 1947 royal wedding of H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and has always been popular because of the words and the tune.

It is inspired by Psalm 103, and Praises the Glory of God in whom are the gifts of us being Ransomed, healed, restored and forgiven. The active participant is always God, and our response is always praise.
I know a number of you had it at your weddings too, and it will bring back memories of beautiful day, plus recollection of the churches and possibly schools of your younger years.

Verse two reminds us of the Grace and Favour offered to previous generations, and it is so important that we always remember the great things that God has done. It continues with us Praising him still, the same as ever, because he continues to offer those gifts to us.
Grace, that unearned and undeserved Blessing of God’s favour is constantly poured into our souls, and he welcomes us, comforts us, and is slow to anger.

We are then reminded that we are his children, and he gently cares for us and meets our needs. We have grown up with the Fatherly image of God which transcends any human experience we may or may not have had. It reminds us of a closeness and intimacy, but for me also a carefree rough and tumble sort of playfulness. Abba is so much more ‘Daddy’ then ‘Father’. Parents will remember with such affection those moments when their children jumped fearlessly from some platform into their arms with complete trust that Daddy would catch them, and toss them up into the air with joyful abandon.
Our final verse brings home the ministry of angels granted to us rather than being confined to holy figures of the past. They help us to express our innermost feelings of adoration. But not only the angels – the whole of creation is engaged in the worship of our ever present and ever active creator.
How could we possibly sing this hymn and not be moved towards a real spiritual high.
I don’t know about you, but on Sunday I am going to give it my best shot, rain or no rain.

Bless you, sing your hearts out behold his glory face to face.

As ever,

Fr Marcus

From our Reader, Stephen Carden

With the blessing of Father Marcus and the clergy team, Gemma and I are launching a Chaplaincy wide appeal to collect long life food, cleaning materials and men’s toiletries for the homeless and ill men in the care of the Franciscan Brothers at Palma de Gandia.  The plan is for members of our congregations to bring items to church to be placed in a box.  Information with a list of the items required is follows (below).
The items can be quarantined in the box before being given to a member of the clergy team.   They have kindly offered to collect them whenever they visit on the rota and pass the items on. 
This is a targeted appeal starting on Sunday the 25th April, running for six weeks until the 6th June.   
I know that many members of our congregations have helped this worthy cause in different ways over the years, and some still are very much involved.   I’m very grateful for that, as are the Brothers.  There may be others who are not so familiar with the Hospice and would like to know more and to help in some way.  This is a good opportunity to do just that.
I hope and pray that we will make this appeal a big success.
Yours in the service of Christ,
Stephen

THE FRANCISCAN HOSPICE AT PALMA de GANDIA

The Franciscan Hospice (sometimes called a refuge or a shelter)provides a home and nursing care for around 45 homeless men, many of whom are elderly and suffer from mental or physical illness.  

The hospice is funded entirely by charitable donations. Three Franciscan Brothers care for the residents around the clock.  In normal times they have help, including donations of food and essential supplies, from volunteers and local support groups, but due to the current pandemic and the vulnerable state of the residents they have been in strict lockdown since the 10^th March 2020.  

This wonderful place is a refuge of love and charity in our troubled world.  

YOU CAN HELP BY BRINGING ANY OF THESE ITEMS TO CHURCH(or contacting your local warden if you’re staying at home)

tinned food, 

rice or pasta, 

long life milk,

toiletries such as hand soap, shampoo/shower gel, shaving foam, disposable razors, 

washing up liquid, 

disinfectant spay,

hand sanitiser gel, 

fly spray (sin olor), 

scouring pads and ‘J cloths’, 

Unused medication (in date please) is also needed.

Single bedding (90 cms) blankets and towels in good condition are also useful, but at the moment the Brothers are not taking clothing or shoes.

Please contact Stephen or Linda Carden if you would like any further information or would like to help in other ways.

Tel. 647 285485 (with Whatsapp) or e-mail cardenstephen@yahoo.co.uk

El Centro de Acogida de San Francisco de Asis is a registered charity.

Click to view Fr. Marcus’ new video – https://youtu.be/ey4Mzsbsg98

A message from Raymond Hodson –

With the encouragement of Fr. Marcus I am hoping to assemble personal  reminiscences/anecdotes from members of the Chaplaincy who have met The Duke of Edinburgh. There will be many nostalgic memories. I will then edit and collate them in order to produce a booklet to be sold to raise funds for the Chaplaincy. We will be sending to all on the electoral roll, and I invite to send your contributions fairly quickly to raymondhodson78@gmail.com

I’m sure that many of you will have something invaluable to offer.

Regards,

Raymond

Bishop Robert and Bishop David have issued the following information, including the invitation to join a pan-diocesan service of prayer this Friday –

Funeral arrangements 

You may have seen that the Royal Household has issued some announcements over the weekend regarding funeral arrangements. There will be a Ceremonial Royal Funeral Service for His Royal Highness on Saturday, 17 April at 3pm BST at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. It will not be a State Funeral, which is generally reserved for monarchs. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Windsor will receive the coffin.  Full details are available at: https://www.royal.uk/funeral-duke-edinburgh-0

Condolences 

Since our last letter, we have received national Church guidance that the UK Government has advised against the use of physical condolence books.  It is possible to access the Church of England Book of Condolence at the following link directly from the homepage on our diocesan website https://www.churchofengland.org/remembering-his-royal-highness-prince-philip until the end of Sunday, 18 April. We are advised that this Book of Condolence will be offered by the Church of England to The Royal Household, asking that condolences be conveyed to HM The Queen.

A pan-diocesan Service of Prayer

We have decided it would be appropriate to arrange a pan-diocesan online Service of Prayer to mark the life and work of the late Prince Philip, with a distinctive European emphasis. Contributions to the service will reflect HRH’s European lineage and global links across our diocese, including from friends in Greece, Denmark and Malta. Andrew Caspari is co-ordinating the arrangements for this event, which will be on Friday, 16 April at 16:30 BST, 17:30 CET. Here is a Zoom invitation:

A Service of Prayer Across the Diocese in Europe for HRH Prince Philip

Time: Apr 16, 2021 17:30 CET 16:30 BST (please join at 17:15 CET/16:15 BST)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/95725158111

Meeting ID: 957 2515 8111

Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adAOcMv1lE

As per previous online events, we will publish details on the website, so that as many who wish to join across the diocese, and beyond, are able to do so on our Diocesan YouTube livestream.

Good Morning My Friends, and Welcome to my Tuesday Offering.

I had a little break from these last week, so I hope your Easter was joyous and that somehow you were able to feel the presence of the Risen Christ!

I want to talk a little about our Holy Saturday Night Service. It was the most beautiful event during which the church moves from darkness to light, and we give thanks for the resurrection of Jesus. It is also the culmination of our Lenten preparations, and so in our hearts and minds were the thoughts we had been pondering for the previous six weeks. 
We had been thinking extensively about our Lenten Path to Inner Peace, and What Easter means to us. These ideas came together as we celebrated our Reconciliation Mass, and I have to say it was very powerful and moving.

Usually our Sunday service begins with ‘The Confession’ but on this occasion we started with the lighting of the Paschal Candle and the entrance of the Light of Christ into our midst. We proclaimed the Exultet and the Gloria, I preached, and then we had the opportunity to gather around the font and renew our Baptismal Vows. It is incredible how it all becomes very real when we don’t just say the words of the creed as usual, but respond to the following

As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, we remember that through the paschal mystery we have died and been buried with him in baptism, so that we may rise with him to a new life within the family of his Church. Now that we have completed our observance of Lent, we renew the promises made at our baptism, affirming our allegiance to Christ, and our rejection of all that is evil.

In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light.
To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him.
Therefore I ask:

Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?

All ​I reject them.

Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?

All ​I renounce them.

Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?

All ​I repent of them.

Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?

All ​I turn to Christ.

Do you submit to Christ as Lord?

All ​I submit to Christ.

Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?

All ​I come to Christ.

Profession of Faith

Brothers and sisters, I ask you to profess the faith of the Church.

Do you believe and trust in God the Father?

All ​I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?

All ​I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?

All ​I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Each member of the congregation is invited to renew their commitment to Christ by going to the water and making the sign of the cross with it on their forehead

It was only after this, and before The Peace that we made our confession, and it was so powerful.
This is what how it went
The priest says
God of love and unity, we come to you now to pray for your Church, the Body of Christ on earth. Forgive us for our sense of disunity: forgive the times when we have allowed personal preferences to become more important than Christ’s message of love and reconciliation; forgive us for the times we have been intolerant and over critical of one another – forgive us for our judgemental attitudes, forgive us for wounding Christ’s body again and again and causing you grief.
Lord we ask you to cleanse us and lead us into the full light of your Holy Spirit, so that we may cast aside distrust and truly embrace all our sisters and brothers. Fill our hearts with your love so that we shall be ready to accept any difference and learn from each other with meekness and humility. Let every decision and action be the fruit of our shared love for you; let this love be paramount in every cherished hope or plan. Grant us the grace and courage to worship in unity beneath your canopy of love and peace. Father make us one, for our Risen Christ’s sake. Amen.

We said together
Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess we have failed you.
We ask for your mercy and your help.

I pronounced The absolution
May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord.

And then, keeping our social distances we shared in The Peace, and moved on to the Eucharistic prayer.

The whole of Lent, Holy Week and Easter was, for us all, very different this year, however, God was and is very real, and he continues to make himself know to us again and again.

It is with Joy in our hearts that we continue to proclaim as Brothers and Sisters united in faith
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

As ever,

Fr Marcus

All our churches are operating Sunday services as normal. Full details of the weekly eucharist can be found at this page – https://costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org/churches-and-services-3/.

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.
For everyone unready, or unable to attend a service 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 Saturday at 7pm Spanish time (6pm GMT) 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.

Please continue to take care and respect the rules. The outbreaks that still happen are almost all the result of “pushing the boundaries” and stretching the rules. Keep safe.

Thursday Offering from Fr Marcus 1^st April 2021

My Dear Friends,
At the beginning of Lent I set us all a challenge to reflect on What Easter means to me, and to revisit it during the progress of Lent to see if, the more we thought about it the more it would develop.
I used the imagery of a Poet or Songwriter revisiting their lyrics until they got them just right.

Well Thank You for everyone who has contacted me saying that you are trying this, and for those who have found it useful, I am so pleased.
I have to say my journey has been really helpful personally, so I will share some of it with you.

I began reflecting on a hugely important time, when in 1997 I spent 3 months on a Kibbutz near Emmaus, just outside Jerusalem. I used to worship in a French speaking Benedictine Monastery, and spent Easter with them.
On Good Friday we walked the Via Doloroso, the processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem, believed to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion.
It was such a moving experience – the crowds were so full of emotion and it seemed somehow more powerful than ever walking that route on such an evocative day.
All sorts of things were going through my mind. The first was that we were being escorted by armed guards carrying machine guns. It was a very volatile situation. The rule was if were on the procession you were not allowed to leave, and if you were not on it, you were not allowed to join en route! This was a safety measure, and difficult to control as there were hundreds if not thousands taking part. 
I remember being moved by the emotions of the people. Men and women of all ages openly wailing and sobbing as they walked along in silence. Their tears, along with mine were in memory of the pain and suffering that Jesus went through, but perhaps more so to do with the expression of hate and intolerance that he received which was still apparent. How could people respond with such violence to a message of Love and Peace and Reconciliation proclaimed by a man telling stories, and encouraging people without the use of force.
I remember seeing burnt out tanks left by the side of the road (Not on that day, but previously) and it broke my heart. I wondered what we had learned about tolerance and inclusion. Remember this was 1997 and social feelings were very rigid. Apartheid still reigned in South Africa, Women were still excluded from Ministry within the church, and gender issues and equality was still the object of ridicule.
I joined with my fellow pilgrims crying and sobbing and full of emotion and distress.

Every step a tear
Every tear a prayer
And our prayers will be heard
They fill the air.

For years I had those emotional thoughts when during my ministry we have had various ‘Walk of Witness’ processions on Good Friday. Usually silent and meaningful, and passers by stopping what they were doing and gentlemen doffing their caps.But they never quite got the power of doing it in Jerusalem, nor the rawness of feeling the presence of current expressions of injustice and hatred. But they are still there.

However as I continued to reflect on my thoughts about Easter I moved on to focussing on ‘That was then and this is now’, by which I mean that you and I know the whole story. We know about Good Friday, but also about the Glory of the Resurrection and the Risen Jesus calling Mary Magdalen by name, and the disciples on the road to Emmaus recognising Jesus in the breaking of the bread. We know about the Holy Spirit, the spread of the Gospel, the birth and growth of the Church and the life of faith that we enjoy.
So however much I try, I can’t imagine what Jesus and his disciples went through. I have never felt that emotion the disciples must have felt when they saw Jesus buried in a tomb and they didn’t know what to do or think. 

In the past, and particularly at the beginning of this Lent I have tried to focus on this by reading aloud the stories of the Passion, and trying to be part of it, or feel part of it. It has in itself been moving and once again I was close to tears as we read the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and death on Palm Sunday. But with the best will in the world I still felt a bit distant because I know what comes next.

Jesus, silent in front of his accusers
The sound of the nails being hammered through his skin and bone.
Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing,
And he breathed his last.
What do we do, but squabble about nothing 
and want our wills not his be done.

It was last week that I had my revelation, and realised that I had set us all the wrong task. So apologies for that. It is precisely the wrong question and it is designed to put us in the centre and I should have thought about it some more.
You see, it is not about what we think, or how it affects us, but absolutely about What God has done.
It is he who took the initiative, and saw us missing the point of being created in order that he could love us. It is he who walked among us to show us how to love and how to live. It is he who, through the absolute and unconditional commitment of Jesus taught us that he exists in glory, but that he put us first. It is he, God, who brought about the resurrection and changed the world view of everything. In response to that nothing can come between us and him, not even death. He made all things new. He gives new life, new hope, new beginnings, new choices and chances and a new reason to live.
I have come that you may have life, and may have it in all its fullness. 

It is not about us. It is always about God. All we can do is respond to the glorious things he has done, and to take them seriously. It is his world and he heals it his way.

So, what have I learned
That the world doesn’t revolve around me. I am not the centre of anything. It is God’s world, and he chooses to put me and you in the centre of his love.
That we all are called to work for Peace and Reconciliation, and there are so many injustices and divisions still to overcome. Some at home, and some on a massive scale, and when we ignore them, we send Jesus back to the cross.
Finally, because of his grace, I can try and pray daily ‘Not my will, but thine be done’.
In so doing, I trust, indeed I know, that I can be at ease with my God, myself and the world.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

• 11:00
  Maundy Thursday in Albir / Alfaz del Pi
  Maundy Thursday 11:00 Holy Eucharist ( Service location to be advised the Forum or the Apostolic Church Albir)
• 1 Apr 2021 – 19:00
  Maundy Thursday at La Fustera
  Maundy Thursday Service in La Fustera at 7 pm.  Holy Eucharist, Stripping of Altar, and Reception of Holy Oils, followed by a voluntary Altar of Repose afterwards until 9 pm.  Due to COVID Restrictions no annual Seder Meal or Washing of Feet.
• 1 Apr 2021 – 20:00
  Maundy Thursday service “online”
  Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting a special communion service for Maundy Thursday on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live on at 8pm Spanish time (7pm GMT) Tonight’s Live Stream at 8pm CET will be followed by a Watch of approximately 1 hour. Compline will be said at 9.45pm. And will then available as a recording from 9pm, 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.

• 2 Apr 2021 – 00:00
  Good Friday
  The Liturgy for Good Friday in Albir at 9.30am, in Javea at 9.45 am, in La Fustera, Denia and Gandia at Noon and in El Campello at 2pm. The Good Friday Service at Calpe is a Joint Anglican / Catholic bilingual Stations of the Cross at 12 noon. Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will also be broadcasting the Good Friday liturgy on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live at 3pm Spanish time (2pm GMT) and then available as a recording from 4pm, 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.
• 3 Apr 2021 – 20:00
  Easter Eve Vigil – live streamed
  Fr. Rodney and Fr. Robin will be broadcasting a live Easter Eve Vigil service on Fr. Rodney’s Facebook page. It will be “streamed” live on Sunday at 8pm Spanish time (7pm GMT) and then available from 9pm, 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.
• 3 Apr 2021 – 20:00
  Holy Saturday Mass at La Fustera
  Holy Saturday in La Fustera at 8 pm.  Reconciliation Mass and Renewal of Baptismal Vows.
• 4 Apr 2021 – 00:00
  Easter Sunday Mass
  We will celebrate the triumph of Easter in a Parish Eucharistic service in all churches at our usual times. (Please note that in Albir we now meet at 09.30). 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 GMT) and then available all day from 11am, 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.

To view Fr. Marcus’ special video just follow this link – https://youtu.be/wEd6CjGmS_A