Here is the link to this morning’s wonderful and uplifting service led by Fr. Rodney with Fr. Robin.

Here is the link to for today’s video.
Please remember to like it and to leave a supportive comment.

Good Afternoon All you lovely people,
I hope you are feeling something of the joy that remains abundant in our very different lives, and that you are managing to share it with someone.
If we were in church today (Friday) we would have heard the following in our Gospel Reading:
You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Jn 15.16
This is one of those glorious and helpful passages that both comforts and challenges us.
For many, faith can be a bit of a struggle. Trying to understand all what is going on, coping with the big questions like, why does God allow suffering, and why does Religion provoke such division. Add to that personal questions about the literal stories, or whether miracles happen, and for some, as I say, it can be a struggle.
But this scripture can really help, because rather than us trying to fathom and understand all the big questions in order to get to faith, we are taught that we are chosen. God want to embrace us. Elsewhere we are taught that faith is a gift, so our starting point is not necessarily to understand it all, to know it all, or even to agree with it all, but rather to be open to the job of faith, which is to allow us to see the Grace of God at work wherever it is at work (rather than where we think it should be at work).
So, faith allows us to see that God can work through a huge range of scenarios and people, and he certainly is not limited to Church or Sacraments or Scriptures, or Denominations or indeed Faiths. It is not for us to judge or to direct, but it is within us to discern.
I believe that You and I are called to be part of this extended fellowship, and we have so many things that link us together, and lead us to share a desire for worship.
The passage continues in a sort of apostolic vein. We are called, or chosen or gifted with faith, but then we are sent, to ‘Go and bear fruit that will last.’
Maybe our current question is, what is the fruit of our faith. What happens because we do what we do? In fact what do we do actually as an expression of our faith.
Hopefully we pray, read our scriptures, listen, and follow that pattern we have spoken about before. Open our hearts to Jesus, open the scriptures, spend time with Our Lord, recognise him in our Spiritual Communion as the bread is broken, then go back in to the thick of it, and live lives that reveal the great things God has done.
The Scriptures are such a help with this, because they give us clues. When we thing of bearing fruit we can’t help but be drwn to the teaching about the Fruits of the Spirit. They are the things that come pour way, when we allow our faith to flourish. You know what they are – The Fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.
Let’s get this the right way round. Like with faith, we have to be receptive to allow these things in. We don’t struggle to produce them, we open our hearts and souls to receive and embrace them. If we live by the Spirit, these Fruits will come our way, and we can bear them well, and in so doing show something of the glory of God.

I hope you are staying safe, and not feeling to frustrated by life. I know you are missing family and friends. We all are. But we have one another, and that matters.
Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,

As ever,
Fr Marcus

From Fr. Marcus,

Good Day, You Lovely people,
The Sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the wind is blowing, so lots to be grateful for.
Here is the link to today’s Video. 
St Matthais the Apostle. 13th May 2020

Fr. Marcus

My dear friends,
I imagine some of you are taking very tentative steps out in to the wide world now that we have a tiny bit more freedom. Fr Jim’s video message was very helpful.
So, I hope you are feeling merry and bright. But we walk forward slowly, and with respect and caution.
The reading for Morning Prayer today tells the story of Jesus calling the Fishermen, Peter, James and John. Luke 5.1-11. It tells the remarkable story of Jesus wanting to tech the crowds, but how they were pressing in on him, so he got into Simon Peter’s boat, and put it a little way out, and taught from there.
For me, it is the crowds longing to hear his every word that inspires me. How great it was that they were so thirsty for the word of God, even if they didn’t quite know that is what they were longing for.
Fr Rodney, during the live stream service on Sunday mentioned the news item that 25% of UK households have tuned in to some sort of religious programme during the lockdown. Compared to 6% normally.
It may be that folk are looking for some meaning in life while many of the distractions of the world are out of sight! Not necessarily expecting to find simple answers to huge questions, possibly not even knowing what questions they have tucked away in their minds, but possibly looking for whatever it is that will make sense, and bring a feeling of peace to the whirl of confusion that lives in many minds at the moment.
I believe it is brilliant that folk are looking, and seeking. Hopefully the things that we as a chaplaincy put on line may point people somehow to think about faith, or God, or the person of Jesus.
You and I know, that there are no simple answers to life’s big questions, but I would like to share with anyone who is seeking my short reflections on 3 questions that may be lurking in your mind.
Where can I find meaning?
How can I still my confusion?
How can I find peace?
Where can I find meaning? Let me tell you a true simple story. In 1978 I was working for a year in the Accident and Emergency Operating theatres in the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London. I had finished university, and was taking a year out before Theological College.
You can imagine the trauma of many of the cases that came down to theatre – Car crash victims, people who had been stabbed, lots of broken hips, and people who had any sort of dreadful accident. It was often heartbreaking, but also wonderfully inspiring as the surgeons and nurses worked so hard to put people back together. I loved it.
One day when were quiet, the Sister, knowing that I was planning Ordination asked me if I wanted to see a Post Mortem! I jumped at the chance, and went and watched as the surgeon took this body apart, examining each organ in turn. I won’t get all gory, but I need to tell you that for me it was like a religious experience. I watched how each different part of this human being was taken out, and learned how they all fit together, each doing such an incredible task of keeping the body working. The lungs knowing what lungs do, the live bust being a liver and so on. Not to mention the brain, which functioned ceaselessly keeping everything going as it should. Add to that the wonders of imagination, recollection, reason and conscience. The more I thought about it, the more I could never believe that this all happened by accident. There is too much wonder, beauty and awe in life for it to be just chance that it exists in all its complexity.
So if it were not chance, something brought it about. In my little mind it has to have meaning.
Science has the great gift of telling us how stuff happens, and how it works, but it is religion that may help us with the big question of why?
The great monotheistic Faiths all point to similar expressions. There is a God, and somehow he caused us to be in order that we could be loved. For me, that is the ultimate answer. We are here, we exist, in order that we can be loved, and our response to that is to love in return.
So, where do we find meaning? We find meaning in the love that we both Give and Receive. For folk exploring the question of faith, We find meaning when we allow ourselves to accept and believe that We are here so that God can love us. Our Christian faith is summed up in Jesus teaching that we in turn, love God, and love our neighbour.
How can I still my confusion? Have you looked at the papers lately, or tried to keep up with the news from a variety of sources. It is the stuff of nightmares! So many conflicting stories, theories and ideas. Things are changing daily. All of our concrete plans for what we would do in 2020 have disappeared. There is a great deal of uncertainty and worry, and indeed more than a fair share of fake news and conspiracy theory. No wonder we are restless.
But the great Saint Augustine teaches that ‘Out hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.’
There are some things that we can fix, some that we can work out, some guidelines that we can follow, and some news that we can ignore, but still there can be a sense of restlessness because so much is beyond our control.
We don’t look for God to find magic answers, we don’t pray to God to solve all our problems so that we don’t have to, but we can walk with God on our own spiritual journey or Camino, and in so doing we will begin to understand a little of how to feel his presence. Faith is the gift that allows us to see and receive his grace in us, and in others. The Blessing which is love, truth, beauty and freedom. And it is available to us if we let it in. Sometimes with Faith and Prayer, we try too hard. Rather take a note from the psalms. ‘Be still, and know that I am God.
How can I find peace?
We began our thought today with the reading for Morning Prayer, and we conclude with the one for the Eucharist today.
John 14.27-end
27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
True peace is that great gift from God, which is not so much about freedom from conflict as an attitude of the mind and soul. Notice, Jesus says he gives not as the world gives. Sadly the ‘world’ is preoccupied with stuff! Things that we are supposed to need, Status, Wealth, Celebrity, Gossip, Popularity, Drama, Judgement and the Ego. These all conspire together to create feelings of Us and Them, and by their very nature are divisive and generate emotions to do with comparison, and exclusion.
The Peace that Jesus offers is to do with acknowledging his presence, and understanding something of his will, and then endeavouring to live following it. In so doing we will find not only a peace that passes all understanding, but a sense of Joy and Bliss found nowhere else in the world.
Being in the presence of Christ, and accepting that we are in his presence means that we can hide nothing from him, which is the state of true liberation as we learn that we can hide nothing, and pretend nothing and we can truly be ourselves, not the false self that our Ego would have us be.
So, if you are looking, or seeking or searching I hope you find some peace and joy. Small steps, and no preconceived ideas of answers, and all shall be well.
If you would like to talk about any of this, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Bless you on your travels,
Bless you in your thinking,
Bless you as you find your rest in God.

Click here to view Fr. Jim’s video.

Several of our church family have asked again for details of the Chaplaincy’s bank accounts, to make donations. This is very encouraging, because with no fundraising and no Sunday collections the reserves are having to be used to pay the continuing bills. If you have not yet made a “lockdown” donation please consider doing so, if your circumstances allow.

You can make a bank transfer in British pounds or in Euros.

To pay in pounds please use the following account. For future transfers please add “Costa Blanca” in the notes section. This account is at Barclays Bank plc:

Account name: The Diocese in Europe Fund;   Account Number: 40317039. Sort-code: 20-06-13;   NOTE – “Costa Blanca”
You should not need the following information, but, if asked the Swiftbic code is: BUKBGB22; and the IBAN number Is: GB16 BUKB 2006 1340 3170 39. Do please note that bank transfers will attract a UK banking handling charge of £4.50.

And if you wish to donate in Euros, the Spanish account number (IBAN) is as follows – ES76 ‪0075 1294 60‬ 0600122108. It is in the name of Capelania Anglicana de la Costa Blanca.

Thank you for your considered donations to help the continuing work of the chaplaincy.

Click here to see the video recording of today’s wonderful Eucharist, led by Fr. Rodney, with another super sermon from Fr. Robin. Please click the “like” button on Chaplaincy videos and add a comment of support.

We have been asked for the wording for the Act of Spiritual Communion that Fr. Rodney shares with us at the end of each service. This is attached. You can now join in. Please save this as an image (photo) to allow you to read along on future Sundays.

Good Afternoon you lovely people,I hope you are having a positive day.
Here is the link to today’s video.It has been suggested that the more ‘Likes’ it gets, the more folk will view it, so if you feel you want to, click the Like button.
To God be the glory.
Many Thanks,
As ever,
Marcus

Today is the feast of St Julian of Norwich.

All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of things will be well.

So said Saint Julian of Norwich, a Spiritual writer and mystic who died around 1417. 

For me this sense of hope, and trust and love is absolutely powerful and joyous, because it looks to the future, not with rose tinted specs, or some ‘Happy ever after’ fairy tale pretence, but with a deep conviction of the abiding presence of God.
For me it shouts out that God ultimately is! 
It is not about what he, or we do, but about us abiding in the presence of God. ‘Abide in me, and I in you.’ says Jesus. (Jn 15.4) 

The other wonderful thing about this quote is that it embraces change. It is not about everything being OK because it is like it always has been, but rather, All will be well, no matter what comes to pass.

I think this is important for us to reflect on during these times of uncertainty and confusion. It is not the case that once the lockdown is over, everything will snap back to normal. Rather we are hearing about a ‘New normal’, and we don’t know what that will be yet.
For some, that can be daunting and unsettling, but our faith tells us that although we change, and situations develop, and different things either grow or diminish in importance, our God Reigns, and he doesn’t change. Which is why all will be well.

Julian has another quote which is so beautiful. “Truth sees God, and wisdom contemplates God, and from these two comes a third, a holy and wonderful delight in God, who is love.”
Once again we are in the realm of delighting in the presence of God, and that sense of delight and joy is available to us all.

Another of my favourite authors is Matthew Fox who talks about change in terms of ‘Transformation by delight.’ By which he means, the best way to bring about something different, is to replace it with something so much better that we long for the new.

All of this, in a sense, is a preamble to us exploring how things will be in the weeks and months ahead. It seems like we will be entering phase one soon, and legally that will mean that some places of worship will be open. But things are not so simple, and it is not the case that we can fling wide our doors next Sunday and all be safely gathered in. There are protocols, guidelines and procedures, and most importantly the safety and wellbeing of our members, many of whom come in to the vulnerable category.

Suffice to say that huge plans and discussions are going on daily amongst the clergy and the Standing committee, plus those who have responsibility for our various church buildings.
We are being cautious, but looking forward. 
There may be some more clear information soon, but in the meantime, can I ask you to read the following, which is a letter from our Bishop outlining the latest Covid advice for us. (There is also a whole range of procedures produced by FEREDE, who are the body that enables us to worship here in Spain. So things are complicated!)

I will be in touch again soon.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,

As ever,

Fr Marcus

From Bishop David and Bishop Robert

To the Clergy, Readers and Churchwardens of the Diocese 

Practical Guidance once lockdown is eased and church buildings can be used for public worship

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

In some European countries such as Germany, Austria and Denmark, lockdown measures are being slightly eased and there is the possibility again of chaplaincies offering public worship in a limited way. Where this is possible, and only in those jurisdictions where gatherings for public worship are legally permitted, considerable care is needed in how any opening up for worship is managed, and a number of important principles and precautions need to be observed for the safety and protection of all concerned. This is because Covid-19 continues to pose serious threats, and we will need to live with this reality until there is a vaccine and/or an effective cure. So we are writing to you to address, narrowly, the question of safe conduct of public worship, in countries where it is permitted, but where Covid-19 remains a reality for us all.  

In every country, the release from lockdown is cautious and gradual. Different countries in our diocese will be at different points in the step by step withdrawal of the lockdown. In any country, the advice of the national government is of the first importance. Clergy and chaplaincy councils need to pay close attention to national/provincial regulations, as well as drawing on the advice of our church partners. Inevitably, we are needing to run slightly ahead of national Church of England advice in England. We continue to liaise with bishops in England, and it is quite likely that eventual advice in England will be similar to what we are setting out here. 

The protection of our neighbour is a key element of our Christian faith, and the Easter message affirms that the life of integrity, courage and compassion is never wasted or lost. What is done for the good of others has a way of rising and returning to gather all and rise again. That neither disease nor death can finally overcome the best in human solidarity and resilience is both a lesson of secular history as well as sound religion. It is in that spirit that this guidance is offered, updating our last guidance notes issued on 6^th April 2020. 

Where Public Church Services on Sundays and Special Occasions are again permitted by local law or state guidance, these can be celebrated either in church buildings or in the open air. However, our advice is that services should only be held if principles of hygiene and physical distancing can be firmly adhered to as follows:• For individuals attending church: carrying of tissues and using them to catch coughs and sneezes, and binning the tissue continues to be important. In addition to this, it is recommended that each individual or each family carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer. • Disinfectants and hand washing/sanitizing facilities should be provided at the church entrance; door handles and hand railings need to be disinfected on a regular basis.• All sidespeople/welcomers should wash their hands with an alcohol-based sanitizer. No handshaking or other physical touch. The ministry of welcome now assumes additional importance and consideration should be given to ensuring responsible lay people such as churchwardens are directly involved in it.  • Seating arrangements in churches should ensure that there is a two-metre distancebetween persons in all directions during a service, whether this is standing or sitting. This is the requirement that should also determine the seating capacity of a church.• The seating areas will need to be marked in a way to aid ‘distancing’.• Families and individuals who live in the same household can sit together if they are living together.• Church balconies should not be used, as they are difficult to keep safe.• Liturgy and hymns should be shown on screen or printed and made available to be picked up rather than being distributed by hand. Use of worship and hymn books will need to be avoided. A slightly shorter liturgy may be appropriate in order to keep the service to a maximum of one hour.• The use of protective face masks is regulated differently in different countries, but is recommended.  • Congregational singing is problematic because singing appears to increase significantly the transmission of potentially infected droplets. A small choir (3 to 5 people) could sing, keeping greater distance from each other and the congregation. If congregational singing is envisaged, it should be very softly, and even greater physical distancing will be necessary.• Again, to reduce the possibility of transmission of potentially infected droplets, wind instruments should not be used to provide music or musical accompaniment. • Readers, preachers, leaders of intercessions etc., should take care not to touch lecterns or pulpits.• Instead of shaking hands with neighbours at the peace, a sign of reconciliation can be conveyed in a different form, such as, bringing together the palms of one’s hands and bowing to the other with a smile, as in the Indian Namaste greeting. This greeting should continue at a distance. • Our continued guidance is that Holy Communion is distributed in the form of bread/wafer only. Both elements will be consecrated, but the wine should not be distributed. It is a clear principle of Anglican theology that the sacrament of Holy Communion is present and complete in either of the consecrated elements. • For the time being, it is preferable that only the presiding minister handles the vessels and administers Holy Communion. Given that it will be in one kind for now, and in most places for not more than 50 persons, it is much easier to control hygiene if this is one person’s responsibility.• Priests presiding at the Eucharist should wash their hands with an alcohol-based sanitizer. • We emphasize the need for the priest to use a face mask and gloves. If the priest, for theological reasons, finds using gloves difficult, extra measures in terms of hygiene need to be adhered to. The priest should not touch anyone during the administration of the Holy Communion or in giving individual blessings, or laying on hands for prayer or for healing.• The bread/wafer is safest distributed with communicants approaching in a single line standing with a sensible distance between them.• Holy Water stoups remain discontinued.• The celebration of Holy Baptism will require special precautions. Only one candidate should be baptized at a given service. The font should be emptied and disinfected before any subsequent baptism service. The presiding priest should wear a mask. An infant should be held by his or her parents – the minister should not take the infant into his or her own arms. Water should be poured over the head of the candidate, using a shell or other such vessel, and no physical contact should be made between the priest and the candidate. Pre and Post baptismal anointing can be done with a cotton swab, again avoiding physical contact between the minister and the candidate. If there are any questions related to these measures, please contact the lead bishop.  • Offerings are to be placed on a tray at the exit. Those who count the collection at the end of the service should wear gloves. Better still, use this as an opportunity to encourage online giving and direct debits. • Wardens are requested to ensure that ordered entry, seating and exit is maintained.• If church is filled to permitted capacity, no further entry is possible. Recognising that refusing entry to a church is always undesirable and difficult, chaplains and councils may wish to consider booking systems where seating cards are requested and issued in advance.• In some places more than the normal celebrations of Holy Communion may be needed, to ensure that the entire community is able to receive the sacrament. Do consider ‘hybrid worship’ (where services with a small congregation are broadcast live) especially for the benefit of those who are afraid or reluctant to enter church buildings too quickly. • Pre and post service gatherings for fellowship and refreshments should not happen.• Sunday School and junior church gatherings must adhere to the current national norms for gatherings of children in schools and daycare centres. Leaders of these events will need to be appropriately briefed on how to ensure distancing between children and more leaders than normal may be required.• We emphasize that scrupulous cleaning of churches will need to be arranged after each use. Cleaning personnel should be carefully briefed/trained, supplied with proper gloves and disinfectants and (if working more than singly) equipped with masks.   

We fully appreciate that these measures are onerous. Chaplains and chaplaincy councils will want to take their time to decide how and indeed if they are able to recommence public worship safely. In our Covid-19 environment, offering spaces for public worship is a serious responsibility and does need careful, prayerful thought. Moreover, congregations will need to be aware that the ‘feel’ of church worship in this environment is going to be different from before the crisis. 

These are testing times for all of us, but we take courage in the words of St Paul: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, not things present, nor things to come, nor powers, not height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8.38-39).

With the assurance of our continuing prayers for grace and strength for you in your ministry, 

 ​

Yours in Christ,​

+Robert Innes​ +David Hamid